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The Golden Apple

Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy  /  4w, 4m

Music Composed by Jerome Moross
Written by John Latouche

A musical retelling of Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey set in Washington state at the turn of the 20th century, this classic American musical, which features the jazz standard "Lazy Afternoon," has earned an avid cult following,

The Golden Apple

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    4w, 4m
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptation (Literature), Fable/Folktale
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for All Audiences
Accolades
Accolades
  • Winner! 1954 Theatre World Award (Jonathan Lucas)
The Golden Apple

Details

Summary
In Washington state at the turn of the 20th century, the small town of Angel’s Roost is thrown into confusion when old Menelaus’s capricious wife Helen runs off with a traveling salesman named Paris, who was in town to judge an apple pie bake-off. Restless Ulysses, just returned from the Spanish-American War, sets off to retrieve Helen, leaving his wife Penelope for a ten-year adventure. The operetta's rousing score includes the jazz standard "Lazy Afternoon."
History
The Golden Apple premiered off-Broadway at the Phoenix Theatre on March 11, 1954, starring Priscilla Gillette, Kaye Ballard, Stephen Douglass and Jack Whiting. On April 20, 1954, the show opened on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre, where it played for 125 performances.
Keywords
Performing Groups
  • Time Period 1900-1910
  • Setting The town of Angel's Roost in Washington state, between 1900 and 1910.
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)

Media

“A work of astonishing breadth and beauty.” – The New York Times

“Oh, the music: 135 glorious minutes of it, unsullied by dialogue. Moross, best known for his film scores to westerns including The Big Country, was a member of Aaron Copland’s coterie and brings the familiar sound we call American, with its modal harmonies and widely spaced voicings, to a work of astonishing breadth and beauty.” – Jesse Green, The New York Times

“The score is delightful, a veritable catalogue of mid-twentieth century American music — Copland-like orchestral, operetta, jazz, ragtime, vaudeville, country and get-down blues.” – Jonathan Mandell, New York Theater

“While the show certainly has its serious, deeply moving sections, most of them involving the relationship of the faithful Penelope and the wandering Ulysses, overall it's notable for the creators' wonderfully light touch... The quality and range of the music in The Golden Apple is astounding, the lyrics true genius.” – Michael Portantiere, Talkin' Broadway

Music

Music Samples

  • Musical Style Operetta
  • Dance Requirements Easy
  • Vocal DemandsDifficult
  • Orchestra Size Large
  • Chorus Size Large

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

Music Rentals

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Authors

John Latouche

John Latouche

John Treville Latouche (1914-1956) grew up in poverty in Richmond, VA and moved to New York City in 1932. He attended, on scholarship, first the Riverdale Country School and then Columbia University, where he wrote the book, lyrics and some of the music for the Varsity Show o ...

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Jerome Moross

Jerome Moross

Jerome Moross (1913-1983). Moross' career encompasses three spheres; Broadway, Hollywood and the concert hall. He is best known to some audiences as the composer of the Academy Award-nominated score for William Wyler’s epic western, The Big Country (1958). An innovative score ...

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