Coco
Music	André Previn
Lyrics	Alan Jay Lerner
Book	Alan Jay Lerner
Based upon	The life of Coco Chanel
Productions	1969 Broadway

Coco is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by André Previn. It starred Katherine Hepburn in her only stage musical. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... André Previn (born April 6, 1929)¹ is a prominent pianist, orchestral conductor, and composer. ... Alan Jay Lerner (August 31, 1918 – June 14, 1986) was an American Broadway lyricist and librettist. ... Alan Jay Lerner (August 31, 1918 – June 14, 1986) was an American Broadway lyricist and librettist. ... Gabrielle Bonheur Coco Chanel (August 19, 1883 – January 10, 1971)[1] was a pioneering French fashion designer whose modernist philosophy, menswear-inspired fashions, and pursuit of expensive simplicity made her arguably the most important figure in the history of 20th-century fashion. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... For other uses of Broadway, see Broadway. ... The Black Crook (1866), considered by some historians to be the first musical[1] Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. ... In musical theater, a plays spoken lines are known as its book. ... Alan Jay Lerner (August 31, 1918 – June 14, 1986) was an American Broadway lyricist and librettist. ... André Previn (born April 6, 1929)¹ is a prominent pianist, orchestral conductor, and composer. ...

Background

Theatre producer Frederick Brisson originally had optioned Chanel's life for his wife Rosalind Russell, but with acute arthritis making it difficult for her to function, another leading lady with star quality needed to be found. Irene Selznick suggested Katharine Hepburn, who initially scoffed at the idea of appearing in a musical but agreed to work with former MGM vocal coach Roger Edens for ten days. Following an audition in Selznick's suite at The Pierre Hotel, Hepburn felt comfortable enough to mull seriously the proposition, and was further convinced to accept the offer after meeting Chanel. A theatrical producer is a type of producer who oversees the staging of theatre productions. ... Rosalind Russell (June 4, 1907 – November 28, 1976) was a four-time Academy Award nominated and Tony Award winning American film and stage actress, perhaps best known for her role as a fast-talking newspaper reporter in the Howard Hawks screwball comedy His Girl Friday. ... Arthritis (from Greek arthro-, joint + -itis, inflammation; plural: arthritides) is a group of conditions where there is damage caused to the joints of the body. ... Irene Mayer Selznick (April 2, 1907 - October 10, 1990) was an American theatrical producer. ... Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an iconic American actress of film, television and stage. ... MGM logo Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer or MGM, is a large media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of cinema and television programs. ... Roger Edens (9 November 1905, Hillsboro, Texas - 13 July 1970, Hollywood) was a Hollywood composer, arranger and associate producer, and is considered one of the major creative figures in Arthur Freeds musical film production unit at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during the golden era of Hollywood. // Edenss parents were... The Pierre Hotel is a 41-storey luxury hotel located on Fifth Avenue and 61st Street, bordering the east side of Central Park, New York City. ...

Lerner had assured the designer his book would cover only the early years of her life and career, and she was distressed when the plan was jettisoned to accommodate the older star. The highly fictionalized book and score underwent massive revisions and were far from complete when Hepburn concluded filming on The Madwoman of Chaillot, at which time she was scheduled to begin work on the show, and Coco was postponed a season while its creators worked on it. The Madwoman of Chaillot is a 1969 satirical comedy-drama film made by Commonwealth United Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros-Seven Arts. ...

Coco Playbill

The six-week rehearsal period finally began in September 1969. Cecil Beaton's set proved to be a complicated piece of machinery that frequently malfunctioned and was difficult for the cast to maneuver, and the final scene required a troublesome coordination of mirrors, platforms, runways, and flashing lights. Hepburn insisted the theater's thermostat be set at 60 degrees and the exterior doors left open, and most of the cast became ill due to the unusually cold fall weather. The star resisted efforts to tone down her dominant personality and become more like the quietly elegant woman she was portraying, and peppered her dialogue with ad libbed profanities that shocked Chanel when she later heard about them, and she not only refused to attend the opening night, but never did see the show. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The cover of the Playbill issue about The Producers. ... Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton (January 14, 1904 – January 18, 1980) was an English fashion and portrait photographer and a stage and costume designer for films and the theatre. ... See AdLib for the computer sound card manufacturer. ...

