Raggedy Ann (found script and footage of Broadway musical; 1985-1986): Difference between revisions
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The musical itself has almost vanished into obscurity, for around 30 years its been almost completely forgot about, save for a video on YouTube that had a low-quality recording of the demo soundtrack and the 30 minute documentary about the performance of the show in Russia. However, at the beginning of 2018, a few things involving the show have been found. | The musical itself has almost vanished into obscurity, for around 30 years its been almost completely forgot about, save for a video on YouTube that had a low-quality recording of the demo soundtrack and the 30 minute documentary about the performance of the show in Russia. However, at the beginning of 2018, a few things involving the show have been found. | ||
An audio bootleg, recorded in 1986 during one of the Broadway performances, has been making its way through the internet and has been posted on YouTube in its full length. The one who found it is | An audio bootleg, recorded in 1986 during one of the Broadway performances, has been making its way through the internet and has been posted on YouTube in its full length. The one who found it is Vinnie Rattolle It's low quality, but the bootleg has a new set of songs added to the soundtrack, preexisting songs have been changed, and the song Mexico has been cut. Only recently has the script been found, residing in New York Public Library's archives, and a digital copy is able to be purchased. The script is different than the bootleg, a possible earlier copy since it contains all the original demo versions of the songs and a few scenes that are missing from the audio bootleg. | ||
What is still missing is the possibility of extra B-Roll footage from the documentary ''Rag Dolly in the USSR'', which is possibly nonexistent, and the updated script that goes along with the 1986 bootleg. What has been found, is the audio bootleg, one version of the script, and the documentary. | What is still missing is the possibility of extra B-Roll footage from the documentary ''Rag Dolly in the USSR'', which is possibly nonexistent, and the updated script that goes along with the 1986 bootleg. What has been found, is the audio bootleg, one version of the script, and the documentary. |
Revision as of 06:34, 9 July 2018
Raggedy Ann (also known as Rag Dolly), was a Broadway production written by William Gibson, with music and lyrics composed by Joe Raposo, and directed by Patricia Birch. The musical is loosely based off the animated film Raggedy Ann and Andy: A Musical Adventure (1977), and the Raggedy Ann and Andy books (1918-1977), but with a dark twist.
After the movie's initial release, Joe Raposo was approached by Patricia Snyder to adapt the film into a stage musical, bringing in playwright William Gibson to work alongside them. William wasn't interested in rehashing the animated movie and took inspiration from the real-life story of Raggedy Ann author Johnny Gruelle's daughter Marcella, who contracted diphtheria from an unsanitary smallpox vaccination and died at the age of 14.
Plot Synopsis
The musical centered around Marcella, a little girl dying of a mysterious disease her doctors have trouble diagnosing. She can't eat, can't sleep, and has issues breathing, and her death is imminent.
Her father is a depressed alcoholic, trying his best to keep his daughter happy, despite her fatal illness. It is told that Marcella's pet dog Red Fang died after trying (and succeeding) to eat her pet canary Yellow Yum Yum and that her mother abandoned both her and her father for a man in a Rolls Royce.
The father gives Marcella a chest full of rag dolls and tells her that if she sleeps, all her toys come alive and play in the nursery together, but if she doesn't fall asleep the dolls just stay in their box. Marcella eventually manages to fall asleep, and through a movie-length dream sequence, her, Raggedy Ann, Andy, and the rest of the toybox toys go on a vast journey from New York to L.A. to find the Doll Doctor, in hopes that he can save Marcella from an early death.
All the while, they are being hunted down by General D and his two henchmen, The Wolf (Red Fang) and The Bat (Yellow Yum Yum), and only have until 6 AM to get to the Doll Hospital. If they don't make it by then, Marcella will die, subsequently causing the dolls deaths as well.
Controversy
The Gibson/Raposo version of the production was released on December 7th 1984 under the title Rag Dolly.
However, almost immediately after its initial release, controversy arose after Ellen Allen, from Albany, New York, took her children to see the show. Appalled by the musical's dark subject matter, she went to the local news, concluding that the play depicted "portrayals of gruesome characters, a mother deserting her child, death, and even suicide.” This isn't that far from the truth since it has been said that the play had dark and even sexual themes, with Marcella having nightmares about her mother committing suicide, slaughterhouses and a forest of corpses (allegedly).
After the news of the unexpectedly dark play went popular, several public schools' reservations were also cancelled due to this uproar. One of the educational directors said that “the themes of alcoholism, suicide, and murder were not appropriate for children.” William Gibson later replied, simply stating "The style is for children, the content is for me."
In 1985, the play was retooled to be more "appropriate" for young audiences, renamed Raggedy Ann, and the controversy died down.
Despite the bad reviews and controversy, the show got in Albany, the reviews were absolutely positive when it performed in Moscow, as seen in the 30-minute documentary Rag Dolly in the USSR.
