Prince of Central Park is a 1989 Broadway musical with music by Don Sebesky, lyrics by Gloria Nissenson and a book by Evan H. Rhodes. It is based on Rhodes' 1974 novel The Prince of Central Park and its 1977 television movie adaptation which starred Ruth Gordon and Brooke Shields. The musical was a notorious flop, losing nearly $2 million and closing after only four performances. Today, it is best remembered for a humorously negative review by Frank Rich in The New York Times.
Synopsis The musical tells the story of Jay-Jay, a 12-year-old runaway who tries to escape an abusive foster mother and the terrors of New York City by living in a tree in Central Park. Communicating via chalk messages on a park bench, he begins an unlikely correspondence with Margie Miller, a middle aged divorcé who jogs through the park and whose daughter is conspiring to send her to a Florida retirement village. Eventually Margie befriends Jay-Jay, helping him to fight off the gangs and drug pushers of the park, while learning about life and herself in the process. Together they become a sort of surrogate family.
Development and World Premiere After the success of the TV movie, Rhodes was approached by BMI to adapt his book The Prince of Central Park into a possible musical.Sheffield, Skip. "Production's a 'Prince'" Boca Raton News, December 30, 1988, page 5W. Retrieved on February 3, 2013 The world premiere starring Martha Raye and staged by Albert Marre was announced and scheduled to open on November 7, 1985 at the Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois,Smith, Sid. "Gary Sinise Signs To Direct His 1st Film" Chicago Tribune, May 30, 1985, Retrieved on February 2, 2013 but this production was ultimately canceled when the producer was sent to jail on tax charges.
In December 1985, Jan McArt, a performer and theater producer who was nicknamed "The First Lady of Florida's Musical Theatre," was introduced to Rhodes and became interested in the project. After securing the rights from Lorimar, who had produced the TV movie,"One Play's Trip From Key West To Broadway" from Sun-Sentinel, November 5, 1989; Byline: Jack Zink and Norine Dworkin. Retrieved on 2013-02-02. McArt began to develop the show with Rhodes writing the book, Don Sebesky writing the music and Gloria Nissenson writing the lyrics. The first production meeting was held in August 1987 at the Boca Raton Resort and Club, where Bob Bogandoff was selected as the director. In May 1988, McArt flew to Los Angeles to personally offer the musical's leading role to Nanette Fabray.
The show premiered as a "work in progress" on October 25, 1988 at McArt's Mallory Square Cabaret Theatre in Key West starring Fabray as Mrs. Miller, 13-year-old Richard H. Blake as Jay-Jay (the title character), Anthony Galde as Elmo, a gang leader and an ensemble of 9 actors."Producing a 'Prince'" from Boca Raton News, July 21, 1988; Byline: Skip Sheffield; page 6W. Retrieved on 2013-02-03. At the second performance, Fabray was sick so producer McArt played the role as her understudy. The show closed on November 29.
Impressed with the musical, Abe Hirschfield, a Miami Beach real estate magnate, joined on as producer and mounted a full production at his 900-seat Hirschfeld Theatre in the Clarion Castle Hotel in Miami Beach. The cast was expanded to 20, with Fabray, Blake and Galde remaining in the leads; producer McArt appeared in a "cameo""Nanette Fabray Her 'Prince' Has Come The Veteran Actress Wasn't Interested In Doing A Musical Until Producer Jan McArt Showed Up On Her Doorstep With The Script Of The Prince Of Central Park." from Sun-Sentinel, February 5, 1989; Byline: Jack Zink. Retrieved on 2013-02-02. as a crazy homeless bag lady who makes telephone calls from a broken phone; Hirschfeld's granddaughter also appeared in the show.Richard H. Blake discussing the show live June 17, 2012 The production was directed by Bob Bogandoff and choreographed by Michael DiFonzo."'Prince' dethroned after critics turned It into frog;" from Boca Raton News, November 14, 1989, page 1C & 5C. Retrieved on 2013-02-02."'Prince' A Charming, Nostalgic Musical" from Sun-Sentinel, February 13, 1989; Byline: Jack Zink. Retrieved on 2013-02-03.
Prince of Central Park ran from February 3 to March 5, 1989 and was generally well received by local audiences, though critics were mixed. The Miami Herald wrote that the show was "not yet" ready for Broadway."'Prince is Still Short of Broadway" from Miami Herald, February 15, 1989; Byline: Section: Amusements; Page: 7D. Retrieved on 2013-02-03. The Sun-Sentinel felt the show was "overlong" and "occasionally tedious" but ultimately "charming." It singled out Blake's performance, calling him "an '80s male echo of the appeal Andrea McArdle brought to the original Annie.
Pre-Broadway From April to June, the show was substantially rewritten with the addition of nine new songs before it headed to Broadway with a scheduled opening date of October 30, 1989. from Sun-Sentinel, October 4, 1989; Byline: Jack Zink. Retrieved on 2013-02-02. Among the changes were an addition of "Red," a musical number set at Bloomingdale's in which mannequins come to life and begin dancing.
Although she was with the show from the beginning, Fabray was let go from the project during the summer of 1989. Director Bogandoff was also fired as the producers searched for a replacement with Broadway credentials (and a Tony nomination).
Fabray was replaced by Gloria DeHaven and Bogandoff was replaced by Tony Tanner, who also served as choreographer. On September 26, DeHaven left the show due to an injury to her rib and "unspecified artistic differences." Producer Jan McArt later told the Boca Raton News that because the show was being rewritten daily, DeHaven was having trouble learning her new lines and they needed someone who was "a quick study.""New Star for Boca Producer's Broadway Show" from Boca Raton News, October 13, 1989; Byline: Skip Sheffield; page 10W. Retrieved on 2013-02-03. Broadway wags, sensing a troubled production, began to call the show "Ain't Miss DeHaven.""Critic's Notebook; Twisted Titles or the Edsels Of Broadway" from The New York Times, February 25, 1994; Byline: David Richards. Retrieved on 2013-02-03.
