- A male Ethel Merman, hectic gypsies and a score that
surprisingly has much that is charming about it - all in a so-so
musical that will never be seen again
BAJOUR
- Book by Ernest Kinoy. Music and lyrics by Walter Marks
- Original Broadway cast: Chita Rivera, Nancy Dussault, Herschel
Bernardi, Herbert Edelman, Gus Trikonis, Robert Burr, Mae Questel
- Songs: Move over, New York; Where is the tribe for me?; The
haggle; Love-Line; Words, words, words; Mean; Bajour; Must it
be love?; Soon; I can; Living simply; Honest man; Guarantees;
Love is a chance
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- Who remembers Bajour, a show that came and went in 232 performances
on Broadway in November 1964; one of those pieces that seems
not to have left a shred behind, despite a so-so run? Nevertheless,
compared to some of the musicals that the British were turning
out in the 1960s, this seems no less than a masterpiece. Except
that it isn't. Masterpieces in musical theatre can often turn
out a deal less interesting than the flopperoos, and there are
definite qualities to be found in Bajour: it is zestful, tuneful,
beautifully cast, unexpectedly charming and frequently stirring.
Based on a series of short stories published in the New Yorker
about gypsies in New York, the show was the first outing for
the composer Walter Marks; he subsequently wrote the score for
Golden Rainbow. There could be no finer reminder of this friendly
old show than these superbly recorded sessions, the first original
cast recording produced by the veteran Thomas Z Shepherd. His
performers give of their best. The ladies are led by Chita Rivera,
already with West Side Story and Bye Bye Birdie under her belt
before she took to Bajour. Her sinuous gypsy interpretation is
perfection, and she brings dramatic pathos to some numbers ('Love-Line')
and a rapturous sense of comedy to others (her duet with Dessault,
'I Can'). It's a delight to hear how she handles any number,
and she alone would make the venture worthwhile. As the guileless
student of anthropology (shades of On The Town), Nancy Dessault
comes across sparking on all cylinders, establishing her character
in a neat opening number 'Where is the tribe for me?', along
the way making some animal noises that cannot help but remind
us that she sang 'What's new at the zoo?' in Do Re Mi. Presiding
over all is the presence of Herschel Bernardi, a type of performer
who seems to have all but vanished. His towering role - his Broadway
debut - as the gypsy king Cockeye Johnny Dembo yields much that
is hugely enjoyable - his introductory anthem 'Move over, New
York', and a last-minute comedy duet with Herbert Edleman, 'Honest
man', that is worth airing again. Bernardi should be celebrated
as a sort of gypsy Ethel Merman. In all, this is a show that
deserves to be considered, and one that really survives the recording
studio. The CD booklet is excellent, with production and recording
photographs and a sympathetic essay from Ken Mandelbaum. As to
whether the show could ever be considered as politically correct
… but this is theatre history. Highly recommended for the
curious.
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