Igor Stravinsky / Two By Two

On this day in classical music: Igor Stravinsky’s opera “The Rake’s Progress” received its premiere in Venice in 1951. Loosely based on the works of artist William Hogarth, “The Rake’s Progress” traces the decline and fall of Tom Rakewell, a man who deserts Anne Trulove for the sleazy delights of London. Employed as a servant to Nick Shadow, Tom accompanies Nick to London only to discover that he is the Devil in disguise. Tom eventually winds up in Bedlam, a psychiatric hospital. Watch the opening scene from “The Rake’s Progress” with Dawn Upshaw as Anne and Jerry Hadley as Tom. Sylvain Cambreling conducts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn8P5175dHw

On this day in the musical theatre: Richard Rodgers’ musical “Two By Two” closed on Broadway in 1971 after a run of 343 performances. Based on Clifford Odets’ play “The Flowering Peach,” “Two By Two” tells the story of Noah and his preparations for the impending flood. Comedian Danny Kaye starred as Noah, with Joan Copeland as his wife Esther. As the production settled in to its 10-month run, Kaye began deviating from the script and improvised as he pleased. Kaye subsequently tore a ligament in his leg but returned to the company in a wheelchair with his leg bandaged in a cast. With “Two By Two,” Rodgers proved that his melodic gifts were still very much intact. One of the musical’s loveliest ballads, sung by Noah’s son Japeth, is “I Do Not Know a Day I Did Not Love You.”

 

Musical musings: “Two By Two” has left a sour taste in my mouth not because of the mixed reception (it ran almost a year and showed a small profit), but because of Danny’s behavior after the show had opened in New York. Early in February 1971 he tore a ligament in his left leg during a performance and had to be hospitalized. Apparently unable to submit to the discipline of the theatre, when he returned to the show he decided to adapt the entire production to his infirmity. 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. 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 Times. What was especially disturbing was that there was nothing I or anyone else could do about all of this; Danny simply could not take criticism. The minute someone faulted him, he’d just sulk and slow down, and figuring that slowing down was worse than cutting up, we reluctantly said nothing. – Richard Rodgers in his autobiography Musical Stages

Thank you for joining our conversation on Articulations. We encourage your discussion but ask that you stay within the bounds of our commenting and posting policy.