1968 was way late for this kind of old-fashioned frippery, even if it didn't have director problems. It didn't make three weeks. It's too bad, because the songs by Jules Styne and E.Y Harburg are quite lovely. Price is a decent singer; he does especially well by the gentle ballad "Sunset Tree." Routledge got the lion's share of the notices and the good songs, including the touching "Let's See What Happens" and rollicking "Not On Your Nellie" with the chorus. Charming and well-worth checking out if you love Price, Routledge, or the songwriters' other work.
House of Flowers is another charming comedy that didn't work out on Broadway. The story of two battling bordellos in Haiti and the young lovers who are caught in the crossfire debuted in 1954 and was Truman Capote's first shot at a musical. Terrific cast that includes Diahann Carroll making her stage debut, dancer Alvin Ailey (who went on to found a renown black dance theater), and Juanita Hall and Pearl Bailey as the madames get lost in a strange and meandering plot. Apparently, it was too strange for Broadway in the 50's and barely lasted a month.
Once again, it's the music (this time by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Capote) that carries the day. Bailey introduced the lone standard from this score, the drowsy "A Sleepin' Bee." She also gets the heartfelt "Don't Like Goodbyes" in the end. Honestly, this is pretty much the same deal as Darling of the Day. If you love Capote, Arlen, Bailey, or the somewhat similar Once On This Island, this or the equally short-lived off-Broadway revival are well worth your time.
Worked on the inventory briefly before having lunch. Added Darling of the Day, Evita, Fanny, and The Fantasticks. Evita and The Fantasticks go the furthest back here. The former came from the Audubon Town-Wide Yard Sale in 2012, the latter goes all the way back to Russakoff's Used Books and Records in 2008.
Went straight to work after I finished lunch. Work was quiet when I arrived, and remained so all afternoon. The carts, however, were really bad again despite it not being busy. One of the managers mentioned it was much worse this morning. She couldn't figure it out, but I suspect a lot of people took advantage of the hazy blue skies, heavy humidity, and upper 80's temperatures and bought supplies for their last vacation week until the holidays kick in. I spent the entire afternoon sweeping and pushing carts with no trouble whatsoever.
Jumped in the shower when I got home, then finished the night with dinner and the Match Game Sunday Classics marathon. Arlene Francis is more associated with her long-running stint on What's My Line today, but she goes way back with Match Game. She was in the original pilot with Bert Convy, Richard Dawson, Jack Klugman, Jo Ann Pflug, and Betty White, and would turn up on the second week with Bob Barker, Michael Lerned, and Richard Thomas.
She and Bob appeared a second time together in 1975. This time, they got to help Carol Bartos become the all-time biggest winner on the show at that point. Though she sat in Brett's character actress seat in the pilot, by '75 she was more commonly seen in the fourth ingenue seat, where she could flirt with Gene Rayburn (or even give him a huge kiss!) or the contestants. Her last week on the regular show was in 1978, joining Dick Martin and a not-as-happy Richard Dawson. (Her last week on Match Game period was on Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour in 1984, but it was unavailable when the channel owner first put this marathon together.)
At any rate, match wits with the queen of guessing occupations and see if blank really is bigger than a bread box!
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