The Race to Urga
The Race to Urga is a musical theatre play, started in 1968 as an adaptation of the Bertolt Brecht play The Exception and the Rule, with the project soon renamed to A Pray by Blecht. The theme of Brecht's play was the exploitation of capitalism of the working class in the 1930s.
| The Race to Urga | |
|---|---|
| Music | Leonard Bernstein |
| Lyrics | Stephen Sondheim |
| Book | John Guare |
| Basis | Bertolt Brecht's play The Exception and the Rule |
Jerome Robbins asked John Guare to write the adaptation. Leonard Bernstein was to compose the music,[1] with Stephen Sondheim intending to write the lyrics. The musical was announced for a production at Lincoln Center for January 1969, but during cast auditions Robbins left the production and it