Vulture does it again today with a great, albeit fact-adjacent, look into one of Broadway's most curious flops (I'm waiting for the "One Night Stand" story). This one about "Senator Joe."
Like the journalist, I saw the show. i saw the second preview on Saturday night (though some argue it was the 3rd preview because there might have been a Saturday matinee). I had a great seat on the house left front orchestra. The set reminded me immediately of "Merrily We Roll Along." Totally cheap and meant to feel like a high school production. The cast was beyond amateurish. The music was unbearable to listen to. If you suffered through "The News" at the Helen Hayes (I think it was called The Little Theater back then), you were in similar territory here- creatively speaking. The music aspired to be "important," while the lyrics were really workmanlike, at best.
The story was incomprehensible, even if you knew the historical facts. I sat next to a popular musical theatre performer. Afterwards, she turned to me and said, "Well, I'll never get those two hours of my life back." Her ticket was comped, by the way, as were most of the tickets. That final performance was papered to an inch of its life.
The playwright has shared many of the same facts in this article in Tepper's amazing "If It Only Runs a Minute." If you've seen that legally available live show recorded for streaming on YouTube, then there isn't much new here. Plus you can listen to three musical excepts, as well.
https://youtu.be/jL6ZFj99MLc
Getting a show to Broadway is a near impossible feat. That this got as far as it did is astonishing for all involved, both for the good and the bad reasons. I can still see scenes from the show in my head, which is a testament to O'Horgan's visual genius. However, I don't recall this infamous liver or kidney scene so many people talk about. Seems more people than there were tickets sold. |
