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Bells Are Ringing (musical) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BellsAreRinging(musical)
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

BellsAreRingingisamusicalwithabookandlyricsby BettyComdenandAdolphGreenandmusicbyJule Styne.ThestoryrevolvesaroundElla,whoworksatan answeringserviceandthecharactersthatshemeetsthere. ThemaincharacterwasbasedonMaryPrintz,who workedforGreen'sansweringservice.[1]Threeofthe show'stunes,"LongBeforeIKnewYou,""Justin Time,"and"TheParty'sOver",becamepopular standards. JudyHollidayreprisedherBroadwaystarringroleinthe 1960filmofthesamename,alsostarringDeanMartin.

BellsAreRinging

Contents
1Productions 2Plot 3Songlist 4Awardsandnominations 4.1OriginalBroadwayproduction 4.22001Broadwayrevival 5References 6Externallinks

OriginalCastRecording Music Lyrics Book Productions JuleStyne BettyComden AdolphGreen BettyComden AdolphGreen 1956Broadway 1957WestEnd 2001Broadwayrevival

Productions
TheoriginalBroadwayproduction,directedbyJeromeRobbinsandchoreographedbyRobbinsandBob Fosse,openedonNovember29,1956attheShubertTheatre,whereitranforslightlymorethantwoyears beforetransferringtotheAlvinTheatre,foratotalrunof924performances.ItstarredJudyHollidayasElla andSydneyChaplinasJeffMoss,[1]aswellasJeanStapletonasSueSummers,EddieLawrenceasSandor, GeorgeS.Irving,JackWeston,andPeterGennaro.ScenicandCostumedesignwasbyRaoulPneDuBois andthelightingdesignwasbyPeggyClark. AnoriginalcastalbumwasreleasedbyColumbiaRecords. TheWestEndproductionopenedonNovember14,1957attheColiseum,whereitranfor292performances. ThecastincludedJanetBlairasEllaPeterson,GeorgeGaynesasJeffMoss,JeanSt.ClairasSueSummers, EddieMolloyasSandor,andAllynMcLerieasGwynneSmith.[2]

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Bells Are Ringing (musical) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In1960,afilmadaptationofthesamenamewasreleasedbyMGM. ABroadwayrevival,directedbyTinaLandauandchoreographedbyJeffCalhoun,openedonApril12,2001 atthePlymouthTheatrewhere,strugglingtoovercomemediocrereviewsandongoinghostilitybetweenthe show'sproducersanditscastandcrew,[3]itfinallyclosedafter68performancesand36previews.Thecast includedFaithPrinceasElla,MarcKudischasJeff,DavidGarrison,andBethFowler. TheUnionTheatreinLondonstagedarevivalofBellsAreRinginginlate2010,withleadingladyAnnaJane CaseyintheroleofEllaPeterson.Theproductionwaswellreviewedandsoldoutitsbriefrun. InNovember2010NewYorkCityCenter'sEncores!seriesproducedasemistagedconcertoftheshow starringKelliO'Hara,WillChase,andJudyKaye.ReviewsforO'Harawereexcellent,butcriticsfeltthe showitselfwastoodatedformodernaudiences.BenBrantleyinhisNewYorkTimesreviewwrote:"Ms. OHaraisthepossessorofaliquidsopranothatwasmadefortheshimmeringromanticconfessionsso essentialtoclassicAmericanmusicals.Offeringsinceritywithoutsaccharine,hervoiceseemstoemerge almostinvoluntarily,asifshejustcouldnthelpactingonanirresistibleurge.Thoughobviouslyhighly trained,thatvoicebrimswithaconversationaleasethatmakesyouforgetthatsingingisnotusuallytheform wechooseforconfidinginothers,eveninthisageof'Glee'...This1956musical...wasrevivedonBroadway onlynineyearsago(withFaithPrince),anditseemedirretrievablydatedthen."[4]

