Smile is a musical with music by Marvin Hamlisch and books and lyrics by Howard Ashman. It was originally produced on Broadway in 1986. The musical is based on a 1975 comedy film of the same title, from a screenplay by Jerry Belson.
Video Smile (musical)
Original Films
The original 1975 film was directed by Michael Ritchie with a screenplay by Jerry Belson. It starred Barbara Feldon as Brenda DiCarlo, Nicholas Pryor as Andy DiCarlo (husband of Brenda in the film), Bruce Dern as Big Bob Freelander, Geoffrey Lewis as Wilson Shears, Joan Prather as Robin Gibson, Annette O'Toole as Doria Hudson, Melanie Griffith as Karen Love, and choreographer Michael Kidd as Tommy French. The film was filmed at a location in Santa Rosa, California with a celebration party at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium.
Maps Smile (musical)
Production
Original production opened on Broadway on November 24, 1986 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater and closed on January 3, 1987 after 48 performances. The film was directed by Ashman with a musical staging by Mary Kyte. It received Tony Award nominations for Best Book of a Musical as well as Drama Desk Award nominations for Outstanding Feature Actor in Musical (Michael O'Gorman) and Outstanding Costume Design (William Ivey Long).
smile recounts the backstage issue of the Mississippi California USA 1985 beauty contest held in Santa Rosa, California. The main characters include Robin Gibson and Doria Hudson, two contestants who are friends and help each other throughout the week; Brenda DiCarlo Freelander, a former young American missionary who coordinates the contest; and husband Brenda, Big Bob, an RV Salesman who tried to help her for a week.
smile is considered a "lost" music because no official player recording has ever been made. However, there is a demo CD by Broadway Original player for Samuel French Publishing, which is the main source for the group performing the show. Therefore, demos by original players are heard on their merchandizing site, but they have never been released publicly. Several songs from the show, "Disneyland," "Smile," and "In Our Hands," received their first recordings on Bruce Kimmel's Unsung Music album, released by Varese Sarabande. "Disneyland" sung by Jodi Benson, who originated in the show. In the next volume, Maria's song is also recorded. In November 2008, PS Classics record label repaired this defeat, releasing the album Howard Sings Ashman . The second disc consisted entirely of songs from Smile , sung by Ashman and Hamlisch, with Hamlisch on the piano. They also wrote transcripts of recorded conversations between Ashman, Hamlisch, and Bob Fosse discussing musical developments on their website.
Next activity
After the production of Broadway Smile failed, Ashman and Hamlisch revised the show for stock production. The book changes include the change of Shawn's roommate from Connie-Sue to Maria, and the addition of some material to Bob. The score was further revised, getting the opening number completely changed again (albeit retaining most of the melody and original words), a new song for Brenda ("The Best Week of Your Life") that completely replaced the Sequence of Music Orientation, the song new to Bob (Bob's Song), new number for contest winners (There Goes the Girl) and melodies and a completely new set of lyrics for Robin's letters and a slight decrease in time given to them. The end also returned to work giving Bob a significant new piece of music to the revised version.
Many minor lyrical changes to the licensed version actually originated before the Broadway production. When reading Lincoln's copy of the Broadway practice script for Smile , many licensed lyrics were printed but scratched and replaced with what was sung in Lunt-Fontanne, handwritten.
An hour-long recording of a licensed version is made for Samuel French (the licensing agent) to distribute to a group interested in doing Smile . It uses many of the original Broadway players, including Marsha Waterbury, Jodi Benson, Anne Marie Bobby, Tia Riebling and Dick Patterson. Director and writer Howard Ashman plays the role of Big Bob in Jeff McCarthy's absence. These recordings are often called wrong as unreleased cast records when in fact this is a demo.
A private "industry" reading is scheduled for November 19, 2010, reflecting revisions.
Smile Production was presented by Awkward Stage Productions in Vancouver, BC, Canada. The Awkward Stage produces all the adult characters played by wayang (a la "Avenue Q" style doll). Awkward Stage Productions Smile version, presented at the Firehall Arts Center as part of the Vancouver International Fringe Festival 8-18 September 2011. And at the Norman Rothstein Theater in Vancouver, BC. Canada, October 26-30, 2011.
The Smile reunion concert was presented at 54 Below, New York, NY, on September 22, 2014. The concert featured Jodi Benson, Mana Allen, Anne Bobby, Cheryl-Ann Rossi, and other original Broadway performers.
Story
Round 1
The show opens with Dale Wilson Shears, chairman of the fictitious Miss America Foundation, who explains to the quality audience of the ideal Young Miss America. The contestants began to enter and, throughout the course of the song, prepare for their trip to the contest in Santa Rosa, waving as the number ended. ("Senior High School Regular"). In Santa Rosa, the contest coordinator, Brenda Dicarlo Freelander and chief judge, Big Bob Freelander, were photographed for Jaycee's newsletter. Brenda received a letter that Wilson Shears himself would attend the contest. When the girls arrive, Brenda gives them an orientation presentation of what to expect during the coming week ("The Best Week of Your Life"). The audience knows that Brenda is a former Miss Young America himself. The story then turns to the dorm, where two sets of roommates, Mary and Shawn and Doria and Robin, get ready for bed. Doria, an experienced contestant, talked about her passion for the contest with Robin while the second wrote a postcard to her mother ("Dear Mom # 1"). When Robin finished, Doria recounted her memories of her first contest, television broadcasts from the Miss Anaheim contest at Disneyland, and sang her dream to someday go there in person ("Disneyland").
