Two Gentlemen of Verona
Two Gentlemen of Verona is a rock musical, with a book by John Guare and Mel Shapiro, lyrics by Guare and music by Galt MacDermot, based on the Shakespeare comedy of the same name.
The original Broadway production, in 1971, won the Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical. A London production followed in 1973. The Public Theater revived the piece in 2005.
Awards Tony Award for Best Musical
Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical
Drama Desk Outstanding Book
Drama Desk Outstanding Music
Drama Desk Outstanding Lyrics
Broadway
After tryouts at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park in the summer of 1971 and twenty previews, the Broadway production, directed by Mel Shapiro and choreographed by Jean Erdman replaced by Dennis Nahat for Broadway and London productions, opened on December 1, 1971 at the St. James Theatre, where it ran for 614 performances. The cast included Raul Julia, Clifton Davis, Jonelle Allen and Diana Davila in the leads; Stockard Channing and Jeff Goldblum (in his first Broadway performance) were in the chorus.
The musical won two Tony Awards including Best Musical over such shows as Grease and Follies.
The original Broadway cast album[5] was released on ABC Records in the US at the time; through merger and acquisition over the years, the Universal Music Group now owns the rights. The master tapes were restored for digital release through the Decca Broadway label in 2002.
Original Delacorte cast featuring Raul Julia, Carla Pinza (holding tambourines) as Julia, and to the far right, Miss Jonelle Allen as Sylvia. Joseph Papp (Producer of the NYSF) is kneeling to the far left.
Jonelle Allen and Clifton Davis
Jonelle Allen and Clifton Davis
The original Broadway cast by Al Hirschfeld: Clifton Davis, Jonelle Allen, Raul Julia, and Diana Davila
Clifton Davis, Jonelle Allen, Stockard Channing, and Larry Kert
Original Broadway leads:
Raul Julia as Proteus
Diana Davila as Julia
Jonelle Allen as Sylvia
Clifton Davis as Valentine
Two Gentlemen of Verona
Raul Julia, Clifton Davis, Jonelle Allen, Stockard Channing, Jeff Goldblum.
The TONY AWARDS
1972 BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA NOMINEE
The 26th Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by ABC television on April 23, 1972, from The Broadway Theatre in New York City. Hosts were Henry Fonda, Deborah Kerr, and Peter Ustinov.
Jonelle Allen in formal attire with hands on her hips in a scene from the film ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona‘, 1972. (Photo by Warner Brothers/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES – CIRCA 1975: Musician and actor Clifton Davis attend an event with actress Jonelle Allen circa 1975 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Jonelle Allen–Rare TV Interview
Two Gentlemen of Verona
for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
by Ntozake Shange
Candy Ann Brown, Trazana Beverly, Marilyn Coleman, Alfre Woodard, and Jonelle Allen
Missing from this photo, Beverly Ann and Barbara Alston
Who Were Also In The Cast
(Thank you, Michael Lightsey}
