Two By Two (musical)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Two By Two'' is a
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...
with a book by
Peter Stone Peter Stone may refer to: *Pete Stone, Australian footballer in the 1956 Summer Olympics * Peter G. Stone (born 1957), British archaeologist *Peter Stone (cricketer) (born 1938), New Zealand cricketer *Peter Stone (professor) (born 1971), professo ...
, lyrics by
Martin Charnin Martin Charnin (November 24, 1934 – July 6, 2019) was an American lyricist, writer, and theatre director. Charnin's best-known work is as conceiver, director, and lyricist of the musical ''Annie.'' Life and career Charnin was born in New York C ...
, and music by
Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the most ...
. Based on
Clifford Odets Clifford Odets (July 18, 1906 – August 14, 1963) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and actor. In the mid-1930s, he was widely seen as the potential successor to Nobel Prize-winning playwright Eugene O'Neill, as O'Neill began to withdra ...
's play ''
The Flowering Peach ''The Flowering Peach'' is a 1954 dramatic play by American playwright Clifford Odets with music by Alan Hovhaness. The plot is a modern take on the Bible stories of Noah and Noah's Ark. It was the last original play by Odets produced in his li ...
'', it tells the story of
Noah Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5– ...
's preparations for the
Great Flood A flood myth or a deluge myth is a myth in which a great flood, usually sent by a deity or deities, destroys civilization, often in an act of divine retribution. Parallels are often drawn between the flood waters of these myths and the primaeval ...
and its aftermath. Directed by
Joe Layton Joe Layton (May 3, 1931 – May 5, 1994) was an American director and choreographer known primarily for his work on Broadway.Dunning, Jennifer. (9 May 1994). Page B7.'Joe Layton, Choreographer And Director, Is Dead at 64' Obituary. New York Tim ...
, the production opened on November 10, 1970 at the
Imperial Theatre The Imperial Theatre is a Broadway theater at 249 West 45th Street (George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1923, the Imperial Theatre was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was constructed fo ...
, where it ran for ten months. The opening night cast included
Danny Kaye Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky; yi, דוד־דניאל קאַמינסקי; January 18, 1911 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, singer and dancer. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and ...
,
Marilyn Cooper Marilyn Cooper (December 14, 1934 – April 22, 2009) was an American actress known primarily for her work on the Broadway stage. Life and career Born in New York City, Cooper made her Broadway debut in 1956 in the chorus of '' Mr. Wonderfu ...
,
Joan Copeland Joan Maxine Kupchik ( Miller; June 1, 1922 – January 4, 2022), known professionally as Joan Copeland, was an American actress. She was the younger sister of playwright Arthur Miller. She began her career during the mid-1940s, appearing in thea ...
,
Harry Goz Harry Goz (February 16, 1932 – September 6, 2003) was an American musical theater actor and voice actor. Career Goz debuted in the 1956 Broadway production of ''Bajour'', co-starring Chita Rivera and Nancy Dussault. Goz played Tevye in th ...
,
Madeline Kahn Madeline Gail Kahn (''née'' Wolfson; September 29, 1942 – December 3, 1999) was an American actress, comedian and singer, known for comedic roles in films directed by Peter Bogdanovich and Mel Brooks, including '' What's Up, Doc?'' (1972), '' ...
, Michael Karm,
Tricia O'Neil Tricia O'Neil (born Patty O'Neil) is an American actress. Early life Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, she is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. O'Neil. The family lived in El Paso, Texas, from 1952 to 1959 and in 1963. O'Neil attended elementary ...
, and
Walter Willison Walter Willison (born June 24, 1947) is an American stage actor. Career He starred on Broadway in '' Norman, Is That You?'', ''Two By Two'', ''Pippin ''(as Pippin), ''Wild and Wonderful'', ''Grand Hotel'', '' A Christmas Carol'' at Madison S ...
.


