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Illya Darling

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Illya Darling
Original Cast Recording
MusicManos Hadjidakis
LyricsJoe Darion
BookJules Dassin
BasisJules Dassin's film
Never on Sunday
Productions1967 Broadway
1968 First National Tour

Illya Darling is a musical with a book by Jules Dassin, music by Manos Hadjidakis, and lyrics by Joe Darion, based on Dassin's 1960 film Never on Sunday.

Production

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The show previewed in a tour of Philadelphia, Toronto and Detroit for nine weeks. After 22 previews, the Broadway production opened on April 11, 1967 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre and closed on January 13, 1968, after 320 performances and 22 previews. It was directed by Dassin, choreographed by Onna White, with scenic design by Oliver Smith, costume design by Theoni V. Aldredge, and lighting design by Jean Rosenthal. Orchestra was conducted by Karen Gustafson.

Attendance was fueled by the star wattage provided by Melina Mercouri, who was nominated for a Tony Award, in the title role. She had starred in the film, which managed to overcome the mostly lukewarm to negative reviews.[1] Critics found the plot too slight.[2]

Other cast members included Orson Bean as Homer Thrace, Nikos Kourkoulos (who was also nominated for a Tony) in his Broadway debut as Tonio, and Hal Linden as No Face. After closing on Broadway, the show went on tour with Cyd Charisse as Illya.[3]

The production was nominated for six Tony Awards, including Best musical, score, direction and choreography, but it did not win any.

The musical was presented by the Greek American Theatre Company of Los Angeles, running March 2003 to May 2003.[2]

Synopsis

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Illya, a carefree prostitute, plies her trade in the port town of Piraeus outside Athens. With no set rates, no pimp, and an inclination to sleep only with men she likes, she differs dramatically from the other local ladies-of-the-evening. Their pimp, Garbage, works for the mysterious No Face, who charges the girls exorbitant rents. Into her life comes Homer Thrace, a priggish American in search of the glories of Ancient Greece. Attracted by Illya's physical charms, he decides to teach her about the classics and to help her become a cultured lady, while she in turn introduces him to sensual pleasures. Homer's lesson plan is to separate her from her friends and the virile Tonio. Neither ends up happier.

Original cast and characters

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Character Broadway (1967)[4] First National Tour (1968)[5]
Illya Melina Mercouri Cyd Charisse
Homer Thrace Orson Bean Jon Cypher
Tonio Nikos Kourkoulos Raul Julia
Mr. No Face Hal Linden William Mooney
Captain Rudy Bond
Despo Despo Lou Rodgers
Vassily Joe E. Marks
Yorgos Titos Vandis
Garbage Man William Duell Joe Alfasa
Waiter Harold Gary Jay Kirsch

Song list

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Response

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Jack Gaver wrote that although there were attractive things about the musical "it is a fact that any commercial success this new musical may have depends largely upon public interest in its Greek star. Tuesday night's arrival at the Mark Hellinger Theatre lacks solid, over-all appeal, so the international reputation of Miss Mercouri as a movie star with a tremendous sex image and a volatile acting style is really on the line ... there is exuberance in the several dance numbers, the score has some rousing numbers and there are excellent portrayals in top roles."[6]

According to Steven Suskin, the musical was "the season's biggest star-vehicle with the biggest advance sale: Melina Mercouri in the Never on Sunday musical, Illya Darling. Not so darling, as it turned out; the charm of the 1960 low-budget Greek-language film was overblown into a full-scale Broadway affair with a distinct lack of charm or skill."[7]

Awards and nominations

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Original Broadway production

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Year Award Category Nominee Result
1968 Tony Award Best Musical Nominated
Best Composer and Lyricist Manos Hadjidakis and Joe Darion Nominated
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical Melina Mercouri Nominated
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Nikos Kourkoulos Nominated
Best Direction of a Musical Jules Dassin Nominated
Best Choreography Onna White Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "Theater: Gloomy Sunday". TIME.com. 21 April 1967. Archived from the original on December 15, 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  2. ^ a b Monji, Jane."Curtain up review, 2003 Los Angeles production" curtainup.com, March 15, 2003
  3. ^ Information about the production and tour zanestein.com
  4. ^ Playbill 1967 Bio Cast Listaccessed 07/07/2023
  5. ^ Playbill 1968 Bio Cast Listaccessed 07/07/2023
  6. ^ Gaver, Jack." 'Illya Darling' Depends Largely on Greek Star"St. Petersburg Times', April 13, 1967
  7. ^ Suskin, Steven."Melina Mercouri as Illya Darling and Steven Pasquale's "Somethin' Like Love" ", playbill.com, April 12, 2009
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