Fade Out - Fade In
Encyclopedia
Fade Out - Fade In is a musical
with a book and lyrics by Betty Comden
and Adolph Green
and music by Jule Styne
. The story involves the movie industry in the 1930s. It starred Carol Burnett
, returning to the Broadway stage for the first time in four years.
Comden and Green, who tackled the problems Hollywood
players faced when the film industry transitioned from silent movies
to talkies
in the classic Singin' in the Rain
, now turn to Hollywood in the 1930s. The show spoofs some of the great film stars of the era, such as Shirley Temple
and Bill "Bojangles" Robinson
, and Governor is based on MGM honcho Louis B. Mayer
, known for his roving eye for pretty starlets and deep-seated nepotism
.
production opened on May 26, 1964 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre
, and closed on April 17, 1965, after 274 performances. Directed by George Abbott
and choreographed by Ernest Flatt, the cast included Carol Burnett as Hope Springfield, Dick Patterson as Rudolf, and Lou Jacobi
as Lionel Z. Governor, with Jack Cassidy
and Tina Louise
in supporting roles. Cassidy was nominated for the Tony Award
for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.
Excellent reviews lead to a box office bonanza, and in its early weeks the show consistently outgrossed competitors Hello, Dolly!
and Funny Girl. Then Burnett was sidelined due to a serious neck injury sustained in a taxi accident. The production temporarily shut down, then reopened with Betty Hutton
in the lead. After recuperating, Burnett returned to the cast, but left shortly afterwards to participate in The Entertainers
, a television
variety series
her husband Joe Hamilton was producing for CBS
. When the show's producers threatened a breach-of-contract lawsuit, Burnett returned, but the financial losses sustained during her two absences proved to be insurmountable, and the production soon was shuttered.
An original cast recording was released by Decca Records
.
When Burnett created her eponymous variety series in 1967, she hired Fade Out - Fade In choreographer Flatt and lead dancer Don Crichton to join the creative team.
Act 2
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
with a book and lyrics by Betty Comden
Betty Comden
Betty Comden was one-half of the musical-comedy duo Comden and Green, who provided lyrics, libretti, and screenplays to some of the most beloved and successful Hollywood musicals and Broadway shows of the mid-20th century...
and Adolph Green
Adolph Green
Adolph Green was an American lyricist and playwright who, with long-time collaborator Betty Comden, penned the screenplays and songs for some of the most beloved movie musicals, particularly as part of Arthur Freed's production unit at MGM, during the genre's heyday...
and music by Jule Styne
Jule Styne
Jule Styne was a British-born American songwriter especially famous for a series of Broadway musicals, which included several very well known and frequently revived shows.-Early life:...
. The story involves the movie industry in the 1930s. It starred Carol Burnett
Carol Burnett
Carol Creighton Burnett is an American actress, comedian, singer, dancer and writer. Burnett started her career in New York. After becoming a hit on Broadway, she made her television debut...
, returning to the Broadway stage for the first time in four years.
Comden and Green, who tackled the problems Hollywood
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
players faced when the film industry transitioned from silent movies
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
to talkies
Sound film
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades would pass before sound motion pictures were made commercially...
in the classic Singin' in the Rain
Singin' in the Rain
Singin' in the Rain is a 1952 American comedy musical film starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds and directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, with Kelly also providing the choreography...
, now turn to Hollywood in the 1930s. The show spoofs some of the great film stars of the era, such as Shirley Temple
Shirley Temple
Shirley Temple Black , born Shirley Jane Temple, is an American film and television actress, singer, dancer, autobiographer, and former U.S. Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia...
and Bill "Bojangles" Robinson
Bill Robinson
Bill “Bojangles” Robinson was an American tap dancer and actor of stage and film. Audiences enjoyed his understated style, which eschewed the frenetic manner of the jitterbug in favor of cool and reserve; rarely did he use his upper body, relying instead on busy, inventive feet, and an expressive...
, and Governor is based on MGM honcho Louis B. Mayer
Louis B. Mayer
Louis Burt Mayer born Lazar Meir was an American film producer. He is generally cited as the creator of the "star system" within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in its golden years. Known always as Louis B...
