Description
After tryout runs in Philadelphia and Washington, DC, the musical "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue" opened at Broadway's Mark Hellinger Theatre on May 4, 1976 and closed after seven performances, with no cast recording made. The work of Alan Jay Lerner (book and lyrics) and Leonard Bernstein (music), "1600" starred Ken Howard, Patricia Routledge, Gilbert Price, and Emily Yancy. This compilation (score only, with occasional dialogue, plus onscreen lyrics, notes, and more) is an attempt to restore the original intentions of the authors before they were radically altered during the tryout runs, which saw the departure of the original director, choreographer, and scenic and costume designer. It is hoped that this compilation, assembled from half a dozen live performance tapes covering all three cities in which the show played, will allow the listener to hear the complete score, with the Broadway cast, in the best available versions. "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue" has what must be the most glorious score in the history of Broadway disasters.