...HAROLD ARLEN'S BLUES OPERA...AN AMERICAN MUSIC-DRAMA BASED ON A PLAY BY ARNE[sic] BONTEMPS AND COUNTEE CULLEN. New York: American Lyric Theatre, [ca. 1957]. With: HAROLD ARLEN'S "FREE AND EASY"....
Arlen, Harold, and Johnny Mercer:

New York. [ca. 1959]. First item: [4],44,14,[1],38,16,15 leaves, plus three laid in leaves; second item: [1],5,[3],54,14,[1],34,27 leaves, plus five laid in leaves. Both paginated in Act/scene format. First item: Quarto. Carbon typescript, on rose stock, typed on rectos only. Bradbound in stiff binder, with pasted-on on label. Some modest use to binder, with old tide mark around edges (last few leaves slightly damp rippled at lower edge, but largely unaffected). Second item: Quarto. Mimeographed typescript, printed on rectos only, of white and blue stock. Claspbound in generic plain binder. Numbered script "46" on title, and with ownership inscription in same hand of "Stanley Rose." Wrapper slightly darkened at edges, some relevant notes and annotations on laid in leaves, but very good. Two significantly different scripts attending Harold Arlen's reconception and revision of his 1946 musical, ST. LOUIS WOMAN, based on Arna Bontemps's and Countee Cullen's dramatization of Bontemps's novel. The laid in sheets include prop lists, music indices and notes. The 1946 musical, St. LOUIS WOMAN, directed by Rouben Mamoulian, was the subject of some controversy in its time, but nonetheless enjoyed a successful, but short, run on Broadway. In his 1990 web article, "America's Great Unknown Songwriter Harold Arlen," Frank Ferriano provides a summary of the history of this project. In 1953, after the early success of the international tour of PORGY AND BESS, Robert Breen suggested that Arlen write a "Blues Opera," that he would direct. There were many delays due to Arlen's poor health and the permissions complications arising from use of material from ST. LOUIS WOMAN. In August 1957, a 25 minute long "Blues Opera Suite" was premiered and recorded by Andre Kostelanetz. After substantial revisions, a change of producers, and reorchestration by Quincey Jones, FREE AND EASY opened with performances in Brussels, Amsterdam and Sweden in late 1959 and early 1960. The official premiere took place in Paris on 15 January 1960, to positive reviews, but attendance did not sustain a long run, and the production closed in February. OCLC records no published form of either of these scripts, but recordings of performances of both are available.

(Item ID: WRCLIT56489) $1,750.00