Production

Reviews were mixed, but positive for the score and cast. A couple months into the run Kaye became bored and began to improvise on a nightly basis. He
ad-libbed In music and other performing arts, the phrase (; from Latin for 'at one's pleasure' or 'as you desire'), often shortened to "ad lib" (as an adjective or adverb) or "ad-lib" (as a verb or noun), refers to various forms of improvisation. The ...
shtick A shtick ( yi, שטיק) is a comic theme or gimmick. The word entered the English language from the Yiddish ''shtik'' (שטיק), in turn derived from German ''Stück'' and Polish ''sztuka'' (both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *''stukkiją'') ...
and comic asides to the audience. Improvising a dance one night, to impress Dick Cavett in the audience, he slipped and tore a tendon in his leg. Kaye continued with the show, appearing at each performance on crutches as young 90 year old Noah, and as Noah at 600 in wheelchair "He appeared with his leg in a cast and either rode around the stage in a wheelchair — in which he sometimes would try to run down the other actors — or hobbled around the stage on a crutch — which he used to goose the girls," wrote Rodgers in his autobiography ''Musical Stages.'' "In addition, he began improvising his own lines and singing in the wrong tempos. He even made a curtain speech after the performances in which he said, 'I'm glad you're here, but I'm glad the authors aren't.' Apparently there was a certain curiosity value to all this, because people actually went to see ''Two by Two'' because of Danny's one-by-one vaudeville act. Others, of course, were appalled and expressed their irritation in letters to the '' ew York
Times Time is the continued sequence of existence and events, and a fundamental quantity of measuring systems. Time or times may also refer to: Temporal measurement * Time in physics, defined by its measurement * Time standard, civil time specific ...
''." The show is frequently performed by community theatre and church groups, and there have been a few noteworthy revivals over the years.
Milton Berle Milton Berle (born Mendel Berlinger; ; July 12, 1908 – March 27, 2002) was an American actor and comedian. His career as an entertainer spanned over 80 years, first in silent films and on stage as a child actor, then in radio, movies and tel ...
headed a production at the St. Louis Municipal Opera (The Muny) in 1971.
Shelley Berman Sheldon Leonard Berman (February 3, 1925 – September 1, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, writer, teacher, and lecturer. In his comedic career, he was awarded three gold records and he won the first Grammy Award for a spoken comedy reco ...
headed the show's National Touring company in 1972–73, co-starring
Taina Elg __NOTOC__ Taina may refer to: People Women * Taina Asili (), Puerto Rican musician, filmmaker and activist * Taïna Barioz (born 1988), French alpine skier * Taina Bien-Aimé, Swiss social activist * Taina Bofferding (born 1982), Luxembourgish ...
as Esther. More recently, Tom Bosley sang Noah's role for a soundtrack slated for a (canceled) 2001 U.S. national tour of the show.
Jason Alexander Jay Scott Greenspan (born September 23, 1959), known professionally as Jason Alexander, is an American actor, comedian, host and director. An Emmy and Tony winner, he is best known for his role as George Costanza in the television series '' Se ...
has been seen in the role in Los Angeles' "Reprise" production as well in New York's York Theatre "Musicals-in-Mufti" production directed by Martin Charnin. Walter Willison (the original Broadway "Japheth") has also appeared as Noah in the 2002 Richard Rodgers Centennial concert for the Jewish Repertory Theater Off-Broadway (which he also directed) and in regional productions of the show in recent years. In 2004,
Martin Charnin Martin Charnin (November 24, 1934 – July 6, 2019) was an American lyricist, writer, and theatre director. Charnin's best-known work is as conceiver, director, and lyricist of the musical ''Annie.'' Life and career Charnin was born in New York C ...
directed the World
Premiere A première, also spelled premiere, is the debut (first public presentation) of a play, film, dance, or musical composition. A work will often have many premières: a world première (the first time it is shown anywhere in the world), its first ...
of the revised version of ''Two by Two'' at the Cumberland County Playhouse in
Crossville, Tennessee Crossville is a city in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Crossville, TN Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 12,071 at the 2020 census. History Crossville developed at the inters ...
. In creating the new version of ''Two by Two'', Charnin stated that "I'm going to restore a concept that I had that was originally negated by Danny Kaye" The cast included
Ruthie Ann Miles Ruthie Ann Miles (born April 21, 1983) is an American actress, best known for her roles in musical theatre and on television. Off-Broadway, she has played Christmas Eve in ''Avenue Q'' and starred as Imelda Marcos in ''Here Lies Love'', winnin ...
as Leah, Holly O'Brien as Goldie and Alan Baker as Noah. In 2021,
Walter Willison Walter Willison (born June 24, 1947) is an American stage actor. Career He starred on Broadway in '' Norman, Is That You?'', ''Two By Two'', ''Pippin ''(as Pippin), ''Wild and Wonderful'', ''Grand Hotel'', '' A Christmas Carol'' at Madison S ...
(the original Japheth) directed the show's semi-centennial, ''Two By Two: The 50th Anniversary Virtual Concert'', which starred Willison as Noah, and
Karen Ziemba Karen Ziemba (born November 12, 1957) is an American actress, singer and dancer, best known for her work in musical theatre. In 2000, she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in ''Contact (musical), Contact ...
as Esther. The show premiered on New Year's Day and benefited
The Actors Fund ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
. The show also starred Nikita Burshteyn as Japheth, Frank Calamaro as Shem, Marcy DeGonge Manfredi as Leah, N’Kenge as Goldie, Michael Notardonato as Ham, Sophia Tzougros as Rachel, and was hosted by Ted Chapin, president of
Rodgers and Hammerstein Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their popu ...
.


