Broadway Puzzler #63

Posted: 2/17/04 at 8:58pm

This musical was original intended as a starring role for Marlene Deitrich. Instead it made a musical comedy star. It had a first time director who later became a force in his own right. It was one of two Broadway hits for the composer who is now not widely known for either one of them, but is instead more known for another musical written with his early collaborator.

Do you know it?

Bulldog Updated On: 2/17/04 at 08:58 PM

[Elphie]

Posted: 2/17/04 at 9:04pm

I'm going to take a very wild guess-
Once Upon a Matress? I'm probably very wrong, but it couldnt hurt to guess just going off Carol Burnett as the musical comedy star.

[Elphie]

Posted: 2/17/04 at 9:10pm

Am I right Bulldog?

Posted: 2/17/04 at 9:22pm

No Bullseye, Elphie.

Very wild guess and very wrong.

Bulldog

[Elphie]

Posted: 2/17/04 at 9:23pm

Haha I tried.

Posted: 2/17/04 at 9:29pm

It was a good shot. You get lots of credit for taking a stab.

Keep the tries coming.

Bulldog

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 2/17/04 at 9:33pm

I am guessing this musical is either in the 1930's or early 1940's. I am trying to narrow it down.

Posted: 2/17/04 at 9:37pm

Smart move Son/Gunn.

There are some obscure clues in the my statements.

Bulldog

Posted: 2/17/04 at 9:52pm

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes?

Posted: 2/17/04 at 10:03pm

That's not it, Vicious.

Good try though.

Bulldog.

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 2/17/04 at 10:06pm

One Touch of Venus. If thats not it I give up. Mary Martin was the comedic star. Elia Kazan director. Composer was Kurt Weill also known for Three Penny Opera?

Updated On: 2/17/04 at 10:06 PM

Posted: 2/17/04 at 10:20pm

Give Son/Gunn a CEE-GAR!

(You do smoke cee-gars don't-cha boy?)


ONE TOUCH OF VENUS

Music by: Kurt Weill
Lyrics by: Ogden Nash

Opened October 7, 1943, at the Imperial Theatre

This show made a star of Mary Martin.

Directed by Elia Kazan (He went on to direct A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, and CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, among other works for the stage; ON THE WATERFRONT on film; a novelist, too.)

VENUS was one of Weill's only two Broadway hits (LADY IN THE DARK was the other). He is better known for THE THREEPENNY OPERA written with Bertolt Brecht, which was a bigger hit in it's off-Broadway revival of 1954.

(Brecht's grandson Sebastian and I went to culinary school together but that's another story.)

The choreographer of ONE TOUCH OF VENUS was Agnes DeMille, and the show included not one, but two ballets: Forty Minutes For Lunch, and Venus in Ozone Heights.

This is another wonderful Broadway score for those of you who just might be interested.

Yours for a better Broadway!

Bulldog

Posted: 2/17/04 at 10:23pm

You know, I thought of One Touch of Venus, but then I thought Dietrich recorded it.... Turns out I was confusing her with Ute Lemper (who I happen to be listening to right now).

Are you on a Brecht/Weill kick this week, Bulldog? One of your older puzzlers was partly a Threepenny answer.

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 2/17/04 at 10:24pm

Maybe a bubble gum cigar. Tell you what, you smoke it for me and I'll just enjoy the smell. I spent an hour reading through a biography of Marlene Dietrich and using IBDB to figure it out. I learned quite a bit in the process.