Grover's Corners

[seymour krelborn]

I was just listening to Playbill radio and there was a very interesting interview with Tom Jones about his career and the Fantasticks. Tom talked about a musical version of 'Our Town' called 'Grover's Corners' and how the production was and still is stalled because of Thorton Wilder's estate. I was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of a recording ( if there is one) of the music. Thanks in advance!

[scottcain]

The score is wonderful, my favorite Schmidt and Jones by far. They were perfectly suited to musicalize the story, and it is a crying shame that they can't get the rights back.

Scott ([e-mail])

[jrb_actor]

I have heard and read this show--it's truly excellent.

[best12bars]

I wonder who's minding his estate these days?

Mr. Wilder allowed his play The Matchmaker to be musicalized as Hello, Dolly! What's the issue with a musical version of Our Town?

[Jon]

The estate also allowed Kander & Ebb to musicalize SKIN OF OUR TEETH.

They may be angry at Jones & Schmidt because they mounted a full production of the show at Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre (near Chicago) in 1987, while telling the estate it was just a "workshop".

[RentBoy86]

I'm suprised it's good. I wouldn't think Our Town would lend itself well to being musicalized, but I guess I could see it working. I'd love to hear the music.

[FranklinShepard-Inc.]

Hmm. There is a demo.

[RentBoy86]

Anyone have it?

[MerMaggieGalinda]

I never knew there was an attempt to musicalize Our Town, I would have loved to hear the music too.

[Peggy13]

I saw the production at Marriott Lincolnshire back in the eighties.  It was FABULOUS!  I have remembered it ever since and kept an eye out for the soundtrack.  In seeing this site and this message board for the first time today, I gave finally learned why that show dropped off the end of the world.

our Town was a play  my high school put on.  Of course we had read and studied the play in class as well.  I always remembered the play with affection, but it was with the romanticized mind of a seventeen year old.

when the musical came around, I was now in my thirties.  I saw the story and the production through the eyes of an adult now, while still remembering what I had formerly felt and thought.  It was a surreal experience, truly the measure of a classic, I think, when you can enjoy the same thing at different times of your life but get totally different experiences out of it because YOU bring something different to the experience.

and the songs and staging brought so much to it too.  It was extraordinary.  I wrote a fan-letter to the producers saying all this and they wrote me back saying they had posted my nice letter backstage for all the cast to enjoy and they sent me two free tickets to see it again!

i wasn't dating anyone at the time, so a friend from work went with me.  She had never heard of Our Town but seemed to be enjoying the musical.  I thought.  Until, at the end (remember, the third act is 'Death' I looked over at her and she was just sobbing and sobbing.  "You didn't tell me it was so sad!" She managed to  choke this out between mopping her eyes and blowing her nose.  Poor girl!

definately worth a see, and I felt the music and songs truly enlarged the original wonderful pkay.

i am sorry to not be able to see it again and even more sorry to not be able to point my musical-loving friends at it so they can see it too.

[GeorgeandDot]

I remember when it first premiered. A friend of mine saw it and adored it. I wonder if we'll ever see it.

[TheGingerBreadMan]

I would love to see or hear this. I love Our Town and I can imagine Jones and Schmidt doing wonders with it.

[Ravenclaw]

There is a demo recording, which includes Liz Calloway in the cast. Some very nice songs. It can be found very easily on Reddit. Or PM me.

[RippedMan]

Wish 54 Below or someone would mount this! Just to hear it! And what is the Kander and Ebb version of Skin of Our Teeth?

[sondheimboy2]

I have a copy of the demo tape.  It’s just Schmidt and Jones and Liz and Scott Waara.  It is a terrific, if very gentle show.  There’s a terric recording of Rita Gardner singing “Time Goes By” on YouTube that will give you a taste of the show.  

It’s a shame that it’s not available for stock and amateur productions. 

I also have a demo of the Kander and Ebb show, which at the time was called “Over and Over”.  Due to the somewhat episodic nature of the source material, the score feels like three mini musicals rather than one big show.  As Kander and Ebb scores go, it’s closer to “70, Girls, 70” (which is a delight) than “Kiss of the Spider Woman”.  (Actually one of Sabina’s songs was originally written for “Spider Woman” and was replaced by “Where You Are”.)

[markypoo]

I also saw the Marriott production, and
tucked away in my collection is an audio of the entire show recorded live on 2 cassettes.

[Prisoner of 7th Ave]

If memory serves, wasn't there a Bernstein, Comden and Green attempt at a musical of Skin of Our Teeth? It's impossible enough as a play, but a musical seems totally foolhardy.  

[KnewItWhenIWasInFron]

Prisoner of 7th Ave said: "If memory serves, wasn't there a Bernstein, Comden and Green attempt at a musical of Skin of Our Teeth? It's impossible enough as a play, but a musical seems totally foolhardy."

There's a Kander and Ebb one:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_About_Us_(musical)

[akotter]

https://footlight.com/product/our-town-wilder-schmidt-jones-cdr-demo-grovers-corner/

[goodlead]

Wasn't Sheldon Harnick also involved in a musical adaptation of this play?

[SouthernCakes]

Maybe someone will resurrect this and get a concert?

[bk]

SouthernCakes said: "Maybe someone will resurrect this and get a concert?"

No.  Not without the Wilder estate's permission, which they have not been amenable to giving.  Harvey and Tom tried for YEARS to get the rights back.  The estate would not do it under any circumstances - adamantly so.