Dear World

Dear World is a musical with a book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman. With its opening, Herman became the first composer-lyricist in history to have three productions running simultaneously on Broadway. It starred Angela Lansbury, who won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical in 1969 for her performance as the Countess Aurelia.
Based on Jean Giraudoux's play "The Madwoman of Chaillot" as adapted by Maurice Valency, it focuses on the Countesses Aurelia, Constance and Gabrielle, who deviously scheme to stop businessmen from drilling for oil in the Parisian neighbourhood of Chaillot. The forces of idealism, love and poetry win over those of greed, materialism and science.
Productions and background.
The musical had a notably troubled preview period that included multiple changes to the script and score. Lucia Victor, Gower Champion's assistant and a director of several revivals, including "Hello, Dolly!", was hired as director, but resigned shortly thereafter, due to "artistic differences" with the musical's star, Angela Lansbury, and the authors, according to "The New York Times". Peter Glenville was then hired, but resigned following negative reviews during tryouts in Boston, Massachusetts. Producer Alexander H. Cohen stated (in an article in "The New York Times" of November 19, 1968) that "there was no friction between Mr. Glenville and Miss Lansbury, the composer, the authors or the producer... an advance arrangement had been made with Mr. Glenville to direct the show through last week only." The show's final director, Joe Layton, was then hired, also replacing the choreographer Donald Saddler.
The musical opened on Broadway at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on February 6, 1969 and closed on May 31, 1969 after 132 performances and 45 previews. The show was directed and choreographed by Joe Layton, scenic design was by Oliver Smith, costume design was by Freddy Wittop and lighting design was by Jean Rosenthal.
Subsequent productions.
Originally conceived as a chamber musical, "Dear World" fell victim to a massive production that effectively overwhelmed the simplicity of the original tale. After the Broadway closing, Herman, Lawrence, and Lee rewrote the show, "putting back the intimacy that had been undermined on Broadway."
A revised version was produced at Goodspeed Musicals (Connecticut) in November–December 2000, with Sally Ann Howes as Aurelia. This version had a revised book by David Thompson plus three songs written after the musical closed. A concert version was staged by 42nd Street Moon in San Francisco, September 6–24, 2000. This production used the revision by Herman, Lawrence and Lee.
A further revised version was produced at the Sundance Theatre (Utah) from June to August 2002 with Maureen McGovern playing Aurelia. Thompson had revised his previous revision of the book.
The Canadian premiere of this revised version was presented by the Toronto Civic Light Opera Company in May 2012. Directed by Joe Cascone, the production starred Barbara Boddy as Aurelia, David Haines as the Sewer Man and featured Elizabeth Rose Morriss and Daniel Cornthwaite as the young lovers.
The musical had its UK premiere at London's Charing Cross Theatre from February 4 through March 16, 2013. The production was directed and choreographed by Gillian Lynne and starred Betty Buckley as Aurelia, Paul Nicholas as Sewerman and Stuart Matthew Price as Julian. Set design by Matt Kinley, costumes by Ann Hould-Ward, lighting by Mike Robertson, musical direction by Ian Townsend, sound by Mike Walker, and orchestrations by Sarah Travis.
The York Theatre Company (New York City) presented the musical from February 25 to March 5, 2017, starring Tyne Daly as Aurelia. Daly previously starred in a concert version of "Dear World" at the Valley Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles on September 30, 2016. The concert featured Steven Weber as the Sewerman and Vicki Lewis and Bets Malone as Aurelia's friends.
Plot.
A corporation has discovered oil under the streets of Paris, directly under a bistro. The Countess Aurelia (known as "The Madwoman of Chaillot") lives in the bistro's basement, driven mad because of a lost lover and reminiscing about her past. When the corporation decides to blow up the bistro to get the oil, a young executive, Julian, helps to foil the plan because he has fallen in love with Nina, the bistro's waitress. Aurelia lures the corporation executives to the underground in the sewer system.
Songs (as revised).
† Added in the Goodspeed (2000) and Sundance (2002) versions
Awards and nominations.
Tony Award
Critical response.
The show received mostly negative reviews, with critics seemingly "personally offended" by selling tickets to the troubled show. "All the critics came down hard on the book and especially on Herman's score. "Time" magazine incomprehensibly called the songs 'a total zero'...Martin Gottfried, noting that the plot line had been cut to ribbons, found 'the story impossible to follow'".
Walter Kerr wrote that the musical "is in the main quite charming...the actress [Lansbury]...is endearing throughout the evening and at her commanding best here." Her song "I Don't Want to Know" is "a song surprised by its own unexpected passion. The effect doesn't always work out for composer Jerry Herman...'Dear World' is attractive when it is staying close to its addled Good People...it is in trouble whenever it turns to the Bad People...Oliver Smith's settings are perfect."
Clive Barnes in "The New York Times" gave Lansbury a positive review: "The minor miracle is Miss Lansbury...no connoisseur of musical comedy can afford to miss Miss Lansbury's performance. It is lovely."
According to Steven Citron (p. 181), "[Sally Ann] Howes and the majority of critics now believe that with a rewritten libretto it could be turned into a successful musical."
In the Valerie Harper sitcom, Rhoda, in the background at the entrance door of her second apartment after the separation from Joe, there is a poster of Dear World.