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  Anyone Can Whistle  
 

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Arthur Laurents

1964 Broadway Production

Tryouts performed March 2 - 21, 1964 at the Forrest Theatre, Philadelphia

Previews began March 24, 1964 at the Majestic Theatre, NYC
12 previews performances
Opened April 4, 1964
Closed April 11, 1964. Ran for 9 performances
Produced by Kermit Bloomgarden and Diana Krasny
Directed by Arthur Laurents
Dances and Musical Numbers Staged by Herbert Ross
Scenery Designed by William and Jean Eckart
Costumes Designed by Theoni V. Aldredge
Lighting Designed by Jules Fisher
Dance Music Arrangements by Betty Walberg
Musical Direction and Vocal Arrangements by Herbert Greene
Orchestrations by Don Walker

Cast

Sandwich Man - Jeff Killion
Baby Joan - Jeanne Tanzy
Mrs. Schroeder - Peg Murray
Treasurer Cooly - Arnold Soboloff
Chief Magruder - James Frawley
Comptroller Schub - Gabriel Dell
Cora Hoover Hooper - Angela Lansbury
The Boys - Sterling Clark, Harvey Evans, Larry Roquemore, Tucker Smith
Fay Apple - Lee Remick
J. Bowden Hapgood - Harry Guardino
Dr. Detmold - Don Doherty
George - Larry Roquemore
June - Janet Hayes
John - Harvey Evans
Martin - Lester Wilson
Old Lady - Eleonore Treiber
Telegraph Boy - lan Johnson
Osgood - Georgia Creighton
Cookies, Nurses, Deputies, Townspeople, Pilgrims, Tourists - Susan Borree, Georgia Creighton, Janet Hayes, Bettye Jenkins, Patricia Kelly, Barbara Lang, Paula Lloyd, Barbara Monte, Odette Phillips, Hanne-Marie Reiner, Eleonore Treiber, Sterling Clark, Eugene Edwards, Harvey Evans, Dick Ensslen, Loren Hightower, Alan Johnson, Jeff Killion, Jack Murray, William Reilly, Larry Roquemore, Tucker Smith, Don Stewart, Lester Wilson

Musical Numbers

  • + Overture - Orchestra

Act One

  • + "I'm Like the Bluebird" - Company
  • "Me and My Town" - Cora and The Boys
  • "Miracle Song" - Cora, Cooley and Company
  • "Simple (Interrogation)" - Hapgood and Company

Act Two

  • * "A-1 March" - The Cookies
  • "Come Play Wiz Me" - Fay and Hapgood
  • "Anyone Can Whistle" - Fay
  • "A Parade in Town" - Cora
  • "Everybody Says Don't" - Hapgood
  • + Don't Ballet [instrumental]

Act Three

  • "I've Got You to Lean On" - Cora, Cooley, Magruder and Schub
  • "See What It Gets You" - Fay
  • The Cookie Chase - Cora, Dr. Detmold, Schub, Fay and Company
  • "With So Little to Be Sure Of" - Hapgood and Fay
  • + Finale - Orchestra

+ Numbers not recorded for the OCR
* This was recorded as part of "A Parade in Town", but wasn't credited.

Recording

Anyone Can Whistle [OCR]

Anyone Can Whistle - Original Broadway Cast
Produced by Goddard Lieberson
Associate producer: Teo Macero
Engineers: Fred Plaut, Eddie McCowsky,
Murray Zimney, Fred Catero
Recorded April 12, 1964
at the CBS 30th Street Studios, New York City

  • LP [stereo], April 17, 1964 [Columbia KOS 2480]
  • LP [mono], 1964 [Columbia KOL 6080]
  • LP reissue, 1972 [Columbia Special Products AKOS 2480]
  • LP reissue, 1973 [Columbia AS 32608]
  • Cassette, 197? [Columbia ST 32608] [deleted 1976]
  • 8-track Cartridge, 197? [Columbia SA 32608] [deleted 1976]
  • Cassette reissue, 19?? [Columbia BT 32608]

