I was living in Denver, Colorado when Seesaw opened on Broadway. I knew absolutely nothing about this show. Late one evening I was watching The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson which aired from NYC in the early '70s. Michele Lee and Tommy Tune were guests. Michele performed "I'm Way Ahead" and I was immediately hooked! One of the best 11 o'clock numbers written for the Broadway stage. The next morning, I called my favorite record store and pre-ordered the Broadway cast album (I wore out two LPs over the years before being released on cassette and CD). I never got to see Seesaw on Broadway, but I did see the first national tour that starred Lucie Arnaz, John Gavin and Tommy Tune. When I ushered at the Atlanta Civic Center in the mid-'70s I got to see the second national tour that starred John Raitt, Liz Torres and Ron Kurowski.
Over the years I have seen several excellent regional productions.
It was Seesaw that introduced me to the two-character play Two for the Seesaw which the musical is based upon. Film version starring Robert Mitchum and Shirley MacLaine is excellent. (TCM shows this on occasion.) |
