SUNDANCE
"Time rushes by... memories fade... dreams never do.......I will be ever true.. will you.."
"There is a theatre division of The Sundance Institute that is not as well known (as the film division) and there is this wonderful place called White Oaks, on the border of Florida and Georgia (Yulee Florida). It's this big conference center in the middle of the swamps, that had actually been Baryshnikov's old dance studio. We were there for about 10 days. It was fantastic ! We went down with most of act one written. We had the songs, Jerry Likes The Way I do My Corn, The Cake I had, and Revolutionary Costume complete. We also had most of the cast. I met Christine for the first time at dinner at White Oaks. Almost none of act two had been completed and I had no idea that Christine was absolutely in love with Edie. There was no audition. We just hoped she would do it, and she said yes."
Two of the songs were written especifically for Christine. Scott had suggested that Michael write a song from the attic scene from the documentary, and oddly enough, Christine had a similar idea. What resulted was the song "Around The World". It is a beautiful song that comes in close to the end of the show. " She sang it, and this is when it occurred to me that might really have something. One of those few rare moments in your life. I was floored ? " The way Christine interpreted Around The World inspired them to write the second tune. "Doug said you have to write a song for the end of act two, and it's got to be killer ! I didn't know what I was going to write, then I though of Edie in the documentary saying "Oh God... another winter" and I ended up watching this bush for over an hour. There was this leaf, caught in a spider web. That became the metaphor."
"...one little leaf..a drift in the breeze.. refuses to fall from the vine.....blown by the wind...it clings to the trees, unwilling to wither and die....."
"The lyrics to this one came first. Scott hadn't had time to compose the music yet, so the first time, Christine just read it cold. She began to cry and could hardly get through it. Everyone knew we had found the right song. Christine relates to the character (Edie) in a deeper way, that I don't quite understand"
So, from all accounts, the show really came together in some major ways at Sundance, but there was still lots of work to do before it was ready for Broadway, and there was still one more major stop in route to the great white way !
PLAYWRIGHTS HORIZONS
On March 7th, 2006, Grey Gardens opened Off Broadway at Playwrights Horizons. The 198 seat theatre was sold out every night, and the run extended three times. There was about a three month period between Sundance and Playwrights to ready the production.
GEORGE GOULD STRONG
"understand kid...it's been just grand kid.. the cocktails, the cufflinks, the fun.... remember me when you're singing Tea For One...."
I was interested to know about including "Gould", the live in gay pianist friend of Ediths in the first act of the musical. Mr Korie indicated that including the character had been in the plans from the beginning. "In act one, Edie would have Joe, and Edith would have Gould. In the second act, they both had Jerry and each saw in him what they wanted to see." Played by Tony nominated, Bob Stillman, in both the Off Broadway, and Broadway productions, Gould adds much in the way of not only an interesting and comic character, but music itself, as the actor himself is actually playing the piano on stage accompanying Christine as well as himself in several numbers. He leaves Grey Gardens with a song called "Drift Away", which is one of my favorites both lyrically and musically. "We had to write a few (songs) before we got there. We had him doing songs that expressed more bitterness, but finally realized that just saying goodbye would be enough. We wrote him a Noel Coward type song, as we figured there was a good chance he was an influence on the real character" Michael said that Mr Stong's family surfaced when the musical opened and were happy with the portrayal with the exception of a line in another song that indicates that Mr Strong had committed suicide. This was not the case. When writing the line, Mr Korie actually combined the ""Gould" character with that of another gay song writer, who had killed himself. In the original documentary, Gould had only a very short mention, but Gould was obiously an extremely important person to Edith, and including his character in the musical was a brilliant idea !
Click EDIE ON EBAY for some cool "Edie" items on Ebay.
A SUMMER OF CHANGE
I'm not too sure anyone had quizzed Mr Korie in such depth on the details of the changes that occurred between the Off Broadway production and the Broadway production, as I did, but to me, this was quite fascinating. I had studied both productions carefully, over and over.