Selections:

Prelude / Me and My Town (5:28), Miracle Song (4:30), Simple (13:02), Come Play Wiz Me (3:24), Anyone Can Whistle (3:41), A Parade in Town (3:11), Everybody Says Don't (2:20), I've Got You To Lean On (1:58), See What It Gets You (2:31), The Cookie Chase, With So Little To Be Sure Of (5:06)

Remastered Version
Produced by Didier C. Deutsch
Digitally remixed and remastered by Tim Geelan
Executive producer: Mike Berniker
Liner notes by Didier C. Deutsch
[includes cut song "There Won't Be Trumpets" and complete recording of "The Cookie Chase"]

  • Compact Disc, 1989 [Columbia CK 2480] (57:05 mins.)
  • Cassette, 1989 [Columbia JST 2480]

Selections:

Prelude / Me and My Town (5:28), Miracle Song (4:30), There Won't Be Trumpets (2:38), Simple (13:02), Come Play Wiz Me (3:24), Anyone Can Whistle (3:41), A Parade in Town (3:11), Everybody Says Don't (2:20), I've Got You To Lean On (1:58), See What It Gets You (2:31), The Cookie Chase (9:03), With So Little To Be Sure Of (5:06)

Anyone Can Whistle [OCR]

Remastered and Expanded Release
Liner Notes by Richard Ridge
[Same selections as the first CD release, but splits "Prelude" and "Me and My Town" into two tracks, and adds five demos sung by Stephen Sondheim]

  • Compact Disc, May 2003 [Sony Legacy 86860] (68:13 mins.)

Selections:

Prelude, (1:03) Me and My Town (4:24), Miracle Song (4:29), There Won't Be Trumpets (2:38), Simple (12:59), Come Play Wiz Me (3:24), Anyone Can Whistle (3:39), A Parade in Town (3:09), Everybody Says Don't (2:19), I've Got You To Lean On (1:57), See What It Gets You (2:31), The Cookie Chase (9:03), With So Little To Be Sure Of (5:04)

Bonus Tracks: I'm Like the Bluebird [demo] (0:41), The Lame, the Halt, and the Blind [demo] (3:14), Come Play Wiz Me [demo] (3:20), Anyone Can Whistle [demo] (1:41), and With So Little to Be Sure Of [demo] (3:12)

1980 York Players Production

Opened March 14, 1980 at the Church of the Heavenly Rest [off-off Broadway]
Closed April 4, 1980; Ran for 19 performances
Produced by The York Players [Janet Hayes Walker, Artistic Director]
Directed by Fran Soeder
Musical Direction: Eric Stern
Choreography: Cal del Pozo
Scenery: James Morgan
Lighting: David Gotwald
Costumes: Teri Rosario
Sound: Joseph D. Sukaskas
Technical Director: Sally Smith
Stage Manager: Molly Grose

Cast

Baby Joan - Carrie Drosnes
Mrs. Schroeder - Ilene Gudell
Treasurer Cooly - Ralph David Westfall
Chief Magruder - David Berk
Comptroller Schub - Sam Stoneburner
Cora Hoover Hooper - Gaylea Byrne
Fay Apple - Rosemary McNamara
J. Bowden Hapgood - Gary Krawford
Dr. Detmold - Kermit Brown
George - Stephan DeGhelder
June - Kathy Morath
John - Stephen Hope
Martin - Dale Shields
Ensemble - Terry Baughan, Catherne Caplin, Bill Hastings,
Steve Heller, Suzie Jary, Diane Lam, Gail Lohla, Paul Mack,
David E. Mallard, Mayla McKeehan, and Gail Titunik

2003 London Production

Previews began January 2, 2003 at the Bridewell Theatre, London
Opened January 8, 2003; Closed February 15, 2003
Presented by The Gryphon Ltd
Produced by Leigh Large
Directed by Michael Gieleta
Musical Direction by Mark Etherington
Choreography: Darren Royston
Design: Francisco Rodriguez-Weil
Lighting Design: Mike Robertson

Note: This production's book included revisions by Arthur Laurents.

