From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

La Strada
Original Broadway Windowcard
Music	Lionel Bart Elliot Lawrence
Lyrics	Lionel Bart Martin Charnin
Book	Charles K. Peck, Jr.
Based upon	Frederico Fellini film La Strada
Productions	1969 Broadway

La Strada is a musical with lyrics and music by Lionel Bart, with additional lyrics by Martin Charnin and additional music by Elliot Lawrence. It is based on the 1954 film of the same name by Frederico Fellini. Bart wrote the score in 1967 and made a demonstration recording, although the musical was not produced until 1969.^[1] The musical's book was written by Charles K. Peck, Jr., who also produced it on Broadway.^[2]

The play follows the story of the film of the same name. Gelsomina, a young girl, is sold by her impoverished mother to a brutish circus strongman, Zampanò, to be his assistant. She shows her abilities as a clown and soon becomes the star of the show. She falls in love with Zampanò, despite his abuse of her. But tragedy strikes when she befriends a circus clown (Mario), who gives her advice and friendship, and Zampanò kills him in a jealous fit. Zampanò eventually leaves Gelsomina, who still loves him, to die on the road.

• Gelsomina -- Bernadette Peters
• Zampano -- Stephen Pearlman
• Mother -- Anne Hegira
• Mario -- Larry Kert
• Elsa -- Lisa Belleran
• Eva -- Mary Ann Robbins
• Sophia -- Susan Goeppinger
• Castra -- Lucille Patton

After 14 previews, La Strada opened on December 14, 1969 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway. The show was directed by Alan Schneider, with choreography by Alvin Ailey and Joyce Trisler. The show closed the same night, losing $650,000.

There was a studio cast "concept album" produced in 1967 by Lionel Bart and Chris Curtis, with Madeline Bell in the Gelsomina role. In 1994, Bayview Records re-released this recording.^[2] Only two or three songs remained in the final play as produced on Broadway. In discussing La Strada's problems, Steven Suskin wrote that Lionel Bart apparently did not go to the United States to assist during rehearsals, and neither the director (Alan Schneider) nor the choreographer (Alvin Ailey) had done a Broadway musical. ^[2] Peters confirms that Bart never worked on the show in New York in this interview: "The script really wasn't ready, and Lionel Bart was never coming over. Marty Charnin and his partner at the time [composer Elliot Lawrence] rewrote it." ^[3]

Ken Mandelbaum wrote about La Strada in his book, Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Flops ^[4]. During try-outs, the original strongman, Vincent Beck as Zampano, was replaced; and he discusses the replacing of all but three of the original songs. Furthermore, "...it followed a relentlessly bleak, tragic screenplay, it emerged as one of the most depressing musicals ever... Bernadette Peters, in her first Broadway lead, did not let the show down...The score was not bad, particularly Peters haunting opening "Seagull, Starfish, Pebble" written by Lawrence and Charnin..."

In his review in the New York Times, Clive Barnes wrote that the book was superficial and the music bland and trite. However, he praised Bernadette Peters, writing "In a different show the birdlike and croaky Bernadette Peters would have become a star overnight." ^[5]

• La Strada at The Internet Broadway Database
• Information about the musical and the 1967 recording