Christopher Gore "MARY" Inga Swenson / John Cullum 1967 Rare FLOP Playbill

Description

This is a rare December 1967 playbill from the World Premiere engagement of the CHRISTOPHER GORE musical “MARY” at the Parker Playhouse in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. (The production opened in November 1967 in Ft. Lauderdale for a limited run and marked the debut of the composer.) ….. The musical starred INGA SWENSON and JOHN CULLUM and featured RODERICK COOK, ARTHUR ROBERTS, LOUIE PONDEROSO, PATRICIA TRESCOTT RIPLEY, JOSEPH RUTTEN, JOSEPH BOLEY and CHARLOTTE FRAZIER ….. Side Note: Born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, composer CHRISTOPHER GORE (1942 – 1988) graduated from Northwestern University’s famed theatrical department in 1964 with dreams of becoming an actor. He went to New York City to pursue his destiny, but became increasingly interested in writing musicals. In 1967 his musical
Mary
, starring John Cullum and Inga Swenson, was the opening production at the Parker Playhouse in Fort Lauderdale. In 1972 Chris hit Broadway, collaborating with
Hair
composer Galt MacDermot on the science fiction musical fantasy
Via Galactica.
Directed by Sir Peter Hall and starring Raul Julia and Irene Cara, the musical opened the new Uris Theater (now renamed the Gershwin Theater), but closed after only seven performances. He next turned to ancient history, and in 1977 the musical
Nefertiti,
starring Andrea Marcovicci, Robert Lupone and Michael Nouri, opened in Chicago. Chris’s musical career shifted to Hollywood, where he won an Academy Award nomination for his screenplay for the movie
Fame
, which became a huge international hit and long-running television series. Chris continued writing screenplays, but eventually returned to his first love, musical theatre, collaborating with composer Cy Coleman on a project called
Atlantic City
in the mid-1980’s. Diagnosed with AIDS in 1987, Chris died in May of 1988 at the age of 45. (Reprinted in part from Christopher Gore’s 1988 obituary.) ….. CREDITS: Book, Music and Lyrics by
CHRISTOPHER GORE (“Via Galactica”, “Nefertiti”, “Fame
“); Musical Score by JOHN CANFIELD; Sets designed by JAMES RILEY; Costumes designed by EAVES; Choreographed by CHRISTINE DE LAZZERO; Directed by KENNETH NELSON; Produced by HOLYROOD PRODUCTIONS, INC. ….. DETAILS: The 26 page playbill measures 5 1/2″ X 8 1/2” inches and includes full production credits, cast list, scenes, musical numbers and photos and bios of each of the leading actors and bios of each member of the creative team ….. BONUS: Includes a reprinted article with CHRISTOPHER GORE sharing his thoughts on musical theatre and “Mary” (last scanned image) as well as a photo of the composer ….. CONDITION: With the exception of a light vertical crease, this playbill is in excellent condition and will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any musical theatre aficionado or historian. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective, carded sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard.
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