, known for his roving eye for pretty starlets and deep-seated nepotism
Nepotism
Nepotism is favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis , from which modern Romanian nepot and Italian nipote, "nephew" or "grandchild" are also descended....
.
Production
After six previews, the BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production opened on May 26, 1964 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre
Mark Hellinger Theatre
The Mark Hellinger Theatre is a generally used name of a former legitimate Broadway theater, located at 237 West 51st Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City. Since 1991, it has been known as the Times Square Church...
, and closed on April 17, 1965, after 274 performances. Directed by George Abbott
George Abbott
George Francis Abbott was an American theater producer and director, playwright, screenwriter, and film director and producer whose career spanned more than nine decades.-Early years:...
and choreographed by Ernest Flatt, the cast included Carol Burnett as Hope Springfield, Dick Patterson as Rudolf, and Lou Jacobi
Lou Jacobi
Louis Harold "Lou" Jacobi was a Canadian character actor.-Life and career:Jacobi was born Louis Harold Jacobovitch in Toronto, Ontario to Joseph and Fay Jacobivitch...
as Lionel Z. Governor, with Jack Cassidy
Jack Cassidy
John Joseph Edward “Jack” Cassidy was an American actor of stage, film and screen.His frequent professional persona was that of an urbane, super-confident egotist with a dramatic flair, much in the manner of Broadway actor Frank Fay...
and Tina Louise
Tina Louise
Tina Louise is an American actress, singer, and author. She is best known for her role as the "movie star" Ginger Grant on the television situation comedy Gilligan's Island .-Early life:...
in supporting roles. Cassidy was nominated for the Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.
Excellent reviews lead to a box office bonanza, and in its early weeks the show consistently outgrossed competitors Hello, Dolly!
Hello, Dolly! (musical)
Hello, Dolly! is a musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder's 1938 farce The Merchant of Yonkers, which Wilder revised and retitled The Matchmaker in 1955....
and Funny Girl. Then Burnett was sidelined due to a serious neck injury sustained in a taxi accident. The production temporarily shut down, then reopened with Betty Hutton
Betty Hutton
Betty Hutton was an American stage, film, and television actress, comedienne and singer.-Early life:Hutton was born Elizabeth June Thornburg, daughter of a railroad foreman, Percy E. Thornburg and his wife, the former Mabel Lum . While she was very young, her father abandoned the family for...
in the lead. After recuperating, Burnett returned to the cast, but left shortly afterwards to participate in The Entertainers
The Entertainers
The Entertainers was a one-hour American variety show that aired on CBS from September 25, 1964 through March 27, 1965 on the 1964–1965 United States network television schedule. The series, produced by Joe Hamilton, featured three stars, Hamilton's wife Carol Burnett, Caterina Valente, and Bob...
, a television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
variety series
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
her husband Joe Hamilton was producing for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. When the show's producers threatened a breach-of-contract lawsuit, Burnett returned, but the financial losses sustained during her two absences proved to be insurmountable, and the production soon was shuttered.
An original cast recording was released by Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
.
When Burnett created her eponymous variety series in 1967, she hired Fade Out - Fade In choreographer Flatt and lead dancer Don Crichton to join the creative team.
Plot synopsis
Chorus girl Hope Springfield, full of hope but not much talent, accidentally is given the starring role in a new movie. When the error is discovered, heads roll and the completed film is shelved. But Rudolf, the nephew of studio head Lionel Z. Governor, takes a liking to the girl and arranges for a sneak preview. The movie is a success, Hope (rechristened Lila Tremaine) becomes a star, and in true Hollywood happily-ever-after fashion she and Rudolf walk off into the sunset hand-in-hand.Song list
Act I- The Thirties
- It's Good to Be Back Home
- Fear
- Call Me Savage
- The Usher from the Mezzanine
- I'm With You
- The Usher from the Mezzanine (Reprise)
- My Fortune is My Face
- Lila Tremaine
Act 2
- Go Home Train
- Close Harmony
- You Mustn't Be Discouraged
- The Dangerous Age
- L.Z. In Quest of His Youth
- The Fiddler and the Fighter
- Fade Out - Fade In