''Charlie and Algernon'' is a

musical Musical is the adjective of music Music is generally defined as the The arts, art of arranging sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Exact def ...

with a book and lyrics by David Rogers and music by

Charles Strouse Charles Strouse (born June 7, 1928) is an American composer and lyricist best known for writing the music to such Broadway musicals as ''Bye Bye Birdie'', ''Applause'', and '' Annie''. Life and career Strouse was born in New York City, to Jewis ...

. It is based on the 1966 novel ''

Flowers for Algernon ''Flowers for Algernon'' is a short story by American author Daniel Keyes, later expanded by him into a novel and subsequently adapted for film and other media. The short story, written in 1958 and first published in the April 1959 issue of '' ...

'' by

Daniel Keyes Daniel Keyes (August 9, 1927 – June 15, 2014) was an American writer who wrote the novel '' Flowers for Algernon''. Keyes was given the Author Emeritus honor by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2000. Biography Early li ...

. It received its premiere on December 21, 1978, at The Citadel Theater, in

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anc ...

, Canada.

Productions

On June 14, 1979, the musical opened titled ''Flowers for Algernon'' at Queen's Theatre in the

West End West End most commonly refers to: * West End of London, an area of central London, England * West End theatre, a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London, England West End may also refer to: Pl ...

with

Michael Crawford Michael Patrick Smith, (born 19 January 1942), known professionally as Michael Crawford, is an English tenor, actor and comedian. Crawford is best known for playing both the hapless Frank Spencer in the sitcom '' Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'' a ...

as Charlie. In the West End staging, Michael Crawford performed one number in a spotlight while the trained white mouse ran from one of his hands to the other, by way of Crawford's shoulders and neck. The audience reaction to this was so positive that Crawford repeated it with another live mouse (while playing an entirely different character) in 2003 while starring in the West End musical '' The Woman in White''. The musical opened on

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 ...

at the

Helen Hayes Theatre The Hayes Theater (formerly the Little Theatre, New York Times Hall, Winthrop Ames Theatre, and Helen Hayes Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 240 West 44th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Named for actre ...

September 14, 1980, and closed on September 28, 1980, after 17 performances and 12 previews. Directed by Louis W. Scheeder and choreographed by Virginia Freeman, the cast featured

P. J. Benjamin P.J. Benjamin (born September 2, 1951) is an American actor known for his work in theatre. Career A native of Chicago, Illinois, Benjamin made his Broadway debut in the 1973 revival of '' The Pajama Game''. He has since performed in at least s ...

(Charlie) and

Sandy Faison Sandra Faison (born September 16, 1950) is an American actress and singer. She became an acting teacher after her performing career. Career Acting In 1977, she made her Broadway debut as Grace Farrell, secretary to Daddy Warbucks, in ''Anni ...

. ''Charlie and Algernon'' was nominated for the 1981

Tony Award for Best Original Score The Tony Award for Best Original Score is the Tony Award given to the composers and lyricists of the best original score written for a musical or play in that year. The score consists of music and/or lyrics. To be eligible, a score must be writte ...

. A London cast album was released on the Original Cast Records label. In October 2016, Marymount Manhattan College and The York Theatre Company mounted a staged musical reading of the original "Charlie and Algernon", directed by composer Charles Strouse's spouse, Barbara Siman, and featured Ian Morel, Mia Massaro, Alex Burnette, and Brent Jones. Music direction was by Brett Kristofferson.

Overview

The title characters are a developmentally challenged man and a

laboratory A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratory services are provided in a variety of settings: physici ...

mouse A mouse ( : mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...

, respectively. Charlie volunteers to participate in an

experiment An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs wh ...

intelligence Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. It can be described as the a ...

-enhancing treatment, and his rapid progress parallels that of Algernon, who had been treated earlier. When the mouse's enhanced intelligence begins to fade, Charlie realizes he too is fated to revert to his original mental state.

Musical numbers

;West End (1979) *His Name is Charlie Gordon *I Got a Friend *Some Bright Morning *Our Boy Charlie *Hey Look at Me! *Reading *No Surprises *Midnight Riding *Dream Safe With Me *I Can't Tell You *Now *Charlie and Algernon *The Maze *Whatever Time There Is *Charlie *I Really Loved You ;Broadway (1980) *Have I the Right *I Got a Friend *Some Bright Morning *Jelly Donuts and Chocolate Cake *Hey Look at Me *Reading *No Surprises *Midnight Riding *Dream Safe with Me *Not Another Day Like This *Somebody New *I Can't Tell You *Now *Charlie and Algernon *The Maze *Whatever Time There Is *Everything Was Perfect *Charlie *I Really Loved You *Whatever Time There Is (Reprise)

References

External links

Musical Notes
synopsis and details of the musical
Internet Broadway Database entry

{{Daniel Keyes 1979 musicals West End musicals Broadway musicals Musicals based on novels Musicals by Charles Strouse