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Greenwillow

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Musical comedy in 2 acts, 15 scenes: Book by Lesser Samuels and Frank Loesser; Based on the novel Greenwillow by B.J. Chute; Music & Lyrics by Frank Loesser:

Alvin Theatre, Broadway - 8 March, 1960 (97 perfs)

An idyll of bygone rural America. A homespun fantasy that has to do with quaint superstitions and folklore of a mythical village located on the Meander River - or somewhere down the road from Brigadoon and Glocca Morra.

Story:

Gideon Briggs would like nothing better than to settle down in the village of Greenwill with his girlfriend, Dorrie. Unfortunately, Gideon believes in the superstition that the eldest son in the family is afflicted with the call to wander. It has already affected several of his ancestors and Gideon believes he is next.

His problem is compounded by the fact that he loves Dorrie and, more importantly, Dorrie loves him. He resists fiercely the urge to marriage but hopes to break the spell and spare the woman he loves the agony of of a home without a husband. So, while Gideon awaits the call the spell has imposed, Dorrie laments the spell that she knows will keep them apart.

The villagers are sympathetic to Gideon's predicament but they are unable to help him overcome it. The two ministers of the village, Rev. Lapp and the Rev. Birdsong each deals with the curse in his own, highly individual manner.

Dorrie in convinced she should wish her love away and yet she recalls Gideon with tender yearning when faced with another love.

In an effort to boost family morale, Gramma Briggs wheedles the loan of a cow from her miserly childhood sweetheart. Apparently the cow was the part of a disputed dowry from an almost wedding - but that's another story - and anyway, it happened so long ago ....

When the cow gives birth to a calf, the Briggs family celebrates the occasion by holding a baptism. And yet, all around Greenwillow is the Gideon call to wander ...

Eventually, of course, love conquers all.

Musical Numbers:

  1. A-Tangle, A-Dangle
  2. Andrew's Fantasy
  3. The Autumn Courting
  4. Bless This Day
  5. The Call
  6. The Call To Wander
  7. Clang Dang the Bell
  8. Could've Been A Ring
  9. A Day Borrowed From Heaven
  10. Dorrie's Wish
  11. Faraway Boy
  12. Gideon Briggs, I Love You
  13. Gideon's Charm
  14. Greenwillow Christmas
  15. Greenwillow Walk
  16. Hallow'eve (dance)
  17. He Died Good
  18. A Head On Her Shoulders
  19. The Music of Home
  20. My Beauty
  21. Never Will I Marry
  22. Riddleweed
  23. The Sermon
  24. Summertime Love
  25. Walking Away Whistling
  26. What A Blessing
  27. Yes