Cast

Cora Hoover Hooper - Paula Wilcox
Fay Apple - Janie Dee
J. Bowden Hapgood - Edward Baker-Duly
Treasurer Cooley - Mark Heenahan
Chief Magruder - Aaron Shirley
Comptroller Schub - James Smillie
Baby Joan - Nadine Isabel Mason-Bertrand
Enemble - Marcus Adolphy, Jonathan Glew, Shimi Goodman, Orit Haddad,
Helen Healy, Tasha Johnson, Sarah Lawn, Simon Masterton, Aolfe Nally, Andrew Piper

2003 Los Angeles Production

Previews began February 18, 2003 at the Matrix Theatre, Los Angeles
Opened February 21, 2003; Closed April 13, 2003
Produced by Carole Black in Association with Richard B. Warsk
Directed by Michael Michetti
Choreography by Larry Sousa
Musical Direction: Darryl Archibald
Scenic Design: Evan Bartoletti
Lighting Design: Steven Young, Lisa D. Katz
Costume Design: A. Jeffrey Schoenberg
Sound Design: Christopher Game

Note: This production incoporated revisions by the director, Michael Michetti, and the book writer, Arthur Laurents.

Cast

Cora Hoover Hooper - Ruth Williamson
Nurse Fay Apple - Misty Cotton
J. Bowden Hapgood - John Bisom
Treasurer Cooley - Ira Denmark
Chief of Police Magruder - Jay Willick
Comptroller Schub - Joe Hart
Mrs. Schroeder - Peggy Billo
Sandwich Man - Andrew Boyle
Deputy - T.J. Dawson
Baby Joan - Jennie Fahn
Martin - Daniel Gibson
Dr. Detmold - Roy Leake Jr.
John - Matthew McCray
June - Brittany Paige
Osgood - Randi Pareira
Lady Deputy - Sierra A.R. Rein
Drunken Nurse - Virginia Weber
George - Paul Wong
Narrator (voiceover) - Edward Asner

2005 Philadelphia Concerts

Performed January 26 - February 6, 2005 at the Prince Music Theater, Philadelphia
Ran for 13 performances
Directed by Charles Gilbert
Music Director: Sam Davis
Assistant Music Director: Eric Ebbenga
Lighting Design by Christine Griffith
Costume Design by Stephanie Krause
Sound Design by Nick Kourtides

Cast

Cora Hoover Hooper - Jane Summerhays
Controller Schub - Jim Bergwall
Treasurer Cooley - Doug Anderson
Chief of Police Magruder - Charles McCloskey
Fay Apple - Crista Moore [Standby: Taryn Cagnina]
J. Bowden Hapgood - Chuck Wagner
Narrator/Dr. Detmold et al. - Todd Waddington
Cookies' Nurse - Joliet F. Harris
George - Billy Bustamante
John - Matt Hultgren
June - Kathryn Lyles
Martin - Robert Tucker
The Cookies - Corbin Abernathy, Sharon Alexander, Billy Bustamante, Amanda Harper, Matt Hultgren, Melissa Kolczynski, Jarrod Lentz, Kathryn Lyles, Nancie Sanderson, Robert Tucker and Copeland Woodruff

2005 Ravinia Festival Concerts

Two performances on August 26-27, 2005 at the Ravinia Festival, Highland Park IL
Directed by Lonny Price
Music Director: Paul Gemignani conducting the Ravinia Festival Orchestra
Choreographed by Marla Lampert
Costume Design by Tracy Christensen
Lighting Design by Kevin Adams
Set Design by James Noon

