Sometimes, you just have to wonder how the world of theater would have changed if certain shows had succeeded in a major venue. With the recent pasting of acclaimed Broadway veteran Alice Playten, I’ve been reintroduced to a sweet little musical comedy called Henry, Sweet Henry.
According to the 1968 book The Season by William Goldman, audiences fell in love with Henry, Sweet Henry. The problem was the harsh critical reviews in the wake of revolutionary rock musical Hair. Against the excitement and raw energy of the American Tribal Love-Rock Musical, Henry, Sweet Henry was labeled old-fashioned and out of touch. If you think I have a tendency towards hyperbole, you should look into how quickly theater critics used to swing from praise to hatred because some show or other instantly reshaped the field.
On 17 October 1967, Hair opened Off-Broadway. Six days later, Henry, Sweet Henry opened on Broadway. In a modern context, this wouldn’t be too influential on the Broadway review unless the two shows in contention were stylistically or thematically similar. Off-Broadway is where the more experimental and politicized works do their first big runs. If they get strong enough reviews and sell well, they might try to transfer to Broadway if a small theater is available
But that’s not even what happened here. Continue reading →
