''Look to the Lilies'' was a short-lived Broadway musical with a book by Leonard Spigelgass, lyrics by Sammy Cahn, and music by

Jule Styne Jule Styne (; born Julius Kerwin Stein; December 31, 1905 – September 20, 1994) was an English-American songwriter and composer best known for a series of Broadway musicals, including several famous frequently-revived shows that also becam ...

. Based on both the 1962 novel and film versions of '' Lilies of the Field'', it tells the story of a group of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

nuns, headed by a determined, dauntless Mother Superior, who manage to get an

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

itinerant handyman/jack-of-all-trades named Homer Smith to build a

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type ...

for the

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

community in which they live, despite not having money to pay him.

Background

Styne composed his score with Ethel Merman in mind, but director

Joshua Logan Joshua Lockwood Logan III (October 5, 1908 – July 12, 1988) was an American director, writer, and actor. He shared a Pulitzer Prize for co-writing the musical ''South Pacific'' and was involved in writing other musicals. Early years Logan w ...

cast

Shirley Booth Shirley Booth (born Marjory Ford; August 30, 1898October 16, 1992) was an American actress. One of only 24 performers to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting, Booth was the recipient of an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards and three Tony Awa ...

instead. Sammy Davis, Jr.'s salary demands put him out of the running, and the role of Homer went to

Al Freeman, Jr. Albert Cornelius Freeman Jr. (March 21, 1934 – August 9, 2012) was an American actor, director, and educator. A life member of The Actors Studio, Freeman appeared in a wide variety of plays, ranging from Leroi Jones' ''Slave/Toilet'' to Joe Pa ...

, whom Logan later described as "difficult" and "antagonistic."

Production

The musical premiered on Broadway on March 29, 1970 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, where it ran for 25 performances and 31 previews. The musical was the last for Booth, over 70 years old at the time of the premiere, but she garnered unanimous critical raves from the critics. Raymond Bordner wrote: "Miss Booth is simply marvelous all the way, and it is a real treat to see her again on Broadway". Richard Watts, in the ''New York Post'', mentioned "Miss Booth's warm and gracious appeal."Bordner, Raymond
"Shirley Booth Back"
''The Day'', March 31, 1970 They also praised designer Jo Mielziner's use of desert tones, projections, scrims, and lighting to create the atmosphere and mood of the

desert A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...

Southwest, but found little else of merit in the show.

Song list

;Act I * Gott is Gut * First Class Number One Bum * Himmlisher Vater * Follow the Lamb * Don't Talk About God * When I Was Young * Meet My Seester * One Little Brick at a Time * To Do a Little Good * There Comes a Time * Why Can't He See * I'd Sure Like to Give It a Shot ;Act II * Them and They * Does It Really Matter * Look to the Lilies * I Admire You Very Much Mr. Schmidt * Some Kind of Man * Chant * Casamagordo, New Mexico * Follow the Lamb (Reprise) * One Little Brick at a Time (Reprise) * I, Yes Me, That's Who

Notes

References

''Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops'' by Ken Mandelbaum, published by St. Martin's Press (1991), pages 29–31 ()

External links

*
Time Magazine review
{{Jule Styne 1970 musicals Broadway musicals Musicals based on novels Musicals based on films Musicals by Jule Styne Musicals set in New Mexico Nuns in fiction