Carnival (musical)

Carnival!
Original Broadway Cast Album
Music	Bob Merrill
Lyrics	Bob Merrill
Book	Michael Stewart
Basis	The film Lili (1953)
Productions	1961 Broadway 1961 First US National Tour 1962 Second US National Tour 1962 Sydney 1963 West End 2002 Encores! 2007 Kennedy Center

Carnival! is a musical, originally produced by David Merrick on Broadway in 1961, with the book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Bob Merrill. The musical is based on the 1953 film Lili. The show's title originally used an exclamation point; it was eventually dropped during the show's run, as director Gower Champion felt it gave the wrong impression, saying, "It's not a blockbuster. It's a gentle show."

In December 1958 producer David Merrick announced his intent to produce a stage musical based on the 1953 film Lili, a concept suggested to Merrick by that film's screenwriter Helen Deutsch. Originally Deutsch was to write the musical's book while the score was assigned to Gérard Calvi, a French composer - Lili was set in France - who authored the revue La Plume de Ma Tante which Merrick produced on Broadway. Calvi's lack of expertise with English lyrics would result in his dropping out of the Lili musical; on Deutsch's recommendation Merrick hired Bob Merrill to write the score.

After seeing the musical Bye Bye Birdie which opened on Broadway in April 1960, Merrick recruited the production's stage director/choreographer Gower Champion to act in those capacities for the Lili musical. Helen Deutsch would soon be dropped from Merrick's project, as Merrick was finding the drafts she was submitting unworkable for the stage. Feeling he could get the desired result more expediently working with a writer with stage musical experience, Merrick recruited Bye Bye Birdie writer Michael Stewart in September 1960, the invitation being made through Gower Champion. (In its final form Carnival would credit its book to "Michael Stewart based on material by Helen Deutsch".) A month after Stewart submitted his first draft for Carnival! - as the Lili musical project was entitled by November 1960 - the writer was fired by Merrick; however he was rehired thirty-six hours later. Magician Roy Benson was the magical adviser teaching Marco the magic used in the show.