On Sondheim: An Opinionated Guide - Plot & Excerpts
Book: Arthur Laurents.Original Leads: Lee Remick, Angela Lansbury, Harry Guardino. Director: Arthur Laurents.Billed variously as “a wild new musical,” “a musical fable” (like the authors’ Gypsy), and simply as “a new musical,” Anyone Can Whistle was originally to be called The Natives Are Restless, the title of its (later cut) opening number. The natives inhabit an impoverished town ruled by a venal Mayoress and her three officials. When a fake “miracle” rock gushes saintly water, attracting pilgrims, the town stands to become profitable—but at this point the plot veers into that of a different show altogether. In this new storyline, the inmates of the Cookie Jar—the local insane asylum—mingle with the pilgrims and must be identified and isolated. Why? Because. But they aren’t insane. They’re nonconformists.That’s why they were locked up: individuals are dangerous to repressive regimes. But now their rebellious Nurse has taken charge of the storyline. She’s not a Cookie, but she doesn’t Fit In any more than her charges do.
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