Wildcat – BROADWAY CAST****

Overture/Oil/Hey Look Me Over/Wildcat/You’ve Come Home/That’s What I Want For Janie/What Takes My Fancy/You’re A Liar/One Day We Dance/Give A Little Whistle/Tall Hope/Tippy Tippy Toes/El Sombrero/ Corduroy Road/Finale

The Broadway musical Wildcat starred Lucille Ball supported by Keith Andes. It opened at the Alvin Theatre in December 1960 and ran for 171 performances, but was terminated prematurely following the collapse on stage of Lucille Ball. The plot centres on a feisty female prospecting for oil in 1912. Music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Carolyn Leigh. (US:6)

“This was Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh's first Broadway score and it's a winner in every song. The book is a sort of Annie Get Your Gun plot with Lucy as the ugly duckling who blossoms and tones down her competitive ways to win her man. Keith Andes sings beautifully opposite her. The production closed due to Lucy's inability to keep up the Broadway stamina of eight performances a week and there being no one of similar quality to take over. A great show album with fine performances, comedic acting and rousing singing.”

“I will never forget the show. Lucy 'sold' every single song; the entire show was bursting with energy; the men's chorus was excellent in particular. The house was completely sold out. The reviews were good. The show was not a flop. So, where does that leave this LP? A great memento of a very good show that should have lasted longer (if only Lucy had). Buy it if you love the old Broadway shows with great singers, a star and a full orchestra.”

“It is easy to see why the show had to fold when Lucy collapsed on stage. Even on the album, she towers over the rest of the cast like a redheaded dynamo. Nobody in the world at the time could have taken her place. The music in this show is light and cheery, and most of the cast were equal to their parts. The plot is basically an excuse for the songs and is mostly forgettable.”

“I have always felt that Carolyn Leigh was one of the most brilliant of lyricists, and this, her first score with the equally inspired Cy Coleman, does nothing to diminish that opinion. The cast is uniformly perfect, led by Lucille Ball, who gives one of the great musical comedy performances. The voice is surprisingly strong, and the timing is, of course, impeccable.”