The next morning, Little Bob was caught staring at his proposal by his father. Ignorance of Little Bob's unhealthy interest in girls, Big Bob praises him for being interested in the contest. The girls came in and started learning a difficult dance routine under the famous choreographer Tommy French ("Shine"). During the song, some girls break away from the dance and give a short speech to the Social Club, the local sponsor of the event. The girls come out and Brenda swears that she'll stay calm under the supervision of Wilson Shears and the national foundation, unlike Miss American Young herself eighteen years ago.
Robin, who has no experience in the contest, is tired and wants to leave ("Dear Mom # 2"). Meanwhile, Shawn gets angry because Maria-American Mary's attention gathers the judges and sponsors. Shawn voiced his desire to get Maria out of competition to Valerie, another contestant. The scene shifts to Big Bob in a meeting with other judges. He asks them to look beyond the looks of the girls and look into their hearts, and how no one does this. ("Bob's Song"). Late that night, Little Bob and his friend Freddy were seen slipping around the building where the contest was going to be held. Their plan, to sell nude photographs of girls to local children, was revealed. The scene changed to the next morning, as the girls complained about various illnesses caused by intense dance drills, lack of sleep, and subpar food when Brenda shared the day's schedule ("Nerves"). Personal interviews with judges are held. Robin, who has no father but refuses to play sympathy, panics and runs out of the room when asked about his family. The girls, led by Tommy, are training for the upcoming Early Night competition. However, the practice was suddenly cut short when Tommy and Brenda argued over the big road that stretched toward the audience. Though featured in Tommy's plan, the road made many unused-use seats already sold. Brenda offers to reduce the seat charge from Tommy's check, which prompted her to strike the street. When girls try to practice without it, one of the contestants falls. Seeing Brenda's lack of sympathy, Tommy tells him to cut money and move on with the road. The early night begins and the girls compete in three categories: Vim and Vigor, Gramedia Achievements, and Creative Talent. ("Young and American"). Sandra-Kay Macaffee, Robin Gibson, and Maria Gonzales each won in each category.
The girls returned to the dorm and Doria, who believed she did not have a chance to win the competition now, began to pass on her knowledge of the procession. The girls start singing their anxiety for the next night's contest, then joining Brenda and Big Bob ("Until Tomorrow Night"). Shawn catches Little Bob and Freddy takes his picture in the bathroom and, though initially angry, agrees with them. The song ends with high anticipation.
Round 2
In the dressing room just before the contest Robin wrote the third letter to his mother ("Dear Mom # 3"). The girls anxiously sang the contest as they made their final preparations and were introduced to MC, radio and television personality show Ted Farley ("Opening Act 2"). The girls, the preparations are done, get out. The "contest" opened with Ted Farley greeting the audience and introducing the winner of the previous year, Joanne Marshall. Two dances for a while and the girls came in, carrying an umbrella ("Smile"). As they sing, every girl gets a chance to open her umbrella and make a brief attack. When Robin's turn came, his umbrella broke and he walked off the stage. Encouraged by Tommy French, he ran and ad-libs a quip before the dance continued. The girls continue their dance as a slide show of their photographs that appear on the big screen. Every girl has a chance to pose in front of her photograph, ending with Maria. However, for the shock and horror of Mary, the photo she saw was not a glamorous photo, but a nude photo taken in the bathroom. Maria ran away and the action shifted backstage. As Ted continues the show, Brenda tries to persuade Maria to return to the stage and perform. Maria refuses and leaves.
Dale Wilson-Shears confronts Brenda about the calamity on stage when the girls show the numbers (off the stage) ("Get The Girls"). After realizing that Maria was a finalist in the competition, she crossed her name from the list and marched onto the contest stage. After he gave a vigorous defense of the contest and his honor, Ted announced four finalists: Shawn, Sandra-Kay, Robin, and Doria. The girls sang when Ted introduced the girls ("We Wish We Were You"). Backstage, Bob told Brenda that the judge did not want to pick a winner based on what happened. He and Brenda fight and Brenda shoots Bob. The four finalists then give their final statement before the winner is announced. ("In Our Hands"). Robin finally reveals to the judge that he has no father, and Big Bob knows that his son is the one who took the photo. Ted and Joanne announced the first runner-up of the contest, Doria Hudson. After a while, the winner was announced as Sandra-Kay, Bakerfield Young American Miss. Ted sings as Sandra-Kay walks across the runway ("There Goes The Girl")
Wilson Shears congratulates Brenda for saving the march and offering her a place on the National Committee. Brenda tries to make peace with Bob, but to no avail. Bob, alone onstage, wonders how he can make peace with his family. In their dorm room, Doria tries to convince Robin to join her at Miss Sunbelt Pageant. Robin finally decided to go home to find his own destiny. When he sees that Robin has gone without him, Doria takes the winner's position on the runner-up tiara and roses, again singing at Disneyland, the only place he can feel loved and accepted ("Finale")
Song (Licensed Version)
Original Broadway characters and cast
The original Broadway players included 16 contestants, a number of incidental roles, and the main roles are listed below.
References
- Transcript, "Classical Smile Transcript PS", PS Classics, November 11, 2008.
External links
- Smile on the Broadway Internet Database
- Smile in Playbill Vault
- Smile (Movie) in The Internet Movie Database
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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