A Day in Hollywood, a Night in the Ukraine

[+ Cock Eyed Optimist]

After WilliamM's post about reviving a show, I remembered one of my favorites that I have never seen revived or even produced by any small theatres here in Chicago. https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/a-day-in-hollywood--a-night-in-the-ukraine-3950

I saw it on Broadway in the 80's and went back the next day to see it again to hear again the catchy lyrics in the first act.

Has anyone else ever seen this show?

[bostonman]

I've done it - though it was a slightly cut-down dinner theatre production. Very very fun show. It was actually part of my first season doing summer stock, straight out of college, in a now-defunct theatre in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Lousy theatre (great learning experience), wonderful cast, great place to spend the summer.

 

But Hollywood/Ukraine - yes! Really clever stuff, and Act II is hilarious.

 

For those of you unfamiliar with the show (and I'm sure that's most of you) - it's a zany tribute to Hollywood in the 30's, set in Graumann's Chinese, and performed by the ushers. Act I is more or less a revue (some bits of classic songs and material, though mostly original songs) looking back at the world of 30's movies. Most of it quirky and comedic, occasionally more earthbound (a wonderfully rueful song called "Best In The World" about an usher's fickle moment of fame on the big screen). There's a tribute to Richard Whiting, who wrote a number of famous tunes in that era - the cast not only sing the songs, but add in comic instrumental touches (a baritone sax playing "Good Ship Lollipop", twin melodicas for "Double Trouble" etc). Wonderfully silly. The tour-de-force in Act I is a tap/rap number explaining the infamous Hayes Production Code. (Video, from the Tony awards, below).

 

Act II is the "feature presentation" of the evening - A Night In The Ukraine. This is literally (sort of) a rewrite of Chekhov's The Bear as if it were a Marx Brothers movie. (Imagine Animal Crackers set in a Russian country estate.) And when you have a cast that can really do the Marx Brothers characters (and by and large, I did) it is really hysterical.

 

A fun fact - Jerry Herman contributed a few songs to the score.

 

As for theatres doing the show nowadays, I don't know. (It's a tough show because it does need 6-8 very skilled singer/actors who can hold their own, do a creditable Marx Brothers role, and also tap proficiently - though in my production we cheated on the tap - maybe I'll post the crazy stories about that later lol.) I do know that Boston Conservatory just did a small production of it, but I was unable to see it due to my being in another show at the same time. Personally, I'd love to do it again.

 

Edited July 9, 2019 by bostonman

[TruthBTold]

I've done it - though it was a slightly cut-down dinner theatre production. Very very fun show. It was actually part of my first season doing summer stock, straight out of college, in a now-defunct theatre in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Lousy theatre (great learning experience), wonderful cast, great place to spend the summer.

 

But Hollywood/Ukraine - yes! Really clever stuff, and Act II is hilarious.

 

For those of you unfamiliar with the show (and I'm sure that's most of you) - it's a zany tribute to Hollywood in the 30's, set in Graumann's Chinese, and performed by the ushers. Act I is more or less a revue (some bits of classic songs and material, though mostly original songs) looking back at the world of 30's movies. Most of it quirky and comedic, occasionally more earthbound (a wonderfully rueful song called "Best In The World" about an usher's fickle moment of fame on the big screen). There's a tribute to Richard Whiting, who wrote a number of famous tunes in that era - the cast not only sing the songs, but add in comic instrumental touches (a baritone sax playing "Good Ship Lollipop", twin melodicas for "Double Trouble" etc). Wonderfully silly. The tour-de-force in Act I is a tap/rap number explaining the infamous Hayes Production Code. (Video, from the Tony awards, below).

 

Act II is the "feature presentation" of the evening - A Night In The Ukraine. This is literally (sort of) a rewrite of Chekhov's The Bear as if it were a Marx Brothers movie. (Imagine Animal Crackers set in a Russian country estate.) And when you have a cast that can really do the Marx Brothers characters (and by and large, I did) it is really hysterical.

 

A fun fact - Jerry Herman contributed a few songs to the score.

 

As for theatres doing the show nowadays, I don't know. (It's a tough show because it does need 6-8 very skilled singer/actors who can hold their own, do a creditable Marx Brothers role, and also tap proficiently - though in my production we cheated on the tap - maybe I'll post the crazy stories about that later lol.) I do know that Boston Conservatory just did a small production of it, but I was unable to see it due to my being in another show at the same time. Personally, I'd love to do it again.

 

 

Bostonman,

 

Thanks. Mary Tyler Moore and the Production Code. I had not seen it before. It was wonderful. Now if we could get someone to write something similar for . . .

• No Erections!
  
• No Assholes!
  
• No Penetration!
  
• No Masturbation!
  
• No Simulated Sex!
  
• No Pedophilia!
  
• No Necrophilia!
  
• No Bestiality!
  
• No Xylophilia!
  

[+ Cock Eyed Optimist]

I've done it - though it was a slightly cut-down dinner theatre production. Very very fun show. It was actually part of my first season doing summer stock, straight out of college, in a now-defunct theatre in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Lousy theatre (great learning experience), wonderful cast, great place to spend the summer.

 

But Hollywood/Ukraine - yes! Really clever stuff, and Act II is hilarious.

 

For those of you unfamiliar with the show (and I'm sure that's most of you) - it's a zany tribute to Hollywood in the 30's, set in Graumann's Chinese, and performed by the ushers. Act I is more or less a revue (some bits of classic songs and material, though mostly original songs) looking back at the world of 30's movies. Most of it quirky and comedic, occasionally more earthbound (a wonderfully rueful song called "Best In The World" about an usher's fickle moment of fame on the big screen). There's a tribute to Richard Whiting, who wrote a number of famous tunes in that era - the cast not only sing the songs, but add in comic instrumental touches (a baritone sax playing "Good Ship Lollipop", twin melodicas for "Double Trouble" etc). Wonderfully silly. The tour-de-force in Act I is a tap/rap number explaining the infamous Hayes Production Code. (Video, from the Tony awards, below).

 

Act II is the "feature presentation" of the evening - A Night In The Ukraine. This is literally (sort of) a rewrite of Chekhov's The Bear as if it were a Marx Brothers movie. (Imagine Animal Crackers set in a Russian country estate.) And when you have a cast that can really do the Marx Brothers characters (and by and large, I did) it is really hysterical.

 

A fun fact - Jerry Herman contributed a few songs to the score.

 

As for theatres doing the show nowadays, I don't know. (It's a tough show because it does need 6-8 very skilled singer/actors who can hold their own, do a creditable Marx Brothers role, and also tap proficiently - though in my production we cheated on the tap - maybe I'll post the crazy stories about that later lol.) I do know that Boston Conservatory just did a small production of it, but I was unable to see it due to my being in another show at the same time. Personally, I'd love to do it again.

 

 

Wow BostonMan! That was great! I learned a lot! Thanks!