"Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" Romps in the Regions

When the musical "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" debuted on Broadway in 1982, it wasn't the worst reviewed show of the season, nor was it the shortest running. The now infamous "Moose Murders," savaged by the critics and promptly shuttered on opening night, lays claim to that dubious distinction.

However, then New York Times theater critic Frank Rich did call "Seven Brides" the "fifth musical bomb to be planted in the Alvin in 10 months" and trounced female lead Debby Boone, making her Broadway debut, by saying, "the star's acting skills are minimal" and she "smiles constantly - in the remote, rigidly ungiving manner of a veteran professional gladhander or beauty-pageant contestant." The show closed after five performances.

Today, a somewhat revamped and revitalized "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" is being successfully mounted and embraced worldwide. The New York Times cheered the recent Paper Mill Playhouse production (which moves to the North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, Massachusetts May 31-June 17), calling it "magnificent" and saying it "offers nonstop pleasure."

So how did a show that was so poorly received during a Broadway season whose only other new musicals of note were the "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," "My One and Only" and the Tony winner by default, "Cats," become one of the top 10 licensed shows of all time for Music Theatre International (MTI)?

"Well, we were nominated for a Tony for Best Original Score," says Oscar-winning composer/lyricist Al Kasha in a phone interview from his home in Los Angeles. "And we always knew it would be a popular show. We kept saying, 'If we can only get past New York, we'll have the biggest show in the world.' " At 3000 mountings since 1982 and counting, Kasha may just prove to be a bit of a prophet.

Life After Broadway

He and his creative partners - librettist/director and late brother Lawrence Kasha, librettist David Landay, and composer/lyricist and collaborator for more than 30 years, the late Joel Hirschhorn - got their first inkling that the critics were out of touch with the masses when a group of avid theater goers picketed the New York Times offices demanding that Frank Rich retract his review. "These people were not connected with the show in any way," says Kasha, still marveling at their unsolicited support. "They simply had seen the show and couldn't believe it was closing. They wanted to do something to keep it alive."

That early audience's positive response to "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" has been repeated ever since. A 2005 mounting at the Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut earned raves, as did the Paper Mill's production last month. Kasha hopes that the show's substantially enhanced score, unabashedly feel-good romance times seven, and rousing and athletic dance numbers will captivate North Shore musical lovers, as well.

"It will be interesting to see how it works in the round," says Kasha, hoping that the dancers don't end up falling off the NSMT's tight circular stage. "These production numbers are big. The score is written purposefully to lend itself to lively dance. But Patti Colombo (who has been with the show since the Goodspeed) is a wonderful choreographer. I'm sure she and director Scott Schwartz will do a great job adapting the staging to the space."

The history of the stage musical version of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" has been one of ongoing adaptation. The original Broadway production included the six Johnny Mercer-Gene de Paul songs from the movie plus nine new songs by Kasha and Hirschhorn. The version that will be on stage at the North Shore Music Theatre will include a new story-setting opening number called "Gallant and Correct" featuring the entire ensemble plus a new introductory song for Milly called "I Married Seven Brothers." This replaces her less feisty "One Man" and sets the comic tone for her eventual makeover of her newly acquired scruffy siblings.

Also gone from the score is the decidedly unromantic "A Woman Ought to Know Her Place," a song that made Adam a little too Neanderthal for contemporary audiences. "Adam is supposed to be gruff, yes, but also charming," Kasha explains. "So, 'A Woman Ought to Know Her Place' is out. We replaced it with a new song, 'Where Were You?' that explains Adam's position better. Right now, we are as happy with the show as we have ever been."

The Curse of Being Popular

Together with his long-time composer/lyricist partner Joel Hirschhorn, Al Kasha has sold more than 70,000,000 records worldwide. Their back-to-back Oscar-winning songs "The Morning After" from "The Poseidon Adventure" and "We May Never Love Like This Again" from "The Towering Inferno" have themselves sold 8.5 million copies combined and made a star out of a young unknown singer from the Midwest named Maureen McGovern.

