Here's Where I Belong

Here's Where I Belong is a musical with a book by Alex Gordon[lower-alpha 1] and Terrence McNally, lyrics by Alfred Uhry, and music by Robert Waldman. The musical closed after one performance on Broadway.

Here's Where I Belong
Music	Robert Waldman
Lyrics	Alfred Uhry
Book	Alex Gordon Terrence McNally
Basis	John Steinbeck's novel East of Eden
Productions	1968 Broadway

Background

Based on John Steinbeck's novel East of Eden, the allegorical tale centers on the Trasks and the Hamiltons, two families drawn to the rich farmlands of Salinas, California, in the early 20th century. While Steinbeck traced the two clans through three generations, the musical limits the action to the period between 1915 and 1917 and focuses primarily on the Cain and Abel aspects of the work.

Production

McNally asked that his name be removed from the credits prior to opening night.[1] The official opening on Broadway was postponed from February 20, 1968, to March 2, 1968, to allow time for rewrites to the book.[2]

The musical premiered on Broadway at the Billy Rose Theatre on March 3, 1968, and closed after one performance and twenty previews.[1] Directed by Michael Kahn and choreographed by Tony Mordente, the cast included Paul Rogers as Adam Trask, Walter McGinn as Caleb Trask, Ken Kercheval as Aron Trask, James Coco as Lee, Graciela Daniele as Faith, and Heather MacRae as Abra Bacon. The scenery was by Ming Cho Lee, costumes by Ruth Morley, and lighting by Jules Fisher.[3]

The play was picketed by the newly formed Oriental Actors of America, a group of Asian American stage actors, as a protest against the practice of casting white actors in yellowface makeup to portray East Asian characters (usually Chinese or Japanese). The role of "Lee", the Trask family's Chinese cook, had been assigned to white actor (and future Academy Award nominee) James Coco. Variety would mention the picketing in its review of the failed musical and note, "On the basis of the show, they had a point." [4]

Clive Barnes, in his review in The New York Times, questioned whether the book (East of Eden) could be a viable musical as it was "too serious", but praised the sets by Ming Cho Lee and wrote that Paul Rogers had a "strong singing voice" and was dignified.[3]

The play was profiled in the William Goldman book The Season: A Candid Look at Broadway.

Song list

Act I We Are What We Are Cal Gets By Raising Cain Soft Is the Sparrow Where Have I Been No Time Progress Good Boy Ballet Act Like a Lady The Send-Off Top of the Train Waking Up Sun

Act II Pulverize the Kaiser Where Have I Been (Reprise) Good Boy (Reprise) You're Momma's Here's Where I Belong We're a Home

Recordings

• "We're A Home" was recorded by The Ray Conniff Singers in 1967 and released as a single (Columbia 4-44422). The recording was reissued in stereo on a Ray Conniff compilation CD "The Singles Collection, Vol. 1" (Collectables 7697) in 2005.
• "Here is Where I Belong" was recorded by Al Caiola and released as a single in 1968 (United Artists 50252). It was also recorded by Ferrante & Teicher and released as a single in 1968 (United Artists 50259). Both were instrumental versions.[5]

Notes

1. Alex Gordon was a nom de plume of the novelist Gordon Cotler.[1]

References

1. Mandelbaum, Ken. Here's Where I Belong Not Since Carrie:Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops, Macmillan, 1992, ISBN 1466843276, pp. 160-161
2. "Librettist Disowns Work on Musical", The New York Times, February 9, 1968, p. 52
3. Barnes, Clive. "The Theater. 'Here's Where I Belong'", The New York Times, March 4, 1968, p. 32
4. Esther Kim Lee, A History of Asian American Theatre (Cambridge University Press, 2006) p29
5. Global Dog Productions. "45 Discography for United Artists Records 50000 series". Retrieved 13 November 2018.

External links

• Internet Broadway Database