'Mata Hari' - 1967 Flop

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 12/14/15 at 2:11pm

I am looking for more detailed information and a synopsis for the failed 1967 musical "Mata Hari". Producer David Merrick closed it out of town, I believe in Washington, after a trouble plagued preview period. It starred Italian film beauty Marisa Mell in what would have been her Broadway debut. Her co-star was Bonanza's Pernell Roberts. Blythe Danner had a supporting role.

 

The book was written by Jerome Coopersmith. Music and Lyrics by Edward Thomas and Martin Charnin. Choreography by Jack Cole. Directed by Vincente Minnelli.

 

 

Marisa Mell as "Mata Hari"

 

 

Pernell Roberts and Blythe Danner

 

 

Jack Cole with Marisa Mell and female ensemble rehearsing a musical number

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/14/15 at 2:20pm

It resurfaced decades later off broadway with the title "Ballad for A Firing Squad" This may have been the musicals original title but I am not sure on this score. The cd of the show may still be available on Amazon. I have it.

 

Reading about it in various accounts, everything that could go wrong did. The best was Mata Hari was wearing white gloves. When she was executed not only did you see he still breathing but you see her hands move courtesy of the gloves. Various other musicals are making the rounds. One may even be by Wildhorn which will obviously never make it to Broadway.

This was one of Charnin's famous flops like Zenda before he hit the jackpot with Annie
Updated On: 12/14/15 at 02:20 PM

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 12/14/15 at 3:06pm

Thanks Mr. Roxy. Yes, I found information about the Off-Broadway revisal of "Mata Hari" - "Ballad for a Firing Squad" (what an odd title), it played 7 performances at the Theater de Lys (now known as the Lucille Lortel).

 

 

[broadwaysfguy]

Posted: 12/15/15 at 12:04pm

Updated On: 12/15/15 at 12:04 PM

[Smaxie]

Posted: 12/15/15 at 2:41pm

>It resurfaced decades later off broadway with the title "Ballad for A Firing Squad"<

 

Just clearing up the history a bit.  The show premiered at the National Theatre in DC in November, 1967, where it famously crashed and burned, under the inept direction of Vincente Minnelli and with the beautiful but ill-equipped Marisa Mell starring as the titular spy.  There are very good accounts of that show's tortured production in Ken Mandelbaum's Not Since Carrie, Steven Suskin's Second Act Trouble and William Goldman's The Season.  Mell also has a few accounts and interesting photos on her blog: https://marisa-mell.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Mata%20Hari

 

Ballad for a Firing Squad was produced not decades later, but the following year, 1968, at Theatre de Lys, with Martin Charnin directing.      

 

Back under the title Mata Hari, it was produced by the York Theatre Company in 1996, with Charnin once again directing, first as a part of Musicals in Mufti and then in a full production.  (That cast and production is the source of the studio recording .  

 

There are some problems inherent in the show and material, particularly finding a triple threat beauty for the lead, but what it does have is a largely very good score by Edward Thomas and Martin Charnin.  It is a very big show that did not really benefit from being sized down to the intimate productions at Theatre de Lys and the York.  But it's unlikely to ever be staged again at the size and scale as produced by David Merrick for the original production.   It probably also won't get the type of reworking and reexamination it would need, as I believe Charnin wouldn't let it happen without him.  

Updated On: 12/15/15 at 02:41 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/15/15 at 2:57pm

I was referring to the York production.

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 12/15/15 at 3:12pm

Thank you smaxie for the information! I did peruse marisa-mell blogspot last night and read up on the show, I will look up the other titles you've mentioned and read them as well.

 

It's funny that only a year after it flopped that Charnin would have the courage to re-visit the material and mount it Off-Broadway and under such a weird title.

 

From what I could gather it didn't fare well Off-Broadway either, it only ran for 7 performances.

 

Thanks again for the information.

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 12/15/15 at 3:18pm

Is there a cast album? 

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 12/15/15 at 3:28pm

broadwayboy223 said: "Is there a cast album? 

 

According to Mr. Roxy there was a cast recording of the 1996 York Theater Company production which is currently out of print.

 

 

[philly03]

Posted: 12/15/15 at 3:46pm

Wildhorn (as Roxie said) is premiering his own version of 'Mata Hari' in South Korea later this year with direction by Jeff Calhoun, book by Ivan Menchell (Bonnie & Clyde), and lyrics by Jack Murphy (Wonderland, The Civil War). 

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/15/15 at 4:01pm

Since it is a Wildhorn show, it will never see the light of day on Broadway. The city must be safe from the contamination a Wildhorn show can bring on an unsuspecting public. Wink wink Nudge nudge 

Updated On: 12/15/15 at 04:01 PM

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 12/15/15 at 4:07pm

As noted above, there's an entire chapter on the original out-of-town try-out in William Goldman's THE SEASON (a book still in print and currently being discussed in another thread). The chapter even includes a lyric by Martin Charnin that is quite good.

Updated On: 1/12/16 at 04:07 PM

[philly03]

Posted: 1/12/16 at 9:54pm

Here's the trailer-teaser for Wildhorn's Mata Hari to debut later this year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AJIO35VXWk