Welcome to a new Musical Theatre Monday! This week, we’re celebrating Zenda, the ill-fated musical adaptation of The Prisoner Of Zenda, which toured the West Coast in late 1963 and closed permanently in November, weeks before its scheduled Broadway opening. Starring Alfred Drake, Anne Rogers, and Chita Rivera, Zenda boasted a great cast, staging/choreography by Jack Cole, and a strong roster of songs with music by composer Vernon Duke. (Three lyricists contributed: Leonard Adelson, Sid Kuller, and Martin Charnin.)

Highlights from Zenda, taken from a live tryout audio, were released on the Blue Pear LP label (later put out on CD). But for subscribers, who kindly comment below to alert me of their interest, I am offering something even better: the COMPLETE audio from which the highlights were sourced. (It’s longer and in better quality!) I’m fond of much of this score, so if you haven’t heard of this, it’s worth a listen. As a sample, here’s the title song…

Come back next month for another Musical Theatre Monday! And stay tuned Tuesday for more Will & Grace!