Harve Presnell "GONE WITH THE WIND" June Ritchie 1972 London Royal World Preview

Description

This is a rare souvenir program from the ROYAL WORLD PREVIEW performance of the Original West End production of the HAROLD ROME and HORTON FOOTE epic musical "GONE WITH THE WIND" on April 26th 1972 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London. (The production would officially open May 3rd, 1972 and run for 398 performances.) ..... The preview performance, a benefit for the World Wildlife Fund, was attended by Her Royal Highness The Princess Anne (pictured in the third scanned image). The musical began in 1970 as "SCARLETT", a lavish Tokyo production which ran more than four hours. The show underwent severe revisions when it was translated into English. Ninety minutes shorter, with a new book adapted by Horton Foote and rechristened
Gone with the Wind
, the West End version was headed by JUNE RITCHIE as "Scarlett O'Hara", HARVE PRESNELL as "Rhett Butler", PATRICIA MICHAEL and ROBERT SWANN and featured ISABELLE LUCAS, MARION RAMSEY, BESSIE LOVE, DOREEN HERMITAGE, RONALD ADAM, HARRY GOODIER, IAN HANSON and BRIAN DAVIES. The majority of reviews praised Ritchie's "Scarlett" and were duly impressed by Layton's staging, but criticized Foote's treatment, which relied heavily on the audience's prior knowledge of the characters and plot and as a result was sketchy in its presentation of both. Still, Fielding was encouraged enough to schedule a Broadway opening for April 7th, 1974. In August 1973, a revised version of the London production was mounted at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles by the city's Civic Light Opera Association, with LESLEY ANN WARREN, PERNELL ROBERTS, UDANA POWER and TERENCE MONK in the leads. The strongly negative reviews prompted Layton to make numerous changes throughout the Los Angeles and subsequent San Francisco runs, but despite improvements Fielding decided to cancel his plans to move the show to Broadway ..... CREDITS: Music and Lyrics by HAROLD ROME ("Call Me Mister", "Fanny", "Pins and Needles", "Destry Rides Again", "I Can Get It For You Wholesale", "Wish You Were Here"); Book by HORTON FOOTE based on the classic novel by MARGARET MITCHELL; Sets designed by DAVID HAYS and TIM GOODCHILD; Costumes designed by PATTON CAMPBELL; Directed and Choreographed by JOE LAYTON; Produced by HAROLD FIELDING ..... DETAILS: The over-sized 54 page program measures 8 1/4" X 11 1/2" inches and includes full production photos, cast list, synopsis of scenes, list of musical numbers, bios of each of the leading actors, a full page photo of Her Royal Highness, the PRINCESS ANNE and promotional text and advertising associated with the
World Wildlife Fund
, but no cast or production photos ..... CONDITION: With the exception of a diagonal crease in the top right corner, light surface rubbing to the cover and minor edge wear, this rare program is in excellent condition and will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any musical theatre aficionado or historian. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard.
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