Darling of the Day

Darling of the Day
Original Cast Recording
Music	Jule Styne
Lyrics	E.Y. Harburg
Book	Nunnally Johnson
Basis	Novel Buried Alive by Arnold Bennett
Productions	1968 Broadway 2005 Illinois

Darling of the Day is a musical with a book by Nunnally Johnson, lyrics by E.Y. Harburg, and music by Jule Styne. It is based on Arnold Bennett's novel Buried Alive and his play The Great Adventure. The show closed after only 31 performances on Broadway in 1968.

Despite a score still admired by many critics, the show's pre-Broadway run was plagued by difficulties, with three directors and five librettists attempting to resolve perceived problems.

The show marked Vincent Price's first appearance on Broadway since 1954. It was budgeted at $500,000, $150,000 of which came from a record sale to RCA.

The musical finally reached New York City where, following three previews, it opened on January 27, 1968 at the George Abbott Theatre and closed after only 31 performances. Choreography was by Lee Theodore, staging by Noel Willman, scenic design by Oliver Smith, costumes by Raoul Pene Du Bois, and lighting by Peggy Clark. Johnson, upset with all the changes, demanded his name be removed from the credits. The musical starred Vincent Price (in his first and only Broadway musical) as Priam Farll and Patricia Routledge as Alice Challice. Also featured were Brenda Forbes, Peter Woodthorpe, and Teddy Green. Routledge won the 1968 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Reviews were mixed. The show was Price's first singing role since the 1940 film The House of Seven Gables. Price had once been a member of the Yale Glee Club and proved to have an adequate singing voice. Harburg and Styne considered the piece their best work.