Production

After 40 previews, the Broadway production opened on December 18, 1969 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre, where it ran for 329 performances. Directed by Michael Benthall and choreographed by Michael Bennett, the cast included René Auberjonois, George Rose, David Holliday, Bob Avian, Jon Cypher, Suzanne Rogers, Graciela Daniele, and Ann Reinking. Danielle Darrieux replaced Hepburn eight months into the run, but without the drawing power of a major star the poorly-reviewed show closed two months later. For other uses of Broadway, see Broadway. ... is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... The Mark Hellinger Theatre, at 1655 Broadway and 237 West 51st Street in New York City, was built in 1930 and operated as a theatre (under various names) until 1989. ... Choreography (also known as dance composition) is the art of making structures in which movement occurs, the term composition may also refer to the navigation or connection of these movement structures. ... Bennett on the cover of his 1990 biography by Kevin Kelly Michael Bennett (April 8, 1943 - July 2, 1987) was a Tony Award-winning American musical theater director, writer, choreographer, and dancer. ... For the Swiss painter, see René Auberjonois. ... George Rose (19 February 1920 - 5 May 1988) was a noted British music hall star. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Bob Avian is a Tony Award-winning American choreographer and a theatre producer and director. ... Jon Cypher is an American actor born in New York City, January 13, 1932. ... Suzanne Rogers Suzanne Rogers (born Suzanne Crumpler on July 9, 1944 in Colonial Heights, Virginia) is an Emmy Award-winning American actress. ... Graciela Daniele (born December 8, 1939) is a dancer, choreographer, and theatre director. ... Ann Reinking (born November 10, 1949 in Seattle, Washington) is an American actress and dancer, most famous for her association with choreographer Bob Fosse. ... Danielle Darrieux Danielle Yvonne Marie Antoinette Darrieux (born May 1, 1917 in Bordeaux, France) is a French singer and actress. ...

Hepburn was scheduled to star in a West End production, but when the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane proved to be unavailable she refused to consider other venues and the project was abandoned. She headed the cast of the US national tour, which opened in Cleveland on January 11, 1972, the day after Chanel's death, which the star acknowledged at the final curtain call. She continued with the tour through June, when it ended at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. Although reviews in most cities were mediocre, it played to sold-out houses everywhere. Despite its financial success, executives at Paramount Pictures, which had financed the original Broadway production - at $900,000, the most expensive show in Broadway history at the time - in exchange for the cast album and film rights, opted not to transfer Coco to the big screen. West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre in London, England, or sometimes more specifically for shows staged in the large theatres of Londons Theatreland. Along with New Yorks Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre... Currently home to Lord Of The Rings, the musical. ... Cleveland redirects here. ... is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ahmanson Theatre The Ahmanson Theatre is one of the four main venues that comprise the Los Angeles Music Center. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and distribution company, based in Hollywood, California. ... A cast recording or original cast recording is a recording of a musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. ... This article is about motion pictures. ...

Plot summary

Set between early autumn of 1953 and late spring of 1954, fashion designer Coco Chanel, after fifteen years of retirement, decides to return to the world of haute couture and reopen her Paris salon. With her new collection derided by the critics, she faces bankruptcy until buyers from four major American department stores - Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale's, Best & Company, and Ohrbach's - place orders with her. She becomes involved with the love life of one of her models, and flashbacks utilizing filmed sequences recall her own past romantic flings. Adding humor to the proceedings is a highly stereotypical bitchy gay designer who tries to impede Chanel's success. The finale is a fashion show featuring actual Chanel designs from 1918 to 1959. Gabrielle Bonheur Coco Chanel (August 19, 1883 – January 10, 1971)[1] was a pioneering French fashion designer whose modernist philosophy, menswear-inspired fashions, and pursuit of expensive simplicity made her arguably the most important figure in the history of 20th-century fashion. ... Haute couture (French for high sewing or high dressmaking; IPA: ) refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted fashions. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... Notice of closure stuck on the door of a computer store the day after its parent company, Granville Technology Group Ltd, declared bankruptcy (strictly, put into administration—see text) in the United Kingdom. ... The interior of a typical Macys department store. ... Saks Fifth Avenue is a chain of upscale American department stores that is owned and operated by Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises (SFAE), a subsidiary of Saks Incorporated. ... Bloomingdales is a chain of upscale American department stores owned by Macys, Inc. ... For the Richmond, Virginia based catalog store see Best Products, and the clothing store with the same name see Best & Co. ... Ohrbachs was a low-priced clothing chain, with its flagship store located at Union Square in New York City. ... For other uses, see Stereotype (disambiguation). ... GAY can mean: Gay, a term referring to homosexual men or women The IATA code for Gaya Airport Category: ...

Song list

Awards and nominations

• Tony Award for Best Musical (nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (Hepburn, nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Auberjonois, winner; Rose, nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Costume Design (Cecil Beaton, winner)
• Tony Award for Best Choreography (nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (nominee)
• Theatre World Award (Holliday, winner)

What is popularly called the Tony Award (formally, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award celebrating achievements in live American theater, including musical theater, primarily honoring productions on Broadway in New York. ... The Theatre World Award is an American honor given annually to an actor or an actress in recognition of an outstanding breakout performance in their New York City stage debut. ...

References

• A Remarkable Woman: A Biography of Katharine Hepburn by Anne Edwards, published by William Morrow and Company (1985), pages 357-372 (ISBN 0-688-04528-6)

Wiliam Morrow and Company is an American publishing company founded by William Morrow in 1926. ...

External links

• Internet Broadway Database listing