''Silk Stockings'' is a

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

with a book by George S. Kaufman, Leueen MacGrath, and Abe Burrows and music and lyrics by

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became Standard (music), standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway the ...

. The musical is loosely based on the Melchior Lengyel story ''Ninotchka'' and the 1939 film adaptation it inspired. It ran on Broadway in 1955. This was the last musical that Porter wrote for the stage.

Production history

Background

During the "severely troubled tryout" George S. Kaufman and his wife Leueen MacGrath were replaced by Abe Burrows. (According to Cecil Michener Smith and Glenn Litton, Kaufman became angry and quit.Michener Smith, Cecil and Litton, Glenn.
"Chapter:The Book Musical Refined"
''Musical Comedy in America'', Psychology Press, 1981, , p. 220) Burrows re-wrote most of the book. The producer Cy Feuer took over the direction from Kaufman. The three leads had not performed in a Broadway musical comedy: Hildegard Knef was a German film and stage actress, Don Ameche never had sung on stage, and Gretchen Wyler was making her Broadway debut. "All three triumphed."

Productions

Following tryouts in Philadelphia, Boston, and Detroit, the production opened Broadway on February 24, 1955 at the Imperial Theatre and closed on April 14, 1956 after 478 performances."'Silk Stockings' production, plot and song list"
sondheimguide.com, accessed January 10, 2011 Directed by Cy Feuer and choreographed by Eugene Loring, the cast included Hildegard Knef (Ninotchka), Don Ameche (Steve Canfield), Gretchen Wyler (Janice Dayton), George Tobias, David Opatoshu, Julie Newmar, and Onna White. Jan Sherwood replaced Knef as Ninotchka and portrayed the role for the show's first national tour. Scenic and lighting designs were by Jo Mielziner and costumes were by Lucinda Ballard. The tour played the Curran Theatre in San Francisco, California starting in April 1956, as well as Los Angeles. The score "played a large part in keeping ''Silk Stockings'' running on Broadway for 478 performances and in helping to recoup the immense production expenses for the show (brought in at a cost of $370,000, ''Silk Stockings'' was considered one of Broadway's most expensive musicals for its time)...The big hit...was clearly 'All of You'." An original cast recording was released by RCA Victor. The Lost Musicals staged reading of the musical was held in September 2005 in New York City.Dale, Michael.
"'Silk Stockings': Cole Porter Fights The Cold War"
offbroadway.broadwayworld.com, September 15, 2005 Hildegard Knef (original German spelling) gave a vivid backstage account of the casting, rehearsals, tryouts and Broadway opening of ''Silk Stockings'' in her autobiography ''The Gift Horse: Report on a Life'' (McGraw Hill, 1971) pages 281 through 342.

Synopsis

The musical involves special envoy Nina Yaschenko, who is dispatched from the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

to rescue three foolish commissars from the pleasures of Paris. Romanced by theatrical agent Steven Canfield, she eventually comes to recognize the virtues of

capitalist Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their use for the purpose of obtaining profit. This socioeconomic system has developed historically through several stages and is defined by ...

indulgence. Other characters include Peter Boroff, Russia's greatest composer, who is being wooed by Janice Dayton, America's swimming sweetheart, to write the score for her first non-aquatic picture, a musical adaptation of '' War and Peace''.

Song list

;Act I * "Too Bad" - Ivanov, Brankov, Bibinski, and Hotel Staff * "Paris Loves Lovers" - Steve Canfield and Ninotchka * "Stereophonic Sound" - Janice Dayton * "It's a Chemical Reaction, That's All" - Ninotchka * " All of You" - Steve * "Satin and Silk" - Janice * "Without Love" - Ninotchka * " All of You" (Reprise) - Steve ;Act II * "Hail, Bibinski" - Ivanov, Brankov, Bibinski, and Ensemble * "As On Through the Seasons We Sail" - Steve Canfield and Ninotchka * "Josephine" - Janice * "Siberia" - Ivanov, Brankov, Bibinski * "Silk Stockings" - Steve Canfield * "The Red Blues" - Ninotchka and Ensemble * "Too Bad" (Reprise) - Full Company

Film

The film '' Silk Stockings'', based on the stage musical, was released in 1957.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Musicals by Cole Porter 1955 musicals Broadway musicals Musicals based on films Musicals set in Paris