Plot
EllaPetersonworksinthebasementofficeofherboss,Sue,of"Susanswerphone",atelephoneanswering service.Shelistensinonothers'livesandaddssomeinteresttoherownhumdrumexistencebyadopting differentidentitiesandvoicesforherclients.TheyincludeBlakeBarton,anoutofworkMethodactor, Dr.Kitchell,adentistwithmusicalyearningsbutlackingtalent,andplaywrightJeffMoss,whoissuffering fromwriter'sblockanddesperatelyneedsamuse.Ellaconsiderstherelationshipswiththeseclients"perfect" becauseshecan'tseethemandtheycan'tseeher("It'saPerfectRelationship"). WhenJeffMosspleadswithEllaforhelpinwriting,sheresponds,andaromanceensues("LongBeforeI KnewYou").ComplicationsarisewhenEllathinksthatshedoesnotfitinwithJeff'swealthyfriends("The Party'sOver").Addingcomplicationsarethepolice,whoarecertainthebusinessisafrontforan"escort service,"andSandor,theowner'sshadyboyfriend,whounbeknownsttoSueisusingtheagencyasa bookmakingoperation("It'saSimpleLittleSystem").

Songlist
ActI "BellsAreRinging"TelephoneGirls "It'saPerfectRelationship"EllaPeterson "Independent"(originaltitle:"OnMyOwn") JeffMossandEnsemble "You'veGottoDoIt"JeffMoss ActII "MuChaCha"CarlandEllaPeterson "JustinTime"JeffMoss,EllaPetersonand Ensemble "DropThatName"EllaPetersonand Ensemble

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Bells Are Ringing (musical) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"It'saSimpleLittleSystem"Sandorand Ensemble "IsItaCrime?"EllaPeterson "BetterThanaDream"EllaPetersonandJeff Moss(lateradditiontooriginalproduction) "Hello,HelloThere"EllaPeterson,JeffMoss andEnsemble "IMetaGirl"JeffMossandEnsemble "LongBeforeIKnewYou"JeffMossand EllaPeterson

"TheParty'sOver"EllaPeterson "Salzburg"SueandSandor "TheMidasTouch"Dr.Kitchell,Boysand Girls "LongBeforeIKnewYou"(Reprise)Ella Peterson "I'mGoingBack"Ella

Note:"BetterThanaDream"wasactuallywrittenduringtheBroadwayrunandlaterincorporatedintothe 1960film.

Awardsandnominations
OriginalBroadwayproduction
Year Award BestMusical BestPerformancebyaLeadingActressina JudyHolliday Musical 1957 TonyAward BestPerformancebyaFeaturedActorina SydneyEarle Musical Chaplin BestChoreography TheatreWorldAward BobFosseand JeromeRobbins SydneyChaplin Category Nominee Result Nominated Won Won Nominated Won

2001Broadwayrevival
Year Award TonyAward 2001 DramaDesk Award Category BestRevivalofaMusical BestPerformancebyaLeadingActressina FaithPrince Musical OutstandingRevivalofaMusical OutstandingActressinaMusical FaithPrince Nominee Result Nominated Nominated Nominated Nominated

References
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Bells Are Ringing (musical) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1. ^abFox,Margalit(1March2009)."MaryPrintz,anEarfortheFamous,Diesat82" (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/02/nyregion/02printz.html).TheNewYorkTimes.Retrieved1March2009. 2. ^Listingatbroadwayworld.com(http://broadwayworld.com/bwidb/productions/Bells_Are_Ringing_3466/) accessedMarch2,2009 3. ^McKinley,Jesse."TheChecksAreBouncingat'BellsAreRinging'" (http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/13/arts/13BELL.html)TheNewYorkTimes,June13,2001 4. ^Brantley,Ben."WithHer,ItsLoveatFirstSound" (http://theater.nytimes.com/2010/11/20/theater/20bells.html)TheNewYorkTimesNovember19,2010

Externallinks
PlotsummaryandcharacterdescriptionsfromStageAgent.com (http://stageagent.com/Shows/View/837) BellsAreRinging(http://www.ibdb.com/show.asp?id=1937)attheInternetBroadwayDatabase DetailedplotatGuidetoMusicalTheatre (http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_b/bells_are_ringing.htm) Retrievedfrom"http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bells_Are_Ringing_(musical)&oldid=558524109" Categories: 1956musicals Broadwaymusicals Originalmusicals GrammyHallofFameAwardrecipients MusicalsdirectedbyJeromeRobbins Thispagewaslastmodifiedon5June2013at23:54. TextisavailableundertheCreativeCommonsAttributionShareAlikeLicenseadditionaltermsmay apply.Byusingthissite,youagreetotheTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicy. WikipediaisaregisteredtrademarkoftheWikimediaFoundation,Inc.,anonprofitorganization.

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