Skyscraper opened on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on November 13, 1965, and closed on June 11, 1966, after 248 performances and 22 previews. The previews had begun in October. The musical was directed by Cy Feuer and choreographed by Michael Kidd. Prior to Broadway, the show was performed September 13 through Oct 15, 1965 at the Fisher Theater in Detroit. The cast included Julie Harris, Peter Marshall, and Charles Nelson Reilly.[2]
Synopsis
The story is of Georgina, an antiques dealer who is determined to save her midtown Manhattanbrownstone from the bulldozer. The girders of a new skyscraper are stalking her, and she has been offered $165,000 for her Rutherford B. Hayes-era building. When she can manage to stay on track, Georgina is bright in her thinking and staunch in her beliefs. But far too often she strays into a Walter Mitty-like dream world full of funny fantasies with her effete shop assistant.
The newspaper columnist Dorothy Kilgallen attended a preview performance—a benefit for charity—on October 21, 1965. Despite a theater critics' tradition of refraining from reviewing preview performances of Broadway shows, Kilgallen expressed her opinion of Skyscraper in her column as it appeared in the New York Journal-American.[5] She wrote,
I wish someone would pass a law making it illegal for a columnist to see a Broadway show before its official premiere.
The New York Journal-American ran Dorothy Kilgallen's mixed review of Skyscraper under a neutral headline in its afternoon and evening editions of Friday, October 22, 1965 on page 19.
Then we would all be spared the personality-splitting question: to comment, or not to comment, when they still might be "fixing?" Variety, and other papers, review shows the minute they rear their heads out of town, in any town, so it seems to me the divertissements are fair game when they come into my town and start playing previews to which people pay $50 a ticket for the privilege of sitting in the balcony.
I am referring, specifically, to "Skyscraper," which I saw -- saw the first act of, to be completely accurate -- at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre last night, in homage to a worthy charity, the George Junior Republic, of which I am a patron. The street outside the theatre was jammed with Rolls-Royces and Cadillacs, the playhouse was crammed with attractive and celebrated and polite people, but even the politest could not work up much enthusiasm for this new musical comedy. It contains Julie Harris, quite inexplicably, since she is not a musical comedy performer, Charles Nelson Reilly, who does everything but set fire to his trousers to get laughs where none are written in the libretto, one marvelous construction company ballet in the first act which should open the show, but doesn't, no music to sing of, and a lot of costumes that imitate last year's Courreges.
I will be delighted -- but astonished -- if this one gets good reviews.
However, in the case of the George Junior Republic Benefit, the show was followed by the traditional glamorous supper party tossed by Lillian and Hubie Boscowitz at the Four Seasons, where the turkey served is far more enjoyable than that dished up at the Lunt-Fontanne.[6]
The cast and crew of Skyscraper were angered by Kilgallen's comments. So was veteran theatrical producer and director Howard Lindsay, who was not involved with Skyscraper. Kilgallen wrote a follow-up column in which she acknowledged Lindsay's objections and she maintained that she had done nothing wrong. She died two weeks later. Though her column was syndicated throughout North America, newspaper editors outside of New York City often omitted portions of it. Such was the case with everything she wrote about Skyscraper. Only those who bought the New York Journal-American read it.
The New York Times reviewer wrote that Georgina's daydreams "have become broadly comic cartoons of romance, among the funniest moments in a brash, fast-moving musical. ... Not all the songs have wit and melodic grace... [the] book is smart and timely. ... Julie Harris moves Georgina as well as herself into a musical with commanding confidence."[8]
In 2024, Skyscraper received its first-ever Off-Broadway revival. This production was directed and choreographed by Avital Asuleen and presented by Regeneration Theatre and Combustion Collective, in association with Nelda Yaw Buckman. The revival ran at Urban Stages from November 7 to November 17, 2024.[9][10]
The musical retained its original book by Peter Stone, music by Jimmy Van Heusen, and lyrics by Sammy Cahn. Adapted from Elmer Rice's play Dream Girl, Skyscraper originally focused on an antique shop owner confronting urban development in 1960s New York City.[9][11]
The cast for the revival featured Rachel Lauren James as Georgina Allerton, Travis Murad Leland as Tim Bushman, Brian C. Veith as Roger Summerhill, Jeff Raab as Bert Bushman, and Katryna Marttala as Stanley. They were joined by Sydney Michele Castiglione as Mrs. Allerton, Shea Pender as Mr. Allerton, Abby Scalici as Charlotte, and ensemble members included Aixa Borgetti, Curtis J. Faulkner, Jeff Gallup, Jackson Murrieta, and Katherine Winter. [9][12][13]Notably, the revival restored two songs that were cut during the original 1965 production, providing new content for musical theatre enthusiasts.[9]
Barnaby Edwards, the lead producer of Regeneration Theatre, stated that reviving Skyscraper was a long-held aspiration, citing its vibrant score and comedy as aspects that resonate with contemporary audiences. The production highlighted Van Heusen and Cahn's distinctive musical style, known for their association with iconic performers such as Frank Sinatra.[9][14]
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References
↑ Skyscraper, Life Magazine (google books), February 4, 1966, Vol. 60, No. 5 ISSN 0024-3019, pp.91-92
↑ Filichia, Peter. Strippers, Showgirls and Sharks: a Very Opinionated History of the Broadway Musicals That Did Not Win the Tony Award St. Martin's Press, New York, 2013, p. 134.
↑ "A Preview: 'Skyscraper' a One-Story Musical". New York Journal-American. 22 October 1965. p.19.
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