"Irwin Allen originally wanted Barbra Streisand to sing the song for 'The Poseidon Adventure,' " Kasha remembers. "But Joel and I didn't think she fit it. So a producer friend of mine told me about this singer from Ohio. We heard her do it, and the rest is history. 'The Morning After' was her first recording. Look at her now."

And look at the list of other major recording artists who have sung Kasha's tunes since he started writing 52 years ago at the age of 18: Elvis Presley, Donna Summer, Peter Allen, Charles Aznavour, Shirley Bassey, Nell Carter, Petula Clark, Bobby Darin, Aretha Franklin, Helen Reddy and Johnny Cash, to name just a few. Most recently, country star Sherrie Austin took the number one spot on the country/Christian charts with his soulful ballad, "Streets of Heaven."

More cynical Broadway critics and audiences might consider Kasha "too popular" for musical theater. Perhaps they see "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" and his other short-lived Broadway musical, the 1981 Dickens adaptation, "Copperfield," as works that all too obviously pander to the general public. Kasha says bring it on. Frank Wildhorn and Stephen Schwartz have suffered the same lack of respect from the industry but are laughing all the way to the bank. He says that writing pop ballads for musicals is a completely acceptable and long-standing tradition embraced by the likes of Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Irving Berlin, and the Gershwins. They all included what Kasha calls the "step out pop song" - the one designed to be hummed and remembered and perhaps recorded as an enduring single. These memorable songs, he suggests, make Broadway more accessible. There should be more, not less, of that.

"There should be room for all kinds of musicals on Broadway," Kasha posits. "It can't be all Sondheim all the time. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Stephen's lyrics. But his music can be so dissonant. Sometimes you just want to hear a nice melody.

"I think reviewers need to learn to review a show for what it is," he continues. "Too often they review based on what they think a writer should write. I believe there is room for everything in the theater. People need a healthy mix."

New Works on the Way

Currently Kasha is working on a new musical with wildly successful composer/record producer David Foster. Called "Rejoice," this new take on the life of Jesus Christ was originally conceived as a movie musical, but the estimated $150,000,000 price tag inspired them to rethink the project. Now in the hands of an animation company, the musical may also take shape as a theatrical production. "Why not just do it as a show for $14,000,000 instead?" Kasha muses.

"Rejoice" began as the brainchild of former Family Channel owner Pat Robertson. (Yes, that Pat Robertson). He approached Kasha about doing a musical about Christ because he had seen how successful the Stephen Schwartz-scored story of Moses, the animated "The Prince of Egypt," had been for HBO. Kasha accepted on one condition. "I didn't want to do the same Jesus story of 'Jesus Christ Superstar' or 'Godspell,' " he says. "I wanted it to be between Jesus and Lucifer - the fight for Earth between Heaven and Hell. That's the true story of Christianity."

Kasha draws parallels between his concept for "Rejoice" and, believe it or not, the "Superman" comics. He sees Jor-El as God, Kal-El (his son and later Superman) as Jesus, Lois Lane as Mary Magdeleine, and Lex Luthor as Lucifer. "It's the classic battle of good vs. evil," he says. "We already have eight songs written. David is great to work with. He tells me, 'You just hand me the lyrics, I'll write the melodies.' "

Kasha has also collaborated with Donna Summer on a musical based on her autobiography, "Ordinary Girl: The Journey." The show features a few of her most famous disco numbers (including "Hot Stuff" written by Kasha) plus 16 new theatrical songs that tell the story of her life. A Broadway mounting is the eventual goal.

At 70 years young, Al Kasha is as prolific now as he ever was. He jokes that he never has writer's block because he works "with every writer on the block." He also says that his work is his salvation. During his childhood music was his retreat from a violently alcoholic father. Today it is his means of self-expression and connection.

"Music is truly the universal language," he says. "I just write what's in my heart. Oscar Hammerstein was an idol of mine, and he used to say, 'Just write about hope.' So I write about hope all the time. The world is so negative. I want to be positive. People just want to be happy."

PHOTOS:
1. Al Kasha with Oscar I and Oscar II
2. Al Kasha with Maureen McGovern

Related Links:
www.alkasha.com
www.nsmt.org