Welcome to a new Musical Theatre Monday! This month, we’re spotlighting a show that debuted on Broadway 60 years ago — Tovarich (1963), with songs by Lee Pockriss and Anne Croswell, and a script based on the 1937 film of the same name. The original production notably starred Tony Award-winning Vivien Leigh in her only musical. (Incidentally, she was replaced in the run by Joan Copeland, and eventually, Eva Gabor, who was apparently a delight.)
Tovarich is not a musically top-shelf affair by the standards of its era, but the original cast album is a lot of fun — albeit, truncated. That is, a handful of songs were left unrecorded. So, to hear the full score, I’m offering — for subscribers who comment below to alert me of their private, non-commercial interest — access to a live audio of the 2008 Musicals Tonight! production, which includes almost all the songs ever written for (and utilized in) the show. For example, here’s “I Refuse” — which was added for Leigh during the Broadway run.
I’ll also throw in a few tracks of the original cast — live — performing four numbers (two of which are instrumental) excluded from the official album. Here’s Vivien Leigh herself with “You’ll Make An Elegant Butler” (the one song NOT by Pockriss and Croswell; it was deleted during the run and is NOT in the Musicals Tonight! audio). Enjoy!
Come back next month for another musical rarity! And stay tuned tomorrow for Ellen!