London Musicals 1965-1969.pub - Over The Footlights

QUEENIE
London run: Comedy Theatre, June 22 nd (20 Performances)
Music: Ted Manning & Marvin Laird
Lyrics & Book: Ted Willis
Director: Arthur Lewis
Choreographer: Leo Kharibian
Musical Director: Leo Mole
Producer: Bernard Delfont & Arthur Lewis
Cast: Vivienne Martin (Queenie) ,Kevin Colson (James) , Bill Owen (Tom),
Simon Oates (Dick), Paul Eddington (Harry)
1967
13
Songs: Here is the Key of the Door, We’re Gonna Be Dead and Gone, Special Kind of Man, How Does He
Look in the Morning?, Excuse Me for Speaking My Mind.
Story: This was the ballad tale of a young widow, the landlady of the Queen of Sheba public house, and her
attempts to re-marry. She has her heart set on James, her barman, and to try and get him to propose to her, she
pretends to take on a succession of three “trial” husbands: Tom, Dick and Harry. A sub-plot involves the love
affair of a much younger couple.
Notes: This “ballad-opera” began life as a short TV play – claimed to be the first ever play written entirely in
verse. The musical adaptation retained the rhyming couplets in an attempt to re-create the “ballad” feel.
However, the critics claimed the effect was similar to an exceptionally bad pantomime script. The show failed
after 20 performances.
ANNIE
London run: Westminster Theatre, July 27 th (156 Performances)
Revived February 1 st 1968 ( 242 Performances)
Music: William L. Reed
Lyrics & Book: Alan Thornhill
Director: Henry Cass
Choreographer: Denny Bettis
Musical Director: Ray Cook
Cast: Margaret Burton (Annie Jaeger), Bill Kenwright (Bill Jaeger),
Donald Simpson, Norman Ghent, Angela Richards.
Songs: I Don’t Like Your Hat, It Fair Takes Your Breath Away, I Keeps Myself to
Myself, Who’s the Dictator Jim Parks?, We’re Going to Shake the Country, A
Basinful of Revolution.
Story: The life story of Annie Jaeger, an early member of the Moral Rearmament Movement, was the subject
of this musical, starting with her leaving her comfortable home surroundings in 1930s Stockport, and coming to
London to spread her message of moral rearmament amongst the people of the capital.
Notes: With its preachy message and parable-like scenes and songs, it was clearly not aimed at the ordinary
theatre-going public, but specifically at supporters of the Moral Rearmament Movement. It turned out that
there were more supporters than one might have thought: after a four and half month run, it was withdrawn for
the planned Christmas show at the Westminster, and then revived in February 1968 for a further six month run.
There were a few minor cast changes for the 1968 production.