Revival Review: "I Can Get It For You Wholesale"
October 2005
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In the fall of
1961, a young Barbra Streisand arrived at the Majestic Theatre
on Broadway to audition for a bit part in a new musical called
"I Can Get It For You Wholesale." The role of Miss Marmelstein
was originally penned as an obscure character in the show.
Barbra's initial audition was so successful, lyricist Harold
Rome and director Arthur Laurents called her back four more
times. Having won the role of Miss Marmelstein, the creative
team wisely decided to expand the part by creating two numbers
for Barbra to sing - "What Are They Doing To Us Now," and the
showstopper which launched Barbra's Broadway career, and the
most memorable number in the show, "Miss Marmelstein."
In the fall of
2005, "I Can Get It For You Wholesale" was revived by the York
Theatre Company, only the second such New York staging since
the original 1962 production. It was a limited off-Broadway
engagement of five performances on October 21 - 23, 2005. The
musical was performed at Saint Peter's Theatre at Citicorp
Center in Midtown Manhattan.
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Miss Marmelstein, Sans Wheels |
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(October 22,
2005) - One of the drawbacks of listening to a cast
album without ever having seen the actual performance is a
lack of context. As one who is thoroughly familiar with the
Harold Rome score, the chance to see I Can Get It For You
Wholesale on a legitimate New York stage for the first
time was an opportunity I just couldn't pass up. The York
Theatre Company's revival brought all the pieces together
through a nicely staged production. Though most of the songs
are forgettable, and the subject matter somewhat tedious,
the revival served its purpose as a historic reference. It
offered up a glimpse into how Barbra Streisand's original
Marmelstein might have been performed and staged back in
1962. |
The two Miss
Marmelsteins,
Anne Torsiglieri and Barbra.
No comparison. |
The musical is
an extremely dark story about a cutthroat cad named Harry Bogin
whose self-made success in the garment trade is ultimately
destroyed by his overzealous greed, lack of common morals and an
eerie relationship with his mother that borders on the
incestuous. In this revival, Harry is played by Josh Prince who
has appeared on Broadway and in LA in Little Me, Saturday
Night Fever, and The Producers. Prince portrayed his
character with such clever cunning that instead of despising
him, you pitied Harry by the time the curtain came down. His
performance was spot on, as was the rest of the cast, most
notably Jana Robbins, who was wonderful as Harry's subtly
domineering mother.
But it was the
role of Miss Marmelstein that had me captivated with
anticipation. Anne Torsiglieri is a Broadway veteran whom I have
seen on stage before. How would her Miss Marmelstein measure up?
She was delightful and played the role to the hilt, almost as if
she were trying to copy the Streisand interpretation. That is,
in every scene but the one that mattered most. Her rendition of
Miss Marmelstein was a huge misstep. The song was not
performed in a secretary's chair and the vocal was a mix of
spoken dialogue with just a few sprinkles of the familiar
melody. The show's most anticipated performance was a
disappointing dud and lacked the comic edge that turned Barbra's
original into an instant classic. It was clear that Torsiglieri
was consciously trying not to replicate Streisand's
performance for this specific number, and for that I'll hand her
a few respectful kudos. But for this brief revival, they should
have just stayed with the tried and true classic rendition. At
the very least, the staging of Miss Marmelstein should
have been the the way Herb Ross (and Barbra) originally
choreographed it in 1962.
During the cast and audience discussion that followed the
performance, Torsiglieri was asked what is was like to be
playing one of the most famous Streisand roles of all time. Her
reply was a simple "oy vey."
My sentiments exactly.
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