Singing through the tears
timeline Theatre revives one tough little musical
‘Juno and the Paycock,” written by Irish dramatist Sean O’Casey, is considered one of the great works of the theater. But its musical adaptation staged in the 1950s? Not so much. With a book by Joseph Stein and music and lyrics by Marc Blitzstein, it lasted a mere 16 performances on Broadway. But that isn’t stopping TimeLine Theatre from taking a stab at it.
“I have loved ‘Juno’ since I first got my hands on the recording about six years ago. [It was] recommended to me by Doug Peck, our musical director,” says director Nick Bowling. Peck was — and is — similarly passionate about the piece. “Blitzstein’s music and lyrics for ‘Juno’ have been misunderstood, underappreciated, forgotten and maligned,” says Peck. “One circumstance that I feel contributed to this is the fact that this mostly intimate score premiered in the cavernous Winter Garden Theater, future home of ‘Cats.’ Additionally, on the original cast recording, Shirley Booth and Melvyn Douglas, as vivid as they are, speak a lot of their music, denying the listener the chance to hear the gorgeous melodies that Blitzstein crafted.”
The show’s story (a poor family struggling to keep it together during the Irish Civil War) must have proved less than appealing to a good number of theatergoers, too. “This is a funny musical, but it’s also very dark. The subject matter involves the aspirations of the poor, with a socialist, anti-nationalist agenda,” notes Bowling. “In 1959, that point of view was opposed by most of the country.”
Stein, who went on to pen the Tony-winning “Fiddler on the Roof,” and Blitzstein — perhaps best known for “The Cradle Will Rock,” his 1937, pro-union opera directed by Orson Welles — certainly had their work cut out for them. “Stein focused the book on the family and community and simplified some of the politics and history of the original,” says Dowling. “It was a smart choice, because the history is extremely nuanced and complicated.” As for the music, Peck says, “Those seeking a purely authentic Irish musical experience are barking up the wrong tree. While the score does contain Irish folk colors, they are refracted through a contemporary, near-operatic lens that speaks to the drama in Stein’s adaptation.”
“Juno” is no “Mama Mia,” but it is a reminder that musicals can challenge as well as delight. “If you think about it, many musicals have some very dark stories to tell,” says Bowling. “I don’t like ‘cotton candy’ musicals, and I don’t think our audiences would, either. I always want some meat on the bone, and of course O’Casey delivers. He mixes candy and meat in a way that shouldn’t be appetizing, but it is.”