70, GIRLS, 70

Broadway opening: April 15th, 1971 - Run: 36 performances

Directed by Paul Aaron - Book by Fred Ebb & Norman L. Martin - Based on the Play by Peter Coke - Choreography by Onna White - Orchestrations by Don Walker

Cast: Mildred Natwick (Ida), Lillian Hayman, Goldye Shaw, Lucie Lancaster, Gil Lamb, Hans Conried, Lilian Roth, Tommy Breslin, Henrietta Jacobson, Dorothea Freitag, Thomas Anderson

The plot: A group of old-time performers live at the Sussex Arms, a senior Citizen’s run-down hotel in New York. One of them, Ida, forms a shop-lifting gang; the resulting profits enable them to refurbish the hotel. One day one of their “jobs” don’t go as planned and they’re almost caught, but the cops can’t believe that a group of old people is responsible for the assault. The team decides on one last “job” that will gave them enough money to buy the hotel, but things don’t work well and Ida gets caught. Before the police can take her away she escapes by dying.     

           

Tracks: Old Folks - Home - Broadway, My Street - The Caper - Coffee in a Cardboard Cup - You and I, Love - Do We? - Hit It, Lorraine - See the Light - Boom Ditty Boom - Believe - Go Visit Your Grandmother - 70, Girls, 70 - The Elephant Song - Yes - Finale

Awards Nominations: Tony for Best Actress (Mildred Natwick)

Photos by Martha Swope / New York Public Library

On June 17th 1991 a revised production opened in London.

Directed by Paul Kerryson - New Book by David Thompson & Norman L. Martin - New Orchestrations by Julian Kelly

Cast: Dora Bryan (Ida), Len Howe, Brian Greene, Pip Hinton, Shezwae Powell, Buster Skeggs, Joan Savage, Bill Bradley, Peter Edbrook, James Gavin, Stephanie Voss, Jo Stewart

New Tracks: Well Laid Plans - Emma Finch - I Can't Do It Anymore 

Photos by John Haynes