"110 In The Shade" Opened May 11th

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Starbuck, a handsome traveler, lifts the spirits of Lizzie, a shy girl living in a drought stricken Western town. Lizzie, however, is attracted to Sheriff File. Starbuck wants her to run away with him, but she is content to stay with her more dependable suitor.

110 in the Shade is Richard Nash's lyrical adaptation of his gentle comedy The Rainmaker. With a sweeping score by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones, it has always held a special place in the heart of musical theater aficionados. Not that there was anything wrong with the show; far from it. Its moderate success was simply a matter of timing.

The 1963-64 Broadway season was one in which audiences were anticipating such noteworthy attractions as Carol Channing in Hello Dolly!, Richard Burton in Hamlet, a musical version of the life of Fanny Brice entitled Funny Girl starring the newly discovered sensation Barbra Streisand -- among others. Needless to say, 110 in the Shade received a limited share of attention.

The Rainmaker had begun life as a television play first broadcast in 1952. Eighteen months later a stage version was mounted on Broadway where it ran for 125 performances. Then in 1956 a film version starring Katherine Hepburn and Burt Lancaster was made. When David Merrick optioned the musical rights for the play he asked Mr. Nash to do the adaptation himself and hired the young team of Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt to write what would be their first Broadway score. The show took on the title of Rainbow (somewhere in the middle of the months of pre-production the show was given a new title: One Hundred Ten in the Shade which was eventually shortened to 110 in the Shade) and another David Merrick musical was in the works.

The show played pre-Broadway engagements in Boston and Philadelphia. The reviews for the show ranged from raves such as "can stand on its own feet and saunter into the ranks of great American musicals" (Christian Science Monitor) to "mediocre fare in need of pep pills and shears." (Variety). The creative team worked hard, cutting some songs and dances and making the show tighter - in short, doing the work that is supposed to be done when a show goes on a pre-Broadway tour. Jones and Schmidt had originally written over 100 songs for the show and ended up using 16 of them. Despite rumors that they might go to another city to continue the tryout, the show came into New York for its opening on the night of October 24, 1963, at the Broadhurst Theatre.

John Chapman in the Daily News led the cheering:

     "Broadway's musical comedy drought is over! A top notch new musical. The production has class and originality. Schmidt and Jones...have written
     exhilarating music and lyrics and there doesn't seem to be a hackneyed phrase in all the many songs."

Cue followed with:

     "To adequately describe this musical...get out your Roget and read every synonym for 'wonderful'. Then turn to 'magic' and check all the synonyms
     for that one. You have begun to capture the quality of this enchanted night in the theatre."

Critics went on to praise Inga Swenson as Lizzie, Robert Horton as Starbuck, Stephen Douglass as the Sheriff, and choreographer Agnes DeMille. As for Jones and Schmidt's first Broadway score, the response was terrific. Continuing his rave review, John Chapman recounted:

     "There are 16 songs in 110 in the Shade starting with Another Hot Day and ending with Wonderful Music and there isn't a commonplace one
     among them."

Variety concluded its opening-night review with:

     "It's an entertaining, very touching and undeniably moving show and it should be good for a long run on Broadway, extended touring and a honey of  a picture."

So what happened? The answer could be that it was a gentle, somewhat sentimental musical at a time when people were clamoring for and getting big brassy blockbusters. Times haven't changed that much, and it never was first on anyone's list of shows to see. Then on April 22, 1964, during her curtain call, Inga Swenson fell in a puddle of water and broke her ankle. She didn't return to the show until July 20. By that time business had fallen off and the show was scheduled to close on August 8, 1964, after playing 330 performances, and begin a national tour at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco. Miss Swenson stayed with the tour through the end of November, when she returned to New York to report for rehearsals of Baker Street. She was replaced by Jeannie Carson. The tour continued until May of 1965 and revenue from it put the show into the profit category.

The show has been revived in New York a number of times, always off-off Broadway, by enthusiastic young companies devoted to producing worthwhile shows that deserve another chance. After listening to the stirring Rain Song or the delightful Raunchy or the devastating first act finale Old Maid you'll find you can't help but agree with them.

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