Cast

Cora Hoover Hooper - Patti LuPone
Fay Apple - Audra McDonald
J. Bowden Hapgood - Michael Cerveris
Narrator - John Mahoney
Controller Schub - Ray Wills
Treasurer Cooley - Jerry Galante
Chief of Police Magruder - David Mendes
Dr. Detmold - Peter Mohawk
June - Christine Sherrill
John - Jason Bayle
Telegraph Boy - Joshua Johnston
Four Boys - Parrish Collier, Andrew J. Waters, Richard Strimer and Darius Fearrington
Cookies, Pilgrims, Townspeople and Deputies - Michael Accardo, Gary Alexander, Roger Anderson, Karla L. Beard, Max Chung, John Clonts, Stephen Colella, Lauren Creel, Devin Desantis, Berwick Haynes, Danny Heeter, Brian Herriot, Nate Johnson, Gloria Kissel, Jacob Langfelder, Kate Loprest, Johanna Mckenzie Miller, Ty Perry, Jeanai Ratcliffe, Emily Shoolin, Jason Sperling, Lucia Spina, Genevieve Venjohnson and Lakesha Walker

2010 London Production

Opened March 10, 2010 at the Jermyn Street Theatre, London
Closed April 17, 2010
Presented by Primavera
Directed by Tom Littler
Musical Direction and Orchestration by Tom Attwood
Choreography: Alice Jackson
Design: Morgan Large
Costume: Emily Stuart
Lighting Design: Christopher Nairn

Cast

Cora Hoover Hooper - Issy van Randwyck
Fay Apple - Rosalie Craig
J. Bowden Hapgood - David Riccardo-Pearce
Treasurer Cooley - Leo Andrew
Chief Magruder - Karl Moffatt
Comptroller Schub - Alistair Robins
Dr. Detmold - Nick Trumble
Nurse - Sophie Jugé
Baby Joan - Jessica Adair/Martha Tipper
Ensemble - Richard Colvin, Lloyd Gorman, Deborah Hewitt,
Elizabeth Reid, and Rhiannon Sommers

2010 Encores! Concerts

Five performances on April 8 - 11, 2010 at New York City Center, New York
Directed and Choreographed by Casey Nicholaw
Concert adaptation by David Ives
Set Design by John Lee Beatty
Costumes by Gregg Barnes
Lighting by Ken Billington
Sound by Leon Rothenberg
Musical Direction by Rob Bowman
Music coordinator: Seymour Red Press
Original orchestrations by Don Walker
Production stage manager: Karen Moore

Cast

Cora Hoover Hooper - Donna Murphy
Fay Apple - Sutton Foster
J. Bowden Hapgood - Raúl Esparza
Treasurer Cooley - Jeff Blumenkrantz
Police Chief Magruder - John Ellison Conlee
Comptroller Schub - Edward Hibbert
Dr. Detmold - Patrick Wetzel
The Boys - Clyde Alves, Grasan Kingsberry, Eric Sciotto, Anthony Wayne
Ensemble - Tanya Birl, Holly Ann Butler, J. Austin Eyer, Sara Ford, Lisa Gajda,
Stephanie Gibson, Linda Griffin, Karen Hyland, Natalie King, Max Kumangai,
Michael Marcotte, Joseph Medeiros, Denny Paschall, Monica L. Patton,
Steve Schepis, Tally Sessions, Brian Shepard, Dana Steingold and Brandon Tyler.

Recordings of Songs

Publications
Book
  • New York: Random House, 1965; 186 pp.
  • New York: Amiel, 1976; 186 pp.
  • New York: Amiel [book club edition], 1976
Score [selections]
  • New York: Chappell, 1964; 39 pp. [includes "Anyone Can Whistle", "See What It Gets You", "Everybody Says Don't", "I've Got You to Lean On", "A Parade in Town", "Come Play Wiz Me", "With So Little to Be Sure Of", "There Won't Be Trumpets"]
  • Milwaukee: Hal Leonard [HL312010], 1981 [ISBN: 0-88188-058-2]; 40 pp. [same contents as above]
Score [complete]
  • New York: Burthen Music Co. / Chappell U257519-124, 1968; 243 pp. [piano reduction by Robert H. Noeltner]
  • Milwaukee: Hal Leonard [HL 00312012], 1981 [ISBN: 0-88188-002-7]; 244 pp.

External Links


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Last modified on Thursday, April 10, 2014
Compiled by Michael H. Hutchins