Do I Hear A Waltz? - Productions

Productions

The musical opened on Broadway on March 18, 1965 at the 46th Street Theatre and closed on September 25, 1965 after 220 performances. The cast starred Elizabeth Allen, and Sergio Franchi; Principal cast members also included Carol Bruce, Madeleine Sherwood, Julienne Marie, Stuart Damon, Fleury D'Antonakis, and Jack Manning. Choreography was by Herbert Ross, with scenery and costumes by Beni Montresor and lighting by Jules Fisher.

The musical received three nominations for the Tony Awards: Elizabeth Allen was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical; nominated for Best Original Score; and nominated for Best Scenic Design, but lost in all three categories.

The original production received mixed reviews. Howard Taubman of the New York Times observed, "The authors . . . have accomplished their conversion from the play with tact and grace. They have not attempted a complete transformation. On the other hand, they have not cheapened or falsified the play . . . They were wise not to overload the musical with production numbers; their taste was unexceptionable when they chose not to turn their work into a brash, noisy affair, which would have been out of keeping with their theme. At the same time one cannot suppress a regret that they failed to be bolder. For there are times, particularly in the early stages, when the songs are merely a decoration. They give the impression that they are there because a musical requires music. They do not translate the story into the fresh and marvelous language that the rich resources of the musical stage make possible." The production did not recoup its investment, but several songs, including the title song, received radio play. RCA released a single (RCS 47-8552) of two of the songs recorded by Sergio Franchi ("Someone Like You" and "Take The Moment"); and he sang them on several televised shows. Franchi generally received excellent reviews of his singing performance on this show, his Broadway debut. Laurents rued the casting - he felt Allen was too young and colorless and Franchi couldn't act - and ignored all the ongoing problems in favor of making his dream a reality, but most of all he regretted the break in his friendship with Sondheim after the show.

In 1997, Sondheim was sent a recording of a concert version of the show that had been presented in London. It was then he realized the original play did lend itself to musical adaptation, but the score Rodgers composed wasn't very good. He enthusiastically contacted Laurents and the two discussed changes that could be made to improve the show.

A revised production was staged at the George Street Playhouse, New Brunswick, New Jersey from October 13, 1999 through November 14, 1999. For that production, the dropped song "Everybody Loves Leona" was restored, lyrics were altered or added, and Laurents "revamped quite a bit of the book."

A 2001 revival of the musical was staged at the Pasadena Playhouse, Pasadena, California, where it ran from July 15 through August 19. The cast included Alyson Reed as Leona, Anthony Crivello as Renato, and Carol Lawrence as Fioria. The production, which was well received by the critics, was subsequently released on the Fynsworth Alley label.