Can Can

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Can-Can is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, and a book by Abe Burrows. The story concerns the showgirls of the Montmartre dance halls during the 1890s.

The original Broadway production ran for over two years beginning in 1953, and the 1954 West End production was also a success. Gwen Verdon, in only her second Broadway role, and choreographer Michael Kidd won Tony Awards and were praised, but both the score and book received tepid reviews, and revivals generally have not fared well.

The 1960 film of the musical starred Shirley MacLaine, Frank Sinatra, Louis Jourdan, Maurice Chevalier and introduced Juliet Prowse in her first film role. It incorporated songs from other Porter musicals and films in addition to the original stage production.

Production History

After the pre-Broadway tryout at the Shubert Theatre in Philadelphia in March 1953, Can-Can premiered on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre on May 7, 1953, and closed on June 25, 1955 after 892 performances. The original production, which Burrows also directed, starred Lilo as La Mome, Hans Conried as Boris, Peter Cookson as the judge, Gwen Verdon as Claudine, Dania Krupska, Phil Leeds, Dee Dee Wood, and Erik Rhodes as Hilaire. Michael Kidd was the choreographer. According to Ben Brantley, Claudine was “the part that made Gwen Verdon a star.”^[1]

The West End production premiered at the Coliseum Theatre on October 14, 1954, and ran for 394 performances. Restaged by Jerome Whyte, the cast included Irene Hilda (La Mome), Edmund Hockridge (Aristide), Alfred Marks (Boris), Gillian Lynne (Claudine) and Warren Mitchell (Theophile).^[2]^[3]

A Broadway revival opened April 30, 1981 at the Minskoff Theatre and closed after five performances and sixteen previews. It was directed by Burrows with choreography by Roland Petit and starred Zizi Jeanmaire. Frank Rich wrote: “…mediocre material, no matter how it’s sliced, is still mediocre material. ‘Can-Can’ never was a firstrate musical, and now, almost three decades after its original production, it stands on even shakier legs.”^[4]

A 1983 outdoor production played at The Muny in St. Louis, starring Judy Kaye, John Reardon, John Schuck, Lawrence Leritz, Lorene Yarnell and Beth Leavel to excellent reviews. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted “Can-Can opened in dazzling style, reminisent of the Muny glory days, weaving a magic spell. Judy Kaye offers a robust, sassy Pistache. She’s glorious. Leritz and Yarnell are teamed in exciting style. Their dancing was fabulous.” ^[5]

The London revival at the Strand Theatre ran from October 26, 1988 through January 21, 1989.^[6] David Taylor directed, with choreography by Kenn Oldfield, with a cast that featured Donna McKechnie (Mme. Pistache), Bernard Alane, Norman Warwick, Janie Dee (Claudine) and Milo O’Shea. Producer Lovett Bickford explained that “his version was less a revival than a complete revision. ‘For all intents and purposes, this is a new show,’ he said.”^[7] It had a revised book which incorporated songs from Fifty Million Frenchmen, Nymph Errant, Silk Stockings, Out of This World and other Cole Porter musicals.

Also in 1988, an international tour starred Chita Rivera and Ron Holgate. The tour featured the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes. This production was directed by Dallett Norris, with choreography by Alan Johnson.^[8]

In 2004, a City Center Encores! staged concert production featured Patti LuPone as La Mome Pistache, Michael Nouri (Judge Aristide Forestier), Charlotte d’Amboise (Claudine), David Costabile (Theophile), David Hibbard (Hercule), Michael Goldstrom (Etienne), Reg Rogers, and Eli Wallach.This production was directed by Lonny Price, Choreography by Melinda Roy; additional musical staging by Casey Nicholaw, with sets by John Lee Beatty and lighting by Kenneth Posner.^[1]

A 2007 production at the Pasadena Playhouse in California used a rewritten book by Joel Fields and David Lee, who also directed. Lee and Fields created a back story for the protagonists, tightened the plot, and reintroduced a song that had been cut from the original (“Who Said Gay Paree?”). The cast featured Michelle Duffy and Kevin Earley, and the production received critical praise for Patti Colombo’s choreography, Steve Orich’s new orchestrations and scenic design by Roy Christopher.^[9]

Plot

In Paris in 1893, the dance-hall in Montmartre owned by La Môme Pistache, Bal du Paradis, is being threatened with closing by a self-righteous judge, Aristide Forestier. He is offended by the scandalous but popular dance that the attractive dancers perform at the dance-hall, the “Can-Can.” The judge sends the police to harass the owner and dancers, but the police like the dancers so much that they are reluctant to testify against them in court. The judge decides to gather evidence himself, and takes a trip to the club. Once there, he and the owner, La Môme, fall in love. He tries to keep his identity a secret but the girls recognize him. He sees the Can-Can and gets photographic evidence of its scandalousness. La Môme and the dancers are sent to jail.