Awards

Kaye's lack of professionalism and Rodgers' public grousing about the liberties he took with the script allegedly ruined Kaye's chances for a
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
nomination. Willison was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, and he and O'Neil received
Theatre World Award The Theatre World Award is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway theatre, Broadway or Off-Broadway. It was first awarded for the 1945 ...
s for their performances.


Plot synopsis

On his 600th birthday, Noah receives a message from God, warning him about the impending flood. He is directed to save two of each animal and to build an ark for them. Noah's wife and family have their doubts and even make fun of him as he plans to build the ark, but join in when the animals start to appear en masse. "The story dealt with Noah and the flood, and though written in 1954, covered such contemporary themes as the
generation gap A generation gap or generational gap is a difference of opinions between one generation and another regarding beliefs, politics, or values. In today's usage, ''generation gap'' often refers to a perceived gap between younger people and their paren ...
and
ecology Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...
," Rodgers wrote. "There was even a parallel between the flood and the
atom bomb A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bomb ...
." ;The gitka The "gitka" is a magical Old Testament species of rodent, created by Clifford Odets, that sings in the presence of God.
Two by Two
' on ''The Guide to Musical Theatre''
The arrival of one convinces the family of Noah's story. It has no mate so they are unable to bring her aboard.


Songs

;Act I * Why Me? * Put Him Away * The Gitka's Song * Something, Somewhere * You Have Got to Have a Rudder on the Ark * Something Doesn't Happen * An Old Man * Ninety Again! * Two by Two * I Do Not Know a Day I Did Not Love You * Something, Somewhere (Reprise) ;Act II * When It Dries * Two by Two (Reprise) * You * The Golden Ram * Poppa Knows Best * I Do Not Know a Day I Did Not Love You (Reprise) * As Far as I'm Concerned * Hey, Girlie * The Covenant The songs "Everything That's Gonna Be Has Been," "Getting Married to a Person," "The Brother Department," "The Death of Me" and "Forty Nights" were cut from the show prior to its Broadway opening; the latter song was cut because Danny Kaye decreed that no one in the show would have a funnier song than he. The song has been restored to many recent revivals.


Notes


References

* *Hischak, Thomas (2007). ''The Rodgers and Hammerstein Encyclopedia''. Greenwood Publishing Group, *Hyland, William (1998). ''Richard Rodgers''. Yale University Press,


External links

*
''Two by Two'' listing at RNH

Still Photographs from ''Two by Two''
from the
NYPL Digital Gallery The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress) ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Two By Two 1970 musicals Broadway musicals Musicals based on plays Musicals based on the Bible Musicals by Peter Stone Noah's Ark in popular culture Compositions by Richard Rodgers