Skyscraper is a musical that ran on Broadway in 1965 and 1966. The book was written by Peter Stone, and the music by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Sammy Cahn. Based on the 1945 Elmer Rice play Dream Girl, the Broadway production starred Julie Harris in her first musical.Skyscraper, Life Magazine (google books), February 4, 1966, Vol. 60, No. 5 ISSN 0024-3019, pp.91-92
Background Skyscraper opened on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on November 13, 1965, and closed on June 11, 1966, after 248 performances and 22 previews. The previews had begun in October. The musical was directed by Cy Feuer and choreographed by Michael Kidd. Prior to Broadway, the show was performed September 13 through Oct 15, 1965 at the Fisher Theater in Detroit. The cast included Julie Harris, Peter Marshall, and Charles Nelson Reilly."Jimmy Van Heusen, 'Skyscraper'", songwritershalloffame.org, accessed December 31, 2011
Synopsis The story is of Georgina, an antiques dealer who is determined to save her midtown Manhattan brownstone from the bulldozer. The girders of a new skyscraper are stalking her, and she has been offered $165,000 for her Rutherford B. Hayes-era building. When she can manage to stay on track, Georgina is bright in her thinking and staunch in her beliefs. But far too often she strays into a Walter Mitty-like dream world full of funny fantasies with her effete shop assistant.
Original cast and characters CharacterBroadway (1965)Playbill 1961 Bio Cast List accessed 07/07/2023Off-Broadway (2024) accessed 09/26/2024 Georgina AllertonJulie HarrisRachel Lauren JamesLucy AllertonNancy CushmanSydney Michele CastiglioneWilliam AllertonDonald BurrShea PenderCharlotteLesley StewartAbby ScaliciRoger SummerhillCharles Nelson ReillyBrian C. VeithStanleyRex EverhartKatryna MarttalaHerbert BushmanDick O'NeillJeff RaabTimothy BushmanPeter MarshallTravis Leland
Songs
Act I Occasional Flight of Fancy - Georgina And Officials Run For Your Life - Timothy Bushman and Herbert Bushman Local 403 - Stanley, Construction Workers and Girls Opposites - Georgina and Timothy Bushman Run For Your Life (Reprise) - Timothy Bushman Just the Crust - Roger Summerhill and Herbert Bushman Everybody Has a Right to Be Wrong - Georgina and Timothy Bushman Wrong! - Georgina, Mrs Allerton, Charlotte and Customers The Auction - Customers Occasional Flight of Fancy (Reprise) - Georgina
Act II The Gaiety - Customers More Than One Way - Timothy Bushman And Construction Workers Haute Couture - Stanley, Models And Construction Workers Don't Worry - Roger Summerhill and Herbert Bushman Don't Worry (Reprise) - Georgina and Roger Summerhill I'll Only Miss Her When I Think of Her - Timothy Bushman Spare That Building - Georgina, Timothy Bushman, Roger Summerhill and Company
An original cast album was released by Capitol Records.Capitol also released an album of pop arrangements of the show tunes by an ad hoc group called The Hollyridge Singers, produced by Sid Feller.
Critical reception
The newspaper columnist Dorothy Kilgallen attended a preview performance and wrote, "even the politest could not work up much enthusiasm for this new musical comedy. It contains Julie Harris, quite inexplicably, since she is not a musical comedy performer, Charles Nelson Reilly, who does everything but set fire to his trousers to get laughs where none are written in the libretto, one marvelous construction company ballet in the first act which should open the show, but doesn't, no music to sing of, and a lot of costumes that imitate last year's Courreges."
Skyscraper officially opened to mixed reviews. Despite stiff competition from Hello, Dolly!, Mame, Man of La Mancha, and Sweet Charity, the production ran for 248 performances and was nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Actress in a Musical.
The New York Times reviewer wrote that Georgina's daydreams "have become broadly comic cartoons of romance, among the funniest moments in a brash, fast-moving musical. ... Not all the songs have wit and melodic grace... [the] book is smart and timely. ... Julie Harris moves Georgina as well as herself into a musical with commanding confidence."Taubman, Howard. "Julie Harris Stars in Lunt-Fontanne Show" (article preview), The New York Times, November 15, 1965, p.48
Awards and nominations
Original Broadway production Year Award Category Nominee Result 1966 Tony Award Best Musical Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical Julie Harris Best Direction of a Musical Cy Feuer Best Choreography Michael Kidd Best Scenic Design Robert Randolph
2024 Revival
In 2024, Skyscraper received its first-ever Off-Broadway revival. This production was directed and choreographed by Avital Asuleen and presented by Regeneration Theatre and Combustion Collective, in association with Nelda Yaw Buckman. The revival ran at Urban Stages from November 7 to November 17, 2024.
The musical retained its original book by Peter Stone, music by Jimmy Van Heusen, and lyrics by Sammy Cahn. Adapted from Elmer Rice's play Dream Girl, Skyscraper originally focused on an antique shop owner confronting urban development in 1960s New York City.
The cast for the revival featured Rachel Lauren James as Georgina Allerton, Travis Murad Leland as Tim Bushman, Brian C. Veith as Roger Summerhill, Jeff Raab as Bert Bushman, and Katryna Marttala as Stanley. They were joined by Sydney Michele Castiglione as Mrs. Allerton, Shea Pender as Mr. Allerton, Abby Scalici as Charlotte, and ensemble members included Aixa Borgetti, Curtis J. Faulkner, Jeff Gallup, Jackson Murrieta, and Katherine Winter. Notably, the revival restored two songs that were cut during the original 1965 production, providing new content for musical theatre enthusiasts.
Barnaby Edwards, the lead producer of Regeneration Theatre, stated that reviving Skyscraper was a long-held aspiration, citing its vibrant score and comedy as aspects that resonate with contemporary audiences. The production highlighted Van Heusen and Cahn's distinctive musical style, known for their association with iconic performers such as Frank Sinatra.
References
External links Internet Broadway Database listing New York Public Library Blog on Skyscraper