305. House of Flowers 1954
Musical Comedy in Two Acts and Thirteen Scenes
- Music
Music by Harold Arlen. Lyrics by Truman Capote and Harold Arlen. Book by Truman Capote. Orchestrations by Ted Royal
- Choreography
George Balanchine (out-of-town previews). Banda dance choreographed by Geoffrey Holder. Dances and Musical Numbers by Herbert Ross (New York)
- Production
Produced by Saint Subber. Directed by Peter Brook. Scenery and costumes by Oliver Messel. Scenery built by Messmore & Damon and painted by E. B. Dunkel Studios; costumes executed by Brooks Costume Company. Lighting by Jean Rosenthal
- Premiere
Preview: November 25, 1954, Erlanger Theatre, Philadelphia. New York premiere: December 30, 1954, Alvin Theatre. Conductor: Jerry Arlen. Choreography largely reworked by Herbert Ross
- Cast
Madame Fleur, Pearl Bailey; Ottilie alias Violet, Diahann Carroll; Madame Tango, Juanita Hall; Tulip, Josephine Premice; Royal, Rawn Spearman; and others.
Balanchine’s original dance numbers:
WAITIN’ (Act I): Pansy, Enid Mosier; Tulip, Josephine Premice; Gladiola, Ada Moore; Do, Winston George Henriques; Don’t, Solomon Earl Green.
BAMBOO CAGE (Act I): The Champion, Geoffrey Holder; Henriques, Green; Watermelon, Phillip Hepburn; Mosier, Premice, Moore; Madame Tango, Juanita Hall; Chief of Police, Don Redman; ensemble.
TWO LADIES IN DE SHADE OF DE BANANA TREE (Act I): Premice, Moore, male ensemble.
CARNIVAL (Act I): Mosier, Premice, Moore, ensemble.
VOUDOU (Act II): The Drummers, Joseph Comadore, Michael Alexander, Alphonso Marshall; Duchess of the Sea, Miriam Burton; Octopus, Albert Popwell; Shark, Walter Nicks, Arthur Mitchell, Marshall; Turtle, Comadore, ensemble; Baron of the Cemetery (Banda dance), choreographed and danced by Geoffrey Holder.
MADAME TANGO’S TANGO (Act II): Hall, Tango Belles.
THE TURTLE SONG (Act II): Royal, Rawn Spearman; Henriques, Green, Hepburn, Holder, ensemble.
Performance Type
Musical Theater
Note
165 performances. Balanchine left the show before the New York opening. Herbert Ross rearranged some of the choreography, some was deleted, and the sequence of the numbers was changed. Ross also added new material. Although Balanchine’s name does not appear in New York programs, the following numbers retained at least some of his choreography when the show opened in New York: MADAME TANGO’S TANGO, BAMBOO CAGE, TWO LADIES IN DE SHADE OF DE BANANA TREE, and possibly VOUDOU.
Identification of Balanchine numbers, including those retained in New York: Tanaquil Le Clercq, Arthur Mitchell; additional information provided by Thomas DeFrantz
