Photo of Jacki Florin, Joe Stein and Elisa Stein by Brad Balfour
All About Joe Stein
Written by Corine Cohen
Page 1 of 4All About Us
Through April 28
Westport Playhouse
25 Powers Court
Westport, Connecticut
www.westportplayhouse.org
Joe Stein began his decades-long career in the theater through Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows."
Stein wrote the book for the classic musical "Fiddler on the Roof," winning a Tony and a Drama Circle Critics Award.Though Joe Stein may be 93 (he was born on May 30th, 1912), he hasn't stopped working since he started on Broadway in the late 1940's. When he did his first shows such as "Mrs. Gibbons' Boys" (written by Stein) and "Lend an Ear" (a revue where he wrote some sketches), Broadway was a very different place. But Stein has survived —and thrived working with the best and creating the book to some of the finest shows on Broadway.
Stein was the librettist for such hit musicals such as "Fiddler on the Roof" (music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick), "Zorba" (lyrics by Fred Ebb; music by John Kander), and "Rags" (music by Charles Strouse; lyrics by Stephen Schwartz). He's been nominated for and won Tony and Drama Critics Circle Awards and has enjoyed the best of Broadway performing his shows.
A Jewish-American playwright, Stein began his career as a social worker, writing comedy on the side until a chance encounter led him to Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows," where he joined the writing team that included Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, Carl Reiner, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart, Mel Tolkin, and Aaron Ruben. Stein went on to write a musical about Pennsylvania: Stein, with writing partner, Will Glickman, found himself drawn to the Amish community of Lancaster County and returned to New York to write his first notable show, "Plain and Fancy."
Recently Stein saw his handy work with the show "Rags," (though short-lived on Broadway with only 22 performances, it received five Tony nominations) turned into a concert for World AIDS Day earlier this year.
When I interviewed Stein, his wife Elisa Loti Stein and producer Jacki Florin at the Vico Restaurant on the Upper East Side, it was on the heels of rehearsing his latest show, "All About Us," with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb; based on the play "The Skin of Our Teeth" by Thorton Wilder. We talked about his prestigious theatrical past and hopeful future.
Corine Cohen: Recently your show "Rags" was done as a concert. What did you think of the production of "Rags," the concert?
Joe Stein: Over all I thought, considering the fact that, they had such limited time in preparing for it, I thought it was quite good! The audience reaction was very good. And, as a matter of fact, that’s one of the beauties of the theatre. We've learned certain things. We're making certain changes as a result of that showing. Even after all these years, we can keep changing things because it's a theatre. It's not film or a novel where once it's done, it's finished. I really liked it. I've always liked that show.
CC: if you could only pick one of your shows, what is your favorite?
JS: Well, I'll tell you. The favorite right now is the one I'm working on. That's the truth. I really love this show. I always like the show I'm working on anyway. We've been working on it for a long time. We were never discouraged. We always thought it was a gem.
Elisa Loti Stein [Joe's wife]: What's the name of the show?
JS: Listen, you don't have to cue me honey, because I was getting to it. The name of it is "All About Us."
CC: Originally it had a different name, why did they change the name?
JS: It was changed because…We've had several names. We subsequently decided to use the name of the original play, "The Skin of Our Teeth, a Musical." But first of all, it was rather a clumsy name. And secondly, I think it would be confused with the play. This is not the play. This is the musical! "All About Us". It is about the survival of the human race, in very personal pairings.
CC: What's it like working on the show; what's the behind the scenes experience like?
JS: Well, when we were in pre-production it means that the script is basically done. But we're making tiny little changes, adjust things to the needs of set, the needs of the choreographer.
CC: Who's the choreographer?
Jacki Florin [the producer]: Chris Gattelli.
CC: Oh I love him. He's fantastic! He did "I Love You Because" and a few other shows off Broadway and is currently working on "Adrift In Macao."
JF: Also he did "Altar Boys."
JS: The thing that's special about Chris is he's awfully inventive. Never the same. And we need that kind of quality for the show. This is a show that goes all over the place. It's a show that I hope is very funny. I hope very serious. I hope very touching. And I hope very exciting. I mean, it's all of those things.
CC: I love Eartha Kitt; what character does she play?
JS: Eartha plays the fortune teller. She's done the part several times really and she always stops the show.
CC: She always does. She steals every show; she's perfect, or should I say, purrrrfect!
JS: Yeah, she has basically one major number, "Rain." A vital number. It was not written for her, but it sounds like it was.
CC: "Rain?" How does that go?
JS: I'm not going to sing it.
CC: Can you please?
JS: I'm not, I'm not Eartha Kitt.
CC: I'm joking.
JF: It's a movie number. Exciting, but it's also funny.
JS: I'm very happy with the company. We couldn't have a better company. We really couldn't. The guy we wanted for the lead which I kind of dreamed about we got. His name is Shu.
CC: Shuler Hensley? He's incredible. I saw him in "Oklahoma." He's one of the best singers I've ever heard. When I saw him in "Oklahoma," I was just moved by his performance. He won a Drama Desk Award.
JS: He also won a Tony. It's not only that he is a good singer. He has a great quality that he moves you enormously. He's a wonderful actor, and this is a very special kind of part that really very few people can play perfectly. And he can.
CC: And, he's right now starring in "Tarzan." He's wonderful in "Tarzan." Did he leave Tarzan and is working on this now?
JF: I don't know. I think he's still doing "Tarzan." He also happens to be a sweet guy too, for whatever that counts. When he came on, everyone was wowed. The entire cast and design team are really committed and excited.
JS: Yes, that's right. When I saw Shu, I thought, "God if we could get him to do it," and we got him. And the girl that we have to play Sabina, is like made or written for the part. That's Cade, Cady Huffman.
CC: Cady Huffman from "The Producers."
JS: Well she's going to be in "All About Us."
CC: So she's the lead. They are the two leads?
JS: Well, those are two of them, the leads. There are like, I would say, four leads or five.
JF: Because the family is four. And, five would make it with Sabina, the maid. And, then you have Eartha, the fortune teller who would be six. Then, you have these four wonderful wise men. So, it grows to almost 10. Almost everyone is really important and special!
JS: Also, we have those three beauty parlor, beauty contestants. And that's the cast.
CC: When is the first preview? And how long does it run in Westport before it transfers to Broadway?
JF: April 10th. And it will run for three weeks
CC: What will it take to bring it to Broadway?
JF: I think the audience is what will make the difference. I think that we can never predict. The show's spectacular but nobody has seen
it.
CC: Right. I've never have seen it.
JF: Nobody has. And this is a bit of a challenging show, but now it's accessible because Joe's book made it very accessible, and the music certainly helped. And, I don't think you could describe it. It's not easy to describe. I think when people see it in Westport, it will translate easily.
Continue to part 2-4 by scrolling to the top of this blog.