One of the dancers, Claudine, a laundry girl by day, has been pursued by Hilaire, an art critic, who plans to host to hold an elaborate ball at the club. Claudine, who loves a sculptor, Boris, arranges to have dinner with Hilaire so that her sculptor will receive a favourable review. Now, with the proprietress and dancers locked up, the ball cannot go forward. The judge is struggling with the conflict between his moral scruples and his love for La Môme. Eventually, he concedes that “obscenity is in the eye of the beholder”. He urges her to escape, but a journalist gets a photograph of him kissing her – a scandal for him!

Hilaire criticises Boris’s sculptures, and the cowardly artist manages to challenge the critic to a duel before fainting. Eventually, Hilaire writes a gushing review of Boris’s work. Judge Aristide loses his judgeship and is disbarred, but La Môme and the girls all go to court with him and all win their cases.

Musical Numbers

Act I

“Introduction”
“Maidens Typical of France” – Company
“Never Give Anything Away” – La Môme Pistache
“C’est Magnifique” – Pistache and Judge Aristide Forestier
“Quadrille”
“Come Along with Me” – Hilaire Jussac
“Come Along With Me” (reprise) – Boris Adzinidzinadze
“Live and Let Live” – Pistache
“I Am in Love” – Judge
“If You Loved Me Truly” – Claudine and Boris
“Montmartre” – Company
“Garden of Eden Ballet”
“Allez-Vous-En” – Pistache

Act II

“Entr’acte”
“Who Said Gay Paree?” – Judge (cut out of town)
“Never, Never Be An Artist” – Boris and Company
“It’s All Right With Me” – Judge
“Every Man is a Stupid Man” – Pistache
“The Apaches” (dance)
“I Love Paris” – Pistache and Company
“Can-Can” – Pistache and Women
“Finale” – Company

Critical Response

Brooks Atkinson of The New York Times wrote: “Mr. Porter and Mr. Burrows are fascinated by the wickedness of Montmartre in the Nineties. But it is Mr. Kidd, the choreographer, who makes real theatre out of revelry in the dance halls. He and his dancers are dry and satirical about it, and also enormously expert in their performing…With Gwen Verdon leading the ballets with impudence, recklessness and humor, the dancing is spectacular.”^[10] In a later article, Atkinson, in the New York Times commented: “No doubt the ballet has become the major entertainment medium in “Can-Can” by default. For Cole Porter’s score is not one of his best works, and Abe Burrows’ book is old-fashioned and pedestrian.”^[11]

Awards and Nominations

Original 1953 production

Tony Awards

Best Featured Actress in a Musical – Gwen Verdon [winner]
Best Choreography – Michael Kidd [winner]

Theatre World Award

Gwen Verdon (winner)

1981 revival

Tony Awards

Best Scenic Design – David Mitchell [nominee]
Best Costume Design – Franca Squarciapino [nominee]
Best Choreography – Roland Petit [nominee]

Full Cast

1953

Lilo

La Mome Pistache

Hans Conried	Boris Adzinidzinadze
Peter Cookson	Judge Aristide Forestier
Gwen Verdon	Claudine
	Eve “The Garden of Eden”

C. K. Alexander	Judge Paul Barriere
Sheila Arnold	Customer
Meredith Baylis	Dancer
Ralph Beaumont	Policeman
	Dancer
	Leopard “The Garden of Eden”
Socrates Birsky	Policeman
	Dancer
	Inchworm “The Garden of Eden”
Michael Cavallaro	Registrar
	Doctor
Mary Ann Cohan	Gabrielle
David Collyer	Bailiff
Joe Cusanelli	Policeman
	Cafe Customer
Michael De Marco	Policeman
	Dancer
Shelah Hackett	Dancer
	Flamingo “The Garden of Eden”
Ina Hahn	Dancer
	Inchworm “The Garden of Eden”
Ferdinand Hilt	Second Waiter
	Customer
	Prosecutor
Clarence Hoffman	Waiter
Jean Kraemer	Celestine
Dania Krupska	Mimi
	Dancer
Al Lanti	Dancer
	Frog “The Garden of Eden”
Vera Lee	Dancer
	Frog “The Garden of Eden”
Phil Leeds	Theophile
Bert May	Dancer
	Snake “The Garden of Eden”
Tom Panko	Dancer
	Sea Horse “The Garden of Eden”
Arthur Partington	Dancer
	Flamingo “The Garden of Eden”
Robert Penn	Hercule
Eddie Phillips	Dancer
	Penguin “The Garden of Eden”
Richard Purdy	Etienne
Beverly Purvin	Marie
Erik Rhodes	Hilaire Jussac
Arthur Rubin	Policeman
	Second
Michael Scrittorale	Dancer
	Kangaroo “The Garden of Eden”
Jon Silo	Policeman
	Cafe Waiter
Beverly Tassoni	Dancer
	Kangaroo “The Garden of Eden”
David Thomas	Court President Henri Marceaux
	Customer
Pat Turner	Model
	Dancer
	Leopard “The Garden of Eden”
Ruth Vernon	Dancer
	Sea Horse “The Garden of Eden”
Deedee Wood	Jailer
	Dancer
	Penguin “The Garden of Eden”

