Jan. 21, 2025

Leonard Bernstein's Music Theater

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Leonard Bernstein at HGO in rehearsal for the 1983 world premiere of his opera A Quiet Place

The legendary Bernstein was a stylistically versatile  composer who contributed major works to Broadway, operetta, opera—and even a new hybrid genre with his 1971 Mass. Trace his output for the stage and learn about the part HGO played in producing and commissioning these pieces.

1944: On the Town

Book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green  

 

Bernstein’s first hit Broadway musical—an expanded version of his ballet Fancy Free, choreographed by Jerome Robbins—follows a trio of sailors seeking love and adventure during shore leave in New York City.

1950: Peter Pan

Lyrics by Bernstein, book by J.M. Barrie

 

Four years before the better-known Peter Pan musical starring Mary Martin, Bernstein wrote a series of song and dance numbers to accompany Barrie’s original play. Most of the musical’s score was cut to accommodate the limited vocal ranges of the actors, including Boris Karloff as Captain Hook. 

1952: Trouble in Tahiti

Libretto by Bernstein

 

Bernstein’s first opera is a one-act send-up of white-picket suburbia. A scat-singing jazz trio narrates the seemingly perfect marriage of Sam and Dinah. HGO staged the work in 1983.

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Mark Thomsen, Lee Merrill, James Michael McGuire (Jazz Trio), and Diane Kesling (Dinah) in HGO's 1983 production of Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti
1953: Wonderful Town

Lyrics by Comden and Green, book by Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov

 

Rosalind Russell won a Tony for her portrayal of Ruth, a young woman who moves from Ohio to New York City to pursue her writing career. 

1956: Candide

Lyrics by Bernstein and others; book by Lillian Hellman (1956 version), Hugh Wheeler (subsequent versions)

 

Based on Voltaire’s satirical 1759 novella, Candide retells the impossible journey of a naïve young man whose cockeyed optimism is tested by life’s trials. HGO staged the operetta in 1983.

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Maris Clement (Paquette) and David Eisler (Candide) in HGO's 1983 production of Candide
1957: West Side Story

Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Arthur Laurents

 

A modern-day retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, this mega-hit musical blends ballet, opera, and musical theater. HGO previously mounted its current production, directed by Francesca Zambello, in 2018. The show was staged at the George R. Brown Convention Center, as flooding from Hurricane Harvey had temporarily shut down the Wortham. 

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HGO's 2018 production of West Side Story (photo credit: Lynn Lane)
1971: Mass: A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players, and Dancers

Libretto by Stephen Schwartz and Bernstein

 

Bernstein’s most innovative musictheater work combines a Catholic mass service with a Broadway-style revue. Interspersed between the Latin texts are original lyrics by Bernstein and Schwartz (the creator of Wicked) that address the difficulties of maintaining faith in the modern age.

1976: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner


Lerner’s book traces a century of the American presidency as seen through the eyes of a fictional family of Black servants who work at the White House. The musical was a legendary flop that ran on Broadway for only seven performances.

1983: A Quiet Place

Libretto by Stephen Wadsworth

 

Wadsworth, who staged this season’s production of Il trovatore, joined forces with Bernstein to create this HGO world premiere, a sequel to Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti.

 

For more on Bernstein’s time in Houston during this period, check out Opera Cues or click here!

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Sheri Greenawald (Dede) and Peter Kazaras (François) in the 1983 HGO world premiere of Bernstein's A Quiet Place
about the author
Joe Cadagin
Joe Cadagin is the Audience Education and Communications Manager at Houston Grand Opera.