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110 In The Shade

110 in the Shade
110 In the Shade CD Cover.jpg
Original cast recording cover
Music Harvey Schmidt
Lyrics Tom Jones
Book N. Richard Nash
Basis The Rainmaker by N. Richard Nash
Productions 1963 Broadway
1967 West End
1992 New York City Opera
1999 London concert
2007 Broadway revival

110 in the Shade is a musical with a book by N. Richard Nash, lyrics by Tom Jones, and music by Harvey Schmidt.

Based on Nash's 1954 play The Rainmaker, it focuses on Lizzie Curry, a spinster living on a ranch in the American southwest, and her relationships with local sheriff File, a cautious divorcé who fears being hurt again, and charismatic con man Bill Starbuck, posing as a rainmaker who promises the locals he can bring relief to the drought-stricken area. Nash's book is faithful to his original play, although all the interior scenes were moved outdoors to allow for the addition of townspeople for ensemble numbers and dances. Many of Jones' lyrics come directly from Nash's play.

Following the success of The Fantasticks, the project was the composing team's first for Broadway. The original score was almost operatic in scope, and when the show's running time in Boston proved to be too long, the creative team began trimming numbers, eventually discarding nearly as many as were heard in the finished product. After two previews, the production, directed by Joseph Anthony and choreographed by Agnes de Mille, opened on October 24, 1963, at the Broadhurst Theatre, where it ran for 330 performances. The cast included Robert Horton as Starbuck, Inga Swenson as Lizzie, and Stephen Douglass as File, with Will Geer, Lesley Ann Warren, and Gretchen Cryer in supporting roles. The sets were by Oliver Smith and costumes by Motley. The show received four Tony Award nominations but won none. RCA Victor released an original Broadway cast recording of this production on November 3, 1963, one recording in stereo; one in mono. Both recordings were identical; each having 16 tracks. RCA Victor also released the recording on Compact Disc on June 12, 1990, with one track--"Overture" not heard on the previous LP recordings.


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