Cullum Talks ON A CLEAR DAY... with Riedel

Following a developmental workshop at the Vineyard in the fall of 2009 and a series of concert readings this summer by New York Stage and Film Company and the Powerhouse Program at Vassar from July 28 - Auguest 1, the musical ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER - with lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, music by Burton Lane, a new book by Peter Parnell based on the original book by Alan Jay Lerner, and reconceived and directed by Michael Mayer - will receive a full production at the Vineyard Theatre (108 East 15th Street) with performances beginning January 2011, it has been announced by Vineyard Theatre Artistic Director Douglas Aibel.

According to Michael Riedel in the New York Post, ON A CLEAR DAY's and playwright Peter Parnell and Mayer have been working hard at revising the story, which involves gender-bending the lead character.  Writes Riedel "In the original, the main character was a kooky young woman who, in a past life, was an English aristocrat. In the new version, the young woman is a young man who, in a past life, was a black female jazz singer."

Original ON A CLEAR DAY cast member John Cullum spoke with Riedel about working on the original production, calling it "a crazy, wild experience."

Cullum replaced Louis Jordan in the Boston try-out of the original production, allegedly because Jordan didn't know his lines. Cullum reveals: "The first time I was onstage, I realized that Louis had written the lines all over the set...If I opened the cigarette case or a drawer, there would be the lines, written out. Except the script kept changing. So the lines all over the set were different from the lines I was trying to learn."

On working with Barbara Harris on the project, Cullum admits:"Barbara was a great talent. One of the best I've ever worked with. But she was always on the verge of something. She never actually went bananas, but there was something lurking there, something very dark."

To read the full report in the New York Post, click here.

This production is a re-imagined version of Lerner and Lane's 1965 musical. ON A CLEAR DAY's dazzling score - lushly melodic, romantic and erudite - includes such noted songs as "Come Back to Me", "What Did I Have That I Don't Have?" "She Wasn't You" "Hurry! It's Lovely Up Here" "Melinda" and of course "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever".

For more information on the New York Stage and Film workshop of ON A CLEAR DAY, visit http://www.vassar.edu/directions. For information about The Vineyard, visit www.vineyardtheatre.org or call 212 353 3366.

Photo Credit: Peter James Zielinski

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