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Pat Stanley, Tom Bosley, and Ellen Hanley after the premiere of "Fiorello!," at the Broadhurst Theatre, November 23, 1959. The musical, about the late mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, has since become a classic. Bosley was a complete unknown at the time.
Photo: John Lent for the AP via the Chicago Tribune
Today is the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
The 1959 Broadway musical adaptation was First Impressions (Austen's original title for the novel) starring Polly Bergen as Elizabeth and Hermione Gingold as Mrs. Bennet (talk about strange casting). It lasted 84 performances at the Alvin Theatre.
I don't have a lot of love for the score, but I really enjoy "Wasn't It a Simply Lovely Wedding?", the act two opener set at Charlotte Lucas' (Ellen Hanley) wedding to Mr. Collins (Christopher Hewett of Mr. Belvedere fame).
The sublime Hanley, who understudied and replaced Bergen toward the end of the run, only got to sing during this one number and the soprano makes the most of it. Later that same year, Hanley would go on to create the role of Thea in Fiorello! and introduce "When Did I Fall in Love?", one of the loveliest ballads ever written for a musical.
