a musical with a book by Michael Bennett, music by Cy Coleman, and lyrics by Dorothy Fields.
Based on the William Gibson play Two for the Seesaw, the plot focuses on a brief affair between Jerry Ryan, a young lawyer from Nebraska, and Gittel Mosca, a kooky, streetwise dancer from the Bronx. The musical numbers evoke colorful aspects of New York City life but have relatively little to do with the story. The most notable feature of the score's original orchestrations was their wide use of brass instruments.
The production faced seemingly insurmountable problems during its pre-Broadway tryout period, and when it reached Detroit, producers Joseph Kipness and Lawrence Kasha brought in Bennett for advice. He recommended they abandon the book by Michael Stewart and fire director Edwin Sherin and leading lady Lainie Kazan, who he felt was too hefty to portray a dancer convincingly. Upon agreeing to helm the show, Bennett recast most of the ensemble, convinced Robin Wagner to replace his original realistic design with a sleek, stylized set, had Coleman and Fields rework their score, and brought in Neil Simon to help him rewrite the book, although final credit went solely to Bennett.
After 25 previews, the Broadway production, directed and choreographed by Bennett, opened on March 18, 1973 at the Uris Theatre. It later transferred to the Mark Hellinger; between the two venues, it ran a total of 296 performances. The opening night cast included Ken Howard, Michele Lee, Tommy Tune, Giancarlo Esposito, Thommie Walsh, Amanda McBroom and Baayork Lee.
Reviews were universally good, but there was no money for newspaper ads to quote them or thirty-second television spots to promote the show. As a publicity stunt, New York City Mayor John V. Lindsay was persuaded to appear on stage during a production number set in Times Square, and the ensuing media coverage resulted in a boost at the box office. But the move from the Uris to the Mark Hellinger was costly, and although a post-Broadway run in Philadelphia and Boston was a financial success, Seesaw failed to earn back its sizable investment.
Lucie Arnaz, John Gavin, and Tommy Tune starred in the very well received national tour of the musical in 1974.
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