''The Penny Friend'' is a
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 music, lyrics, and book by William Roy based on a play by
J. M. Barrie, ''A Kiss for Cinderella''. It featured
Bernadette Peters in her first
Off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
role. William Roy later worked with Peters as a writer, arranger and conductor for her nightclub act.
[Jones, Kennet]
"William Roy, Songwriter and Pianist Who Collaborated With Julie Wilson, Dead at 75"
playbill.com, September 4, 2003
Production history
''The Penny Friend'' opened
off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
at Stage 73 on December 26, 1966, and closed on January 22, 1967, after 32 performances. The director was Benno D. Frank, and musical numbers were staged by Lou Kristofer. The producer was Thomas Hammond (Bernadette Peters' manager).
Plot summary
The story involves a girl who thinks that she is
Cinderella, and whose friends go along with her story. After talking about attending a ball, she actually appears to be at the ball. However, it is soon evident that her story is all fantasy. In reality Cinderella is lying unconscious in a snow bank. She is brought to a hospital where she dies.
[
]
Characters and cast
*Cinderella -- Bernadette Peters
*Mrs. Maloney—Georgia Creighton
*Mr. McGill—Bill Drew
*Kate Bodie—Charlotte Fairchild
*Maudie—Terry Forman
*George—Dewey Golkin
*Lady—Sherill Price
*Invite—Jimmy Rivers
*Policeman -- Jamie Ross
*Mr. Jennings—John Senger
*Charles Bodie -- Michael Wager
Michael Wager (born Emanuel Weisgal, April 29, 1925December 26, 2011) was an American film and television actor.
Wager was born in New York, New York, and nicknamed "Mendy". He was the son of Meyer W. and Shirley (Hirshfeld) Weisgal.
He appea ...
References
External links
Lortel Database"A Kiss for Cinderella" on Internet Movie Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Penny Friend, The
Off-Broadway musicals
1966 musicals
J. M. Barrie
Musicals based on plays
Musicals based on Cinderella