However, due to the few performances in Moscow, and the mere 5 performances in the United States, the show never made it into historical popularity along with other shows at the time.
Availability
The musical itself has almost vanished into obscurity, for around 30 years its been almost completely forgot about, save for a video on YouTube that had a low-quality recording of the demo soundtrack and the 30 minute documentary about the performance of the show in Russia. However, at the beginning of 2018, a few things involving the show have been found.
An audio bootleg, recorded in 1986 during one of the Broadway performances, has been making its way through the internet and has been posted on YouTube in its full length. The one who found it is Vinnie Rattolle It's low quality, but the bootleg has a new set of songs added to the soundtrack, preexisting songs have been changed, and the song Mexico has been cut. Only recently has the script been found, residing in New York Public Library's archives, and a digital copy is able to be purchased. The script is different than the bootleg, a possible earlier copy since it contains all the original demo versions of the songs and a few scenes that are missing from the audio bootleg.
What is still missing is the possibility of extra B-Roll footage from the documentary Rag Dolly in the USSR, which is possibly nonexistent, and the updated script that goes along with the 1986 bootleg. What has been found, is the audio bootleg, one version of the script, and the documentary.
Musical Numbers
The ESIPA production had a slightly different soundtrack, which included the songs "Mexico," which was cut from the Broadway run. Various other songs from the original ESIPA production have been altered for the Broadway performance, including "You Never Get Away", which is now called "You'll Love It" and it is sung by The Bat. Other songs were lightly modified with no notable changes.
- Act I
- "Overture" – Orchestra
- "Gingham and Yarn" – Company
- "Carry On" – Poppa
- "Diagnosis" – Doctors
- "The Light" – Marcella and Dolls
- "Make Believe" – Raggedy Ann & General D.
- "Blue" – The Camel & Raggedy Ann
- "Make Believe (Reprise 1)" – Raggedy Ann, Marcella, Dolls & Company
- "Make Believe (Reprise 2)" – Raggedy Ann & Marcella
- "Something in the Air" – Company
- "Delighted" – Clouds
- "So Beautiful" – Raggedy Ann, Marcella & Clouds
- "A Heavenly Chorus" – Yellow Yum-Yum
- "The Shooting Star" – Mommy, Poppa, and The Rat in the Rolls Royce
- "The Wedding" – Company
- "Rag Dolly" – Raggedy Ann
- Act II
- "Gingham and Yarn (reprise)" – Company
- "You'll Love It" – Bat, Raggedy Andy & the Batettes
- "A Little Music" – Marcella, Raggedy Ann, and Dolls
- "Gone" – Dolls & Company
- "Why Not?" – Mommy
- "What Did I Lose?" – Mommy
- "Somewhere" – Raggedy Ann
- "Welcome to L.A." – Nurses
- "Diagnosis (reprise)" – Doctors
- "I Come Riding" – General D.
- "Gingham and Yarn (reprise)" – Company
- "Rag Dolly (Finale)" – Cast
Cast
Character | ESIPA/Moscow | The Kennedy Center/Broadway |
---|---|---|
Doctor | Joe Barrett | Joe Barrett |
Doctor | Neal Ben-Ari | Dick DeCareau |
Doctor | Gary O. Aldrich | Richard Ryder |
Poppa/The Doll Doctor | Gibby Brand | Bob Morrisey |
Marcella | Tricia Brooks | Lisa Rieffel |
Raggedy Ann | Ivy Austin | Ivy Austin |
Raggedy Andy | Scott Schafer | Scott Schafer |
Baby Doll | Carolyn Marble Valentis | Carolyn Marble Valentis |
Panda | Jeanne Vigliante | Michelan Sisti |
General D. | David Schramm | Leo Burmester |
Bat/Yellow Yum Yum | Pamela Sousa | Gail Benedict |
Wolf/Red Fang | Tom Pleto | Gordon Weiss |
Camel with the Wrinkled Knees | Joe Aroeste | Joe Aroeste |
Mommy/Witch | Elizabeth Austin | Elizabeth Austin |
Company | Michaela Hughes | Micharla Hughes |
Company | Helena Binder | Melinda Buckley |
Company | Nina Hennessey | Anny Degange Holgate |
Company | Laura Carusone | Susann Fletcher |
Company | Scott Evans | Steve Owsley |
Company | John Thomas Maguire III | Gregory Butler |
Company | Betsy Normile | Andrea Wright |
Gallery
References
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raggedy_Ann_(musical)
- http://thebroadwaymerman.blogspot.ca/2013/04/underrated-fridays-raggedy-ann-musical.html
- https://orangecow.org/board/viewtopic.php?p=950&sid=3bbe11af28188d7af514be697b400a26
- http://banilsson.blogspot.ca/2012/06/horrors-of-raggedy-ann.html#more
- http://banilsson.blogspot.ca/2012/06/horrors-of-raggedy-ann.html#more
- https://tinyurl.com/lbpy6b4