Lady in the Dark Biography of a Musical [Hardcover]

WhenLady in the Darkopened on January 23, 1941, its many firsts immediately distinguished it as a new and unusual work. The curious directive to playwright Moss Hart to complete a play about psychoanalysis came from his own Freudian psychiatrist. For the first time since his brother George's death, Ira Gershwin returned to writing lyrics for the theater. And for ?migr? composer Kurt Weill, it was a crack at an opulent first-class production. Together Hart, Gershwin, and Weill (with a little help from the psychiatrist) produced one of the most innovative works in Broadway history.

ThoughLady in the Darkwas a smash-hit, it has never enjoyed a Broadway revival, and a certain mystique has grown up around its legendary original production. In this ground-breaking biography, bruce mcclung pieces together the musical's life story from sketches and drafts, production scripts, correspondence, photographs, costume and set designs, and thousands of clippings from the star's personal scrapbooks. He has interviewed eleven members of the original company to provide a one-of-a-kind glimpse into the backstage story.

Reviews of the Musical

The American stage may as well take a bow this morning. ForLady in the Darkuses the resources of the theatre magnificently and tells a compassionate story triumphantly. --Brooks Atkinson,New York Times

Lady in the Darkdemonstrates with fine conclusiveness that Miss Gertrude Lawrence is the greatest feminine performer in the theater. --Richard Watts, Jr.,New York Herald Tribune

For both as an example of stagecraft at its most breath-taking, and as an invitation to a performance by Gertrude Lawrence which is incredible in its virtuosity,Lady in the Darkis little short of miraculous. --John Mason Brown,New York Post

Praise forLady in the Dark: Biography of a Musical by brucl£J