Christine (1960 Original Broadway Cast) Music

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by: Sammy Fain, Paul Francis Webster, Maureen O'Hara

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Customer Reviews
Average Rating: Rating: - An unfortunate misfire The elements were promising, the result was not. Maureen O'Hara, not necessarily known for the lilting Irish lyric soprano she possessed, was given her own Broadway star vehicle that unfortunately came off across as a bland attempt at ripping off "The King and I" (The plot elements and certain devices were all too similar). The lush overture promises a lot, but it never comes through. Most of the score is rather embarrassing - they sound like parodies of Broadway numbers rather than actual music theatre songs. Especially awful: "The UNICEF Song", "I'm Just a Little Sparrow in the House of the Lord", "How to Pick a Man a Woman" and the worst "Freedom Can Be a Most Uncomfortable Thing" (try replacing "Freedom" with "This Score") These titles alone should be enough proof for you. That's not to say there aren't some decent songs, although nothing to rave about. Maureen O'Hara gets the best of the material - "My Little Lost Girl", "I Never Meant to Fall in Love", "I Love Him" and a guilty pleasure is the frustrated leading lady soliloquy (a la "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?")... - "Ireland Was Never Like This" (although the latter doesn't come close to being anywhere near as powerful as the former.) Morley Meredith possesses a rather overripe, unpleasant operatic baritone and comes across weak in his numbers as the romantic interest. (The man was fired as Joe during tryouts of "The Most Happy Fella" in 1956 because he was not working out) The plot element of Christine falling in love with her widowed son-in-law is rather unsettling as well. The musical (with its book by Pearl S. Buck and score by Hollywood's Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster) ran for 12 performances and was recorded by Goddard Lieberson even after it received its death notice in the form of abysmal critical response. (He was known for keeping his contracts with many of the flop shows - recording Anyone Can Whistle, Juno, Kean, Oh, Captain, Candide, et al. We can really thank him for that - its good to have a wider base of the Broadway of the past - good or bad) It is definitely just a curiosity item. And is worth it for hearing the relatively unknown singing voice of a great leading lady, who suffered the misfortune of being the only good aspect of this musical. Rating: - a long-overdue reissue for the lost musical CHRISTINE is another one of those classic flop musicals that are irresistible to Broadway collectors. The musical version of "My Indian Family" by Hilda Wernher. Christine (played by Maureen O'Hara in her Broadway debut) is a middle-aged Irish woman, newly-arrived in India to meet her daughter's husband and new family. She is heartbroken to discover on her arrival that her daughter has recently died of a short illness. Slowly, she and her son-in-law, the local doctor (Morley Meredith) fall in love with each other; but cultural differences and social mores tear them apart. Christine returns to Ireland a different woman, but no less wiser for her experiences. The cast features Nancy Andrews, Janet Pavek (the star of the London production of FANNY), Daniel Keyes, Phil Leeds, Jonathan Morris and Bhaskar. Maureen O'Hara possesses a lovely, lilting singing voice. She made her name in Hollywood in such classics as 'Miracle on 34th Street', 'Lady Godiva' and 'The Parent Trap' (in which she briefly warbled the love theme "For Now, For Always"), but CHRISTINE stands as her only musical role. She is a marvellous performer. Among the more memorable songs from the operetta-flavored score are "My Lost Little Girl", "I Never Meant to Fall in Love", "Room in My Heart", "Freedom Can Be a Most Uncomfortable Thing", "He Loves Her" and "How to Pick a Man a Wife". This must surely count as one of the most lovely scores ever written by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster. Highly recommended. DRG Theater. Rating: - A GREAT NEGLECTED BROADWAY SCORE ENCOURAGED BY ETHAN MORDDEN'S ACCOUNT OF THIS SHOW IN HIS BOOK ON 60'S MUSICALS, I TOOK THE PLUNGE AND BOUGHT THE CD. WHAT A REVELATION! AMONG THE SONGS IS ONE I HAD HEARD JUDY KAYE SING ON ONE OF HER CD'S, "I NEVER MEANT TO FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU." IT IS RAVISHING AND THE SCORE BOASTS SO MANY OTHER WONDERFUL SONGS. THE BOOK MUST HAVE BEEN AWFUL, BUT THE SCORE IS DEFINITELY A DELIGHT. O'HARA, MORLEY MEREDITH AND THE FANTASTIC NANCY ANDREWS ARE ALL TERRIFIC. IT PROBABLY WAS TOO MUCH LIKE THE KING AND I, AND ONE CAN ONLY WONDER HOW O'HARA MISSED GETTING CAST IN THAT MOVIE--SHE COULD HAVE DONE ALL THE SINGING EASILY AND LENT HER GREAT TALENT AND BEAUTY TO IT.

Christine (1960 Original Broadway Cast) Music

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