SAN FRANCISCO (11 March 1998) -- 42nd Street Moon, San Francisco's only company dedicated to the revival of "Lost Musicals," opens its sixth anniversary season with a concert reading of Do I Hear a Waltz?, an earlier, almost forgotten collaboration between Stephen Sondheim and Richard Rodgers. Do I Hear a Waltz? premiered in 1965, written by Arthur Laurents (the librettist for WEST SIDE STORY). The charming musical follows the story of an American spinster, Leona Samish, on holiday in Venice who has a romantic affair with a handsome -- and married -- merchant, Renato di Rossi. Do I Hear a Waltz?, part of 42nd Street Moon's 1998 season celebrating "DELICIOUS DAMES OF BROADWAY!," will play April 8 through May 3 (press opening: April 9) at New Conservatory Theatre Center, San Francisco: tickets may be purchased by calling 415/861-8972.

A lonely schoolteacher from the Midwest, Leona Samish splurges her savings on a trip to Venice, for what she hopes will be a romance-filled vacation. Once there, she finds plenty of love and passion -- but only between other couples. Her one friend is a young boy, who takes her around the city of lovers, shows her the sights, and offers a sympathetic ear for her solitary woes. Finally, Leona meets the man of her dreams, an antique shop owner named Renato di Rossi, who sweeps her off of her feet and promises to be the love her life has lacked -- until she discovers he is married. Leona does not return home with the love she had hoped to find, but instead with a greater understanding of love itself, and fond memories of a man who taught her not to settle for less than she deserves.

Originally starring Elizabeth Allen, Carol Bruce, and Sergio Franchi, Do I Hear a Waltz? is a musical version of Laurents' play THE TIME OF THE CUCKOO, which starred Shirley Booth. THE TIME OF THE CUCKOO was also made into the brilliant and touching film "Summertime," starring Katharine Hepburn and Rossano Brazzi. The cast of the 42nd Street Moon production will feature Marsha Mercant (42nd St.'s DEAREST ENEMY, AS THOUSANDS CHEER; TUNE THE GRAND UP at the Alcazar) as Leona and Joe Giuffre as Renato, as well as Dyan McBride, Steven Rhyne, Robin Steeves, Caroline Altman, Kelly Ground, Sean Sharp, Zac Moon, Rick Wixo, Arwen Andersen, and 11-year-old Darren Criss as Mauro, the Italian boy who befriends Leona.

Although Sondheim admired, and was mentored by, family friend Oscar Hammerstein II, the experience of working with Rodgers turned out to be less than ideal. When asked about the difference between the two great men in a New York Times interview, Sondheim replied, "Hammerstein is a man of infinite soul and limited talent; Rodgers is a man of infinite talent and limited soul." The experience was sour on both ends: Rodgers apparently felt that Sondheim, Laurents, and other members of the production team were joined in a clique against him. In an article prior to the show's opening, he claimed to have watched Sondheim grow "from a sweet little boy to a monster." Despite a Tony Award nomination for his lyrics, the experience more or less convinced Sondheim never to write lyrics for another person's music.

Prior to this show, Sondheim had collaborated with Leonard Bernstein on WEST SIDE STORY and with Jule Styne on GYPSY. He had recently begun acting as both composer and lyricist, resulting in ANYONE CAN WHISTLE and A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, when he undertook this final collaboration with Rodgers. After Do I Hear a Waltz?, Sondheim went back to writing music and lyrics, first for his groundbreaking COMPANY (1970) and then FOLLIES (1971), quickly followed by A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (1973). Each of these shows brought Sondheim a Tony Award for Best Score, and two more Tony Awards and one nomination for Best Musical (awards - COMPANY, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC; nomination - FOLLIES). In 1975 he was awarded a Grammy for Song of the Year for "Send in the Clowns"; the following year brought the unveiling of PACIFIC OVERTURES and Sondheim's first revue, SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM, earning another two nominations for Best Musical and a nomination for Best Score.

This season, 42nd Street Moon will focus on shows which brought acclaim to the musical stage's "first ladies." Do I Hear a Waltz? was a tremendous hit for Elizabeth Allen, who started show business as the voice which announced, "And away we go!" on Jackie Gleason's television series. She eventually made it to Broadway, starring opposite Peter Ustinov in ROMANOFF AND JULIET. From there she made her Broadway musical debut in THE GAY LIFE, which earned her a Tony Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress. In 1963, she won a Laurel Award as the year's most promising film actress; after Do I Hear a Waltz? she went on to work in films, and Broadway lost one of its most wistful "dames."

Do I Hear a Waltz?, with stage direction by Greg MacKellan and musical direction by Brandon Adams, is the first of six shows in 42nd Street Moon's 1998 season. "DELICIOUS DAMES OF BROADWAY!," celebrating composers and performers such as Dorothy Fields, Ethel Merman, Shirley Booth and Ginger Rogers, will include GIRL CRAZY, REDHEAD, A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN, NYMPH ERRANT and CALL ME MADAM.

Back to the 1998 Season