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Richard Monette "OH! CALCUTTA!" 1970 London "Plays and Players" Magazine

$ 26.39

Availability: 73 in stock
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    Description

    This is a rare September 1970 issue of London's "PLAYS and PLAYERS" magazine featuring members of the Original
    West End production of the
    controversial musical revue "OH! CALCUTTA!" on the front cover.
    (The musical premiered in London on July 27th, 1970 at the Roundhouse Theatre and transferred to the
    Royalty Theatre
    on September 30th, 1970 where it ran through January 27th, 1974. The show then transferred to the
    Duchess Theatre
    on January 28th, 1974, where it ran until 1980 for a total of 3,918 performances.) ..... "OH! CALCUTTA!" is an
    avant-garde
    theatrical
    revue
    ,
    created by British drama critic
    Kenneth Tynan
    .
    The show, consisting of sketches on sex-related topics, debuted
    Off-Broadway
    in 1969 and then in London in 1970. The show sparked considerable controversy at the time, because it featured extended scenes of full-frontal nudity, both male and female. The title is taken from a painting by
    Clovis Trouille
    ,
    itself a
    pun
    on "
    O quel cul t'as!
    "
    French
    for "What an
    arse
    you have!". Tynan had hoped that
    Harold Pinter
    would direct the production, in order to give it avant-garde legitimacy, but Pinter declined. Sketches in the Original Off-Broadway production were written by, amongst others,
    Nobel prize
    winner
    Samuel Beckett
    ,
    John Lennon
    ,
    Sam Shepard
    ,
    Leonard Melfi
    ,
    Edna O'Brien
    ,
    Jules Feiffer
    , Tennessee Williams (whose sketch was cut before opening night)
    and Tynan himself.
    Peter Schickele
    (aka "PDQ Bach"), Robert Dennis and Stanley Walden were the revue's
    composers
    ,
    known as "The Open Window". (Wikipedia) ..... The Original London cast included BRENDA ARNAU, DOMINI BLYTHE, ANTHONY BOOTH, JONATHAN BURN, PAMELA FARBROTHER, SEBASTIAN GRAHAM-JONES, LINDA MARLOWE, RICHARD MONETTE (Artistic Director of the Stratford Festival of Canada from 1994 to 2007), JENNY RUNCARE and NOEL TOVEY ..... CREDITS: Devised by KENNETH TYNAN; Contributions by JOHN DANKWORTH, JOHN COTGRAVE, DAN GREENBURG, ALLEN JONES, JOHN LENNON, JACQUES LEVY, DAVID NEWMAN, ROBERT BENTON, JOE ORTON, SAM SHEPARD, CLOVIS TROUILLE, KENNETH TYNAN and SHERMAN YELLEN; Music and Lyrics by THE OPEN WINDOW (Robert Dennis, Peter Schicklel and Stanley Walden); Sets designed by FARRAH; Choreographed by MARGO SAPPINGTON; Directed by CLIFFORD WILLIAMS; Produced by MICHAEL WHITE in association with HILLARD ELKINS and ROBERT STIGWOOD
    ..... DETAILS: The 88 page magazine measures 8 3/8" X 11" inches and includes the wonderful cover photo of
    the cast of "OH! CALCUTTA!" as well as five production photos in a
    related article (shown in the scanned images). The magazine includes additional features on other West End and Provincial theatre productions ..... CONDITION: With the exception of minor edge wear, this rare publication is in excellent condition and will make a wonderful addition to any collection. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard.
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