Understudies: Michael Cavallaro (Etienne), David Collyer (Judge Paul Barriere), Rita Dmitri (La Mome Pistache), Ferdinand Hilt (Hilaire Jussac, Judge Aristide Forestier), Clarence Hoffman (Hercule), Phil Leeds (Boris Adzinidzinadze), Jon Silo (Theophile) and Deedee Wood (Claudine)

1981

Ron Husmann	Judge Aristide Forestier
Zizi Jeanmaire	La Mome Pistache
	The Snake
Avery Schreiber	Boris Adzinidzinadze

Darrell Barnett	Adam
	Ensemble
Tom Batten	Court President Henri Marceaux
	Monarchist
	Prosecutor
Dennis Batutis	Policeman
	The Snake
	Patron
	Ensemble
Luigi Bonino	Apache Leader
Tommy Breslin	Policeman
	Etienne
David Brooks	Judge Paul Barriere
Deborah Carlson	Model
	Ensemble
Pam Cecil	Ensemble
Joe Cusanelli	Bailiff
	Tabac Waiter
	Chief Justice
Michael Dantuono	Hercule
John Dolf	Policeman
	Ensemble
James Dunne	Photographer
	Ensemble
Edyie Fleming	Ensemble
Nealey Gilbert	Patron
	Ensemble
Mitchell Greenberg	Theophile
Linda Haberman	Ensemble
Nancy Hess	Ensemble
Brenda Holmes	Ensemble
James Horvath	The Snake
	Ensemble
Donna King	Mimi
	Ensemble
Manette LaChance	Ensemble
Steven LaChance	The Snake
	Ensemble
Kevin McCready	Policeman
	The Snake
	Ensemble
Meredith McIver	Ensemble
Gail Pennington	Ensemble
Rosemary Rado	Ensemble
John Remme	Policeman
	Second Waiter
	Jailer
Daryl Richardson	Ensemble
Gregory Schanuel	Ensemble
Pamela Sousa	Claudine
	Eve “The Garden of Eden”
Swen Swenson	Hilaire Jussac
Linda Von Germer	Ensemble

Swings: Kim Noor and Bob Renny

Understudies: Tom Batten (Judge Paul Barriere), Joe Cusanelli (Hercule), Michael Dantuono (Judge Aristide Forestier), Mitchell Greenberg (Boris Adzinidzinadze), Donna King (Claudine) and John Remme (Theophile)

Full Creative

1953

Music by Cole Porter; Lyrics by Cole Porter; Book by Abe Burrows; Musical Director: Milton Rosenstock; Music orchestrated by Philip J. Lang; Dance arrangements by Genevieve Pitot; Additional Orchestrations by Robert Noeltner

Directed by Abe Burrows; Dances and Musical Numbers Staged by Michael Kidd , Scenic Design by Jo Mielziner; Lighting Design by Jo Mielziner; Costume Design by Motley; Hair and Wig Design by Ronald De Mann; Assistant to Mr. Mielziner: John Harvey

Production Stage Manager: Henri Caubisens; Stage Manager: Herman Magidson; Assistant Stage Mgr: David Collyer Music Contractor: Henry Topper

1981

Book by Abe Burrows; Music by Cole Porter; Lyrics by Cole Porter; Musical Director: Stanley Lebowsky; Vocal arrangements by Stanley Lebowsky; Music orchestrated by Philip J. Lang; Dance arrangments and new dance music by Donald York

Directed by Abe Burrows; Entire productions staged and choreographed by Roland Petit , Scenic Design by David Mitchell; Costume Design by Franca Squarciapino; Lighting Design by Thomas Skelton; Sound Design by Larry Spurgeon; Hair Design by Ronald De Mann; Miss Jeanmaire’s dresses by Denise Fougerolle and Hector Pasquale

References

Brantley, Ben.“Review, 2004 Encores!”The New York Times, February 14, 2004
“London Shows-Chronology, 1954″ guidetomusicaltheatre.com, accessed January 10, 2011
Green, Stanley. “‘Can-Can’ entry”Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre, Da Capo Press, 1980, ISBN 0-306-80113-2, p. 58
Rich, Frank. “Stage: Zizi Jeanmaire Returns In A New ‘Can-Can’”, The New York Times, May 1, 1981, p. C3
St. Louis Today http://www.stltoday.com/
“London Shows-Chronology, 1988″ guidetomusicaltheatre.com, accessed January 10, 2011
Wolf, Matt. “Cole Porter Can-Cans His Way To The London Stage”, The Associated Press, October 24, 1988, International News (Section, no page number
Chita Rivera Retrieved on July 20, 2009
Reiner, Jay.“Review of Pasadena Playhouse ‘Revisal’,”Reuters, July 8, 2007
Atkinson, Brooks.“First Night at the Theatre”,New York Times, May 8, 1953
Atkinson, Brooks “Regarding ‘Can-Can’”,New York Times, May 17, 1953