I asked about the show Subways Are For Sleeping and as expected, I heard from my longtime pal Jim Brochu. Of course he saw it…
You spoke my name aloud and I appear. Yes, I actually did see Subways Are For Sleeping. I was 16 and at that point I was going to the theater at least once or twice a week and seeing everything. And having no critical eye, I loved everything I saw back then. I even remember the seat I was in, D2, fourth row on the aisle right side of the St. James Theatre.
Some of the things I remember about the show: The Overture was terrific. Three or four Jule Styne songs that went on to be independent hits led us to believe that there was a sensational evening in store. Sadly that wasn't the case.
I had never heard of the two leads who were Carol Lawrence and Sydney Chaplin (Charlie's son). Lawrence was a wonderful performer and Sydney Chaplin had the charisma of an army boot. There was no chemistry between them.
Years later, I produced a play starring Carol Lawrence and she told me that she and Sydney just didn't get along and it certainly showed on the stage. A few months later, Chaplin would appear as Nicky Arnstein opposite Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl and he hadn't improved. I couldn't understand how he worked.
Phyllis Newman and Orson Bean
The standout performance was from Phyllis Newman who wore nothing but a towel the whole evening. I remember a funny song that Orson Bean sang to her called "I Just Can't Wait To See You With Clothes On."
And the story about homeless people just never produced an evening full of yucks. Despite the fact that it was an incredibly elaborate production that had over 40 people in the cast including Valerie Harper and Michael Bennett, it just never took off. The score is pleasant but definitely second rate Styne.
But I'm glad you brought it up because the cast album is very listenable and people are still talking about Merrick's stunts with the critics' names. Hope your ankle is healing. Sending love.
It is healing and thank you for your remembrances. And according to the Internet Broadway Database, the show did have a cast of 40 not counting stand-bys, so that probably contributed to its closure when ticket sales dipped. It may also have discouraged revivals. I have been involved in a couple of very brief, went-nowhere efforts to revive Li'l Abner on Broadway and as each effort collapsed, someone named as a factor that the original production opened with a cast of 55.
And speaking of David Merrick's stunts with the critics, Ben Varkentine wrote to remind me of the stunt Peter Cook pulled when he opened a small show called The Establishment. This is quoting Mr. Cook in the book, From Fringe To Flying Circus by Roger Wilmut…
When I opened The Establishment, I found a David Merrick, who was a black postman from Philadelphia. He came to see the show and he liked it so he wrote out all these rave reviews saying The Establishment was better than Oliver, Stop the World…and whatever David Merrick shows were on, rolled into one. This infuriated David Merrick and he threatened a lawsuit — against me for doing exactly what he'd done with the critics. Merrick did not put his threats into practice.
The only surprising thing about that is that Merrick didn't follow through with his lawsuits. That he was a bad sport is was entirely typical of the producer some called "The Abominable Showman." I'm surprised no one has ever tried to do a Broadway play about him. Maybe they figure that if they depicted Merrick accurately, no one would believe it. Oh, the stories Stan Freberg had to tell about when Merrick bought the rights to turn Stan's United States of America albums into a Broadway musical…
Thanks to Jim and Ben and to the person who sent me a copy of the script for Subways Are For Sleeping.
