''Carmelina'' is a musical with a book by

Joseph Stein Joseph Stein (May 30, 1912 – October 24, 2010) was an American playwright best known for writing the books for such musicals as ''Fiddler on the Roof'' and '' Zorba''. Biography Born in New York City to Jewish parents, Charles and Emma ( ...

and Alan Jay Lerner, lyrics by Lerner, and music by Burton Lane. Based on the 1968 film '' Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell'', it focuses on an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

woman who has raised her teenaged daughter Gia to believe her father was an American who died heroically in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Supposedly she spurns the constant advances of local café owner Vittorio because her heart still belongs to the man she tragically lost. In reality, she had affairs with three different GIs and has no idea who fathered the girl. Trouble ensues when the three

veterans A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that h ...

decide to reunite in Carmelina's small hometown. After eleven previews, the

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

production, directed by

José Ferrer José Vicente Ferrer de Otero y Cintrón (January 8, 1912 – January 26, 1992) was a Puerto Rican actor and director of stage, film and television. He was one of the most celebrated and esteemed Hispanic American actors during his lifetime, w ...

and choreographed by Peter Gennaro, opened on April 8, 1979 at the St. James Theatre, where it ran for only seventeen performances. The cast included Georgia Brown, Cesare Siepi, Grace Keagy, John Michael King, and Josie de Guzman. A nomination for Best Original Score was its sole recognition from the

Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

committee. A cast recording was released in 1980 on the Original Cast label, which specialises in preserving musicals that might not otherwise be recorded. Co-produced by Bruce and Doris Yeko, the LP was made with the participation of original Broadway cast members Georgia Brown, Josie de Guzman, Grace Keagy, Gordon Ramsey and Howard Ross. Leading man Cesare Siepi declined to participate in the project, so his role on the recording was filled by

Paul Sorvino Paul Anthony Sorvino (, ; April 13, 1939 – July 25, 2022) was an American actor. He often portrayed authority figures on both the criminal and the law enforcement sides of the law. Sorvino was particularly known for his roles as Lucchese cri ...

.Ken Mandelbaum, ''Not since Carrie:40 Years of Broadway Musical Flops'', p 93. The

York Theatre York Theatre is an off-Broadway theatre company based in East Midtown Manhattan, New York City. In its 50th year, York Theatre is dedicated to the production of new musicals and concert productions of forgotten musicals from the past. Each seas ...

mounted a production of ''Carmelina'' in 2019 for its Musicals in Mufti series.

Song list

;Act I *It's Time for a Love Song *Why Him? *I Must Have Her *Someone in April *Signora Campbell *Love Before Breakfast *Yankee Doodles Are Coming to Town *One More Walk Around the Garden *All That He'd Want Me To Be *It's Time for a Love Song (Reprise) ;Act II *Carmelina *The Image of Me *I'm a Woman *The Image of You *It's Time for a Love Song (Reprise)

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1979 musicals Broadway musicals Musicals by Alan Jay Lerner Musicals by Joseph Stein Musicals based on films