Book by David Thompson, Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Music by John Kander/Based Upon the Novel
"Love is Just Around the Corner" by Lester Atwell
Originally adapted by George Abbott
Schoenberg Hall, UCLA
May 15 - 18, 1997
Produced and Directed by John Hall
Musical Direction by Gary Busby
Scenic Design by Robert Deman
Lighting Design by David Paul
Choreography by Carlos Jones
Flora, the Red Menace is the musical that John Kander and Fred Ebb wrote in 1965, just before they started on their award winning musical Cabaret. Flora lasted only eighty-seven performances on Broadway, but it captured the Tony for it's young star Liza Minnelli for her portrayal of Flora, the would-be fashion designer, who joins the Communist party to please her boyfriend.
The show has some wonderful numbers including "Sing Happy" and "A Quiet Thing" which is one of the composer's favorite songs. Flora, the Red Menace has long been a cult favorite for it's strong score and Kander and Ebb have revised the piece for a second look at one of their early endeavors for the American Musical stage.
Act One
New York City - 1935
Prologue
Scene One
"Opening/Graduation Song"
Company
Scene Two
Garret and Mellick's Department Store
"The Kid Herself"
Flora, Artists
Scene Three
The Street
Scene Four
The Studio
"All I Need is One Good Break"
Flora's Friends
"It's Not Every Day Of The Week"
Flora, Harry
Scene Five
The Park
"Sign Here"
Harry
Scene Six
The Studio
Scene Seven
“Mr. Stanley's Verse"
Mr. Stanley
"A Quiet Thing"
Flora
Scene Eight
Communist Party Meeting
"The Flame"
Charlotte, Communists
Scene Nine
The Studio
Reprise: "It's Not Every Day Of The Week"
Flora, Harry
Scene Ten
An elevator at Garret and Mellick's
Scene Eleven
The Studio
"Dear Love"
Flora, Company
Act Two
Scene One
The Studio
"Keepin' It Hot”
Kenny, Maggie
Scene Two
Harry's Room
"Express Yourself"
Charlotte
"Where Did Everybody Go?"
Harry, Flora, Charlotte
Scene Three
The Studio
Scene Four
The Studio, the next day
"You Are You"
Mr. Weiss, Elsa, Flora
Scene Five
The Street
"The Joke"
Harry, Company
Scene Six
Mr. Stanley's Office
Scene Seven
The Studio
"Sing Happy"
Flora
Flora Meszaros -
a young fashion illustrator
Teresa Marie Sanchez (May 15, 17)
Maria Eberline (May 16, 18)
Harry Toukarian -
a shy young artist
Tom Lenk (May 15, 17)
Adam Harrington (May 16, 18)
Charlotte -
a Communist Party zealot
Devon Kelly (May 15, 17)
Trisha Rapier (May 16, 18)
Willy and others -
a songwriter who plays the clarinet
Kelvin Yu (May15, 17)
Will Pellegrini (May 16, 18)
Mr. Weiss and others -
a jeweler and former Communist
Tom McMahon (May 15, 17)
Eric Martin (May 16, 18)
Elsa and others -
an aspiring dress designer
Karen Ann Daniels (May 15, 17)
Jill Simonian (May 16, 18)
Kenny and others -
a young dancer with ambition
Brian Bennitt
Maggie and others -
a transplanted Okie who loves to dance
Jenny Vaughn (May 15, 17)
Melissa Lyons (May 16, 18)
Mr. Stanley and others -
the 'perfect' Department store exec
Patrick Bell (May 15, 17)
Kelsey Ryan (May 16, 18)
John Hall
Director
Gary Busby
Teaching Associate
Joan Colman-Hoytt
Musical Preparation
Carlos Jones
Movement
Stage Manager
Diane Connor
Programs
Kathleen Moon
We would like to thank Ed Richmond of the UCLA Film Archive for making the 1935 Newsreel Footage available to us and the to the staff of the Powell Library Media Center for their assistance in presenting this valuable resource. Thanks also to Brendan, Juan, Karen Ann, Coop, Mr. Guy, John Hayes, Nancy Papalexis, Leslie, and others unnamed for assisting us with this production. Finally, we would like to thank the Maxwell H. Gluck Foundation without whose support for the performing artists at UCLA this production would not be possible.
Musical Numbers