McArt, whose theatre hosted the show's first production, took over the role for two weeks until DeHaven could be replaced." 'Prince Of Central Park' Opening Delayed" from Sun-Sentinel, October 25, 1989; Byline: Jack Zink. Retrieved on 2013-02-02. Jo Anne Worley quit a California production of Mame"Sock-it-to-me Time On Broadway 'Laugh-in' Star Opens In Fantasy." from New York Daily News, November 14, 1989, Byline: Patricia O'Haire. Retrieved on 2013-02-02 to join the cast on October 10 and the show's opening date was postponed until November 9 to allow her more time to rehearse.
Broadway production On October 24, 1989, Prince of Central Park began previews on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre and opened on November 9 with Worley and Blake in the leads. At 14, Blake became the youngest Broadway performer to have his name above the title of the show."The Leading Men: Blake, Borle and Turner" The sets and costumes were designed by Michael Bottari and Ronald Case and the lighting design was by Norman Coates.
Characters
Jay-Jay, the prince of Central Park Margie Miller, a recent divorcé Elmo, a gang leader Sally, Margie's daughter May Berg Anna Squagliatoria Agnes Aerobics Instructor Park Ranger Rupp Stock Broker Park Ranger School Guard Carpenter
Fist Twitchy Bird Brain Feather Young Margie Young Richard Officer Simpson Officer Washinski Bag Lady Floor Walker Maitr'd Waiter Ballet Dancer
Musical numbers
Act 1 1. "Here's Where I Belong" – Jay-Jay and Ensemble 2. "All I've Got Is Me" – Jay-Jay 3. "New Leaf" – Margie and Aerobics Club 4. "Follow the Leader" – Elmo, Gang and Jay-Jay 5. "Montage: Here's Where I Belong" – Ensemble 6. "We Were Dancing" – Margie, Young Richard, Young Margie 7. "One of a Kind" – Margie and Jay-Jay 8. "I Fly By Night" – Elmo and Gang 9. "Zap" – Margie, Jay-Jay and Ensemble
Act 2 10. "Good Evening" – Ensemble 11. "All I've Got Is Me (Reprise)" – Margie and Jay-Jay 12. "They Don't Give You Life at Sixteen" – Elmo and Gang 13. "Red" - Margie, Ensemble 14. "I Fly By Night (Reprise)" – Elmo, Gang and Jay-Jay 15. "The Prince of Central Park" – Jay-Jay 16. "One of a Kind (Reprise)" – Margie
Critical response The musical received overwhelmingly negative reviews by Broadway critics, who found that the show was both amateurish and made light of serious social issues such as street crime, drugs, homelessness and child abuse, while turning gritty New York City into a sentimental fairy tale.Dworkin, Norine. "McArt, Hirschfeld Open Their 'Prince' On Broadway" Sun-Sentinel, November 11, 1989. Retrieved on February 2, 2013 Though aimed at a family audience, critics noted that the show had moments of vulgarity, such as a scene in which two gay men happily emerge from the bushes after having sex"The Theatre; byline: Mimi Kramer" The New Yorker, November 20, 1989. Retrieved on 2013-02-02. and jokes in which the character of Margie comments on her sagging breasts and her estranged husband's penis.Rich, Frank. "The City Is Sweet and Muggers Are Merry;" The New York Times, November 10, 1989. Retrieved November 4, 2017
The New Yorker called the show "a really bad musical" and "a howler" and agreed that it had "so many references to the Tavern on the Green that it's almost impossible to believe that the restaurant's owners haven't underwritten the show."
The Associated Press, in a kinder review, said that the show was "a New York fairy tale told with a modest amount of musical imagination and wit ... a small musical in almost every respect. It's not awful, but its mildness and meager musical numbers make it a dim prospect to last very long on Broadway.""McArt, Hirschfeld Open Their 'Prince' On Broadway" Sun-Sentinel, November 11, 1989; Byline: Norine Dworkin Zink. Retrieved on 2013-02-02.
Linda Winer of Newsday found Worley to be "likable" and "surprisingly restrained" while calling Blake "a major young talent.""Out-of-Town 'Central Park'" Newsday, November 10, 1989; Byline: Linda Winer. Retrieved on 2013-02-02. Frank Rich review In his famously scathing and humorous review in The New York Times, Frank Rich wrote:
"Prince of Central Park, the new musical at the Belasco, is a numbing evening of such guileless amateurism that it will probably have a future as a Harvard Business School case study, whatever its fate in the annals of drama. Even modest Broadway shows like this cost more money than the gross national product of some third world nations. People put up this money. As long as there are people as gullible as the sponsors of Prince of Central Park, the theater need never fear for its survival."
Rich's review went on to include a deliberately incorrect and funny summary of the plot:
"In Act II, Jay-Jay and Margie bravely overcome outmoded legal obstacles and moral attitudes to get married. They adopt five children, two of whom become the first sibling astronauts and together head a successful manned space mission to Pluto. Actually, I am lying. Something else entirely happens in Act II. But I assure you that my version is more interesting.
Rich also mocked the fact that the authors seemed to have no connection to New York City, writing:
"The biggest unintentional laugh for a New York audience arrives when Ms. Worley ventures into Bloomingdale's and is immediately welcomed by a kindly silver-haired saleswoman who offers her complete undivided attention."
Blake, who had turned down Michael Eisner's offer of a part on The Mickey Mouse Club to be in the production,Richard H. Blake discussing the show and performing the title song "The Prince of Central Park" on June 17, 2012 was compared by Rich to "an aging Mouseketeer." The review concluded with: