BABY

A Musical in 2 Acts, 24 Scenes. Book by Sybille Pearson. Based on a story developed with Susan Yankowitz. Music by David Shire. Lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr.

Opened Ethel Barrymore Theatre 4 December, 1983 - Run 241 Performances

Original Production Credits:

Directed by Richard Maltby, Jr. Musical staging by Wayne Cilento. Scenery by John Lee Beatty. Costumes by Jennifer von Mayrhauser. Lighting by Pat Collins. Film design by John Pieplow. Film sequences by Lennart Nilsson, Bo G. Erikson, Carl 0. Lofman, Swedish Television. Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick. Music direction, Peter Howard. Sound design by Jack Mann. Sound Textures, Electronic programming by Dan Wyman. Associate producers, Ronald Licht, Robert A. Stewart, J. C. Associates, Elaine Yaker, Karen Howard, Lillian Steinberg. Produced by James B. Freydberg, Ivan Bloch, Kenneth-John Productions (Kenneth D. Greenblatt, John J. Pomerantz), Suzanne J. Schwartz in association with Manuscript Productions.

The Story:

The story is set on a college campus and takes place over a period of nine months, spanning the seasons from March to November. Danny and Lizzie, both 20, are students studying music. They share a basement flat and are close to graduating. Alan (48) who is a dean of the college, and his wife Arlene (43) are returning from holiday. Pam and her husband Nick - both 30 - are sport coaches. All three women have good reason to believe that they are accidentally pregnant, and each couple feels on the verge of great changes.

Given their situation, Lizzie and Danny are a little apprehensive about the future, although Lizzie does not see a baby as reason enough to marry. Alan and Arlene reflect on their own situation with three children who have already flown the nest. They give themselves a week to decide whether or not to go through with the pregnancy. Pam and Nick are simply overjoyed and all over each other.

The three women meet in the doctor's waiting room, reconciling their broodiness with their other ambitions. Meanwhile, Danny and Nick meet to express their doubts and reinforce their certainties. With great confusion and anguish, Pam finds that she is not pregnant at all. and that Nick may be virtually sterile. The doctor recommends a guidebook on bedroom practices,

The three men meet at a ball game. Danny says he is to join a punk band called the Magnets in order to earn some money for the unexpected arrival. All look forward to the sacrifices they will make.

Nick and Pam begin to use their guidebook and Alan and Arlene decide to have the baby. Danny is to tour with the band for several months and Lizzie bids goodbye to him at the bus station. Danny symbolically 'weds' her with an old ring before he leaves.

Time passes for Lizzie and, left by herself one day she feels her baby move for the first time.

By mid August, Lizzie is heavily pregnant and finds herself stopped by other women telling her their own birth experiences. Danny at last returns. They are delighted to discover that they now both want to get married.

Nick and Pam finally give up on the guidebook which has made their lovemaking a misery. Nick suggests maybe she should find a man who can guarantee to make her pregnant but they both know that what they have together is too precious to sacrifice. Arlene and Alan come to see that her 'accidental' pregnancy was actually something they had both wanted, because their love had become predictable. Realising their new potential, the experiences of all three of the couples are inter-played as Lizzie finally gives birth to her baby at the hospital.

ORIGINAL CAST (in order of appearance):

Lizzie Fields: LIZ CALLAWAY.
Danny Hooper: TODD GRAFF.
Arlene MacNally: BETH FOWLER.
Alan MacNally: JAMES CONGDON.
Pam Sakarian: CATHERINE COX.
Nick Sakarian: MARTIN VIDNOVIC.
Nurse: Barbara Gilbert.
Doctor: John Jellison.
Mr. Weiss: Philip Hoffman.
Dean Webber: Dennis Warning.
Mr. Hart: Dennis Warning.
Intern: Lon Hoyt.
First Woman: Judith Thiergaard.
Second Woman: Lisa Robinson.
Third Woman: Kirsti Carnahan.
Fourth Woman: Barbara Gilbert.
Fifth Woman: Judith Thiergaard.
Sixth Woman: Kim Criswell.

People in the Town: Kirsti Carnahan, Kim Criswell, Barbara Gilbert, Philip Hoffman, Lon Hoyt, John Jellison, Lisa Robinson, Judith Thiergaard, Dennis Warning. Swings: Judith Bliss, Michael Waldron.

Scenes and Settings:

The action takes place at the present time from March until November.

Act 1

Scene 1: A College Town. March to early April.
Scene 2: Danny and Lizzie's Apartment. Early April.
Scene 3: Alan and Arlene's Bedroom.
Scene 4: Nick and Pam's Bedroom.
Scene 5: A Doctor's Witing Room. Mid-April.
Scene 6: The Track.
Scene 7: On the Campus.
Scene 8: A Doctor's Office. Early May.
Scene 9: A Baseball Field.
Scene 10: Alan and Arlene's Bedroom.
Scene 11: A Bus Station. Mid-May.
Scene 12: Alan and Arlene's House.
Scene 13: Nick and Pam's Bedroom.
Scene 14: Graduation. Early June.
Scene 15: Danny and Lizzie's Apartment. Mid-July.

Act 2

Scene 1: The Town. Late August.
Scene 2: A Doctor's Office. Early September.
Scene 3: On the Campus.
Scene 4: Nick and Pam's Bedroom.
Scene 5: Alan and Arlene's Porch.
Scene 6: Danny and Lizzie's Apartment. Mid-September.
Scene 7: Nick and Pam's Bedroom. Mid-October.
Scene 8: Alan and Arlene's Porch.
Scene 9: All Three Bedrooms. Mid-November.

Musical Numbers:

ACT 1

1. We Start Today - Danny, Lizzie, Alan, Arlene, Nick, Pam, People in the Town
   
2. What Could Be Better? - Danny, Lizzie
   
3. The Plaza Song - Alan, Arlene
   
4. Baby, Baby, Baby - Nick, Pam, Alan, Arlene, Danny, Lizzie
   
5. I Want It All - Pam, Lizzie, Arlene
   
6. At Night She Comes Home to Me -
   
7. Patterns - Arlene
   
8. What Could Be Better? (reprise) - Danny, Lizzie
   
9. Fatherhood Blues - Danny, Alan, Nick, Mr. Weiss, Dean
   
10. Romance - Nick, Pam
    
11. I Chose Right - Danny
    
12. We Start Today (reprise) - Ensemble
    
13. The Story Goes On - Lizzie

ACT 2

1. The Ladies Singin' Their Song - Lizzie, the Women in the Town
   
2. Baby, Baby, Baby (reprise) - Arlene
   
3. Romance (reprise) - Nick, Pam
   
4. Easier to Love - Alan
   
5. Two People in Love - Danny, Lizzie
   
6. With You - Nick, Pam
   
7. And What If We Had Loved Like That - Alan, Arlene
   
8. We Start Today (reprise) - Danny, Lizzie, Nick, Pam, Alan, Arlene
   
9. The Story Goes On (reprise) - Company