There was one major cast member change, which was that of little Edie in the first act. Sarah Hyland was replaced by Erin Davie. I didn't feel it was appropriate to ask why. Much of the set and props remained the same. The biggest changes had to do with the way the show opened and closed, as well as some major changes the musical numbers. "We made changes every day in previews, right up to critics week. " The changes in the musical numbers was basically decided over the summer.
"There was a lot of debate on how to open and close the show." They totally scrapped an opening, where Christine came out dressed in the outfit from the documentary, where she delivers her famous "S-T-A-U-N-C-H" line. Christine did a few lines from The Girl Who Has Everything, looking in a hand held mirror. "That opening was a miscalculation. Christine had to run back stage and change costumes from little Edie in the 70's and reappear now as big Edie (Edith) in 1941. People didn't even know it was the same actress ! " That opening was totally discarded, as was that costume. At Horizons, the opening was Edith singing a song called "Toyland", and you only heard little Edie's voice off stage. On Broadway, they went back to that basic beginning, but changed out Toyland for The Girl Who Has Everything. "Toyland wasn't really accomplishing anything other than setting up Edith's concert (for Edie's engagement party). The Girl Who Has Everything was much more thematically resonant".
Click SOUND SAMPLES to hear short sound samples of the four songs mentioned above.
"Her youth's evanescence makes haste of the essence....the girl who has everything but time... "
The original closing was both Edies in the bedroom, reprising Two Peas In A Pod.
"Why should I be singing at that point" was Mary Louise Wilson's take. After the final line "you choose", that should be it. "Christine felt the same way, and we took their comments seriously"
The first major song to be cut was a tune called Body Beautiful Beale. "We worked on this one at Playwrights. It always seemed like a second opening number following Five Fifteen and if we used that nickname at that point, it didn't make sense for Joe (Kennedy) to be surprised later. It was slowing down the show"
" How if Hollywood called....could I keep her inthralled...me with only my heart to send her..."
The next song to go, or maybe better described as replaced, was "Better Fall Out Of Love". It was replaced by "Going Places" Both were duets between Joe Kennedy and little Edie. The latter has much more energy.
The next change out of songs is between Being Bouvier to Marry Well. The two tunes open and close with the exact same instrumentation, beat and little brass motif, but aside from the bridge, which they kept, the two songs ended up being a good deal different from each other especially lyrically. Both, by the way are wonderful.
The last song to go was one that quite frankly I wish they had left in. It was called "Tomorrow's Woman" , which was originally titled "A Lovely Crossing". The song is a wonderfully bright piece with some really nice harmonies between the cousins (Edie, Jackie, and Lee)
"we get where we get by our hard work and sweat...and get everything else in divorce."
On November 2nd, 2006, Grey Gardens opened on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre, to rave reviews. The musical was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, and won three. Christine Ebersole, Mary Louise Wilson, and William Ivey Long (Costume Design)
On July 29th 2007, after 33 previews, and 307 performances, Grey Gardens closed. Many in the cast and crew had expressed the view that the producers had mismanaged the show. All involved were quite sad to say goodbye.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
As far as Michael Korie is concerned: He's working on a project that is "hush hush" for now, but hopefully we will be able to break the news here as soon as it's available. Scott Frankel and Christine Ebersole recently went to London to try and sell the idea to the producers there. According to Michael "They are encountering some of the same problems as they had with the producers here...they have to overcome the fact that these ladies are not well known to the general audience."
Although even on the Musical's official site, they announce London as a definite, it is doubtful that Grey Gardens will make the leap over the pond until at least 2009. For all of us who had the pleasure and privilege of seeing either of the New York productions, we thank the creative team of Doug Wright, Michael Korie, and Scott Frankel, the wonderful cast, set designers, costume designers, and the crew, for giving us a theatre experience we will hold close to our hearts for years to come. I would like to again personally thank Mr Michael Korie for his valuable contribution to our site.
"That sapphire blue ocean, oh how can I face....Another Winter in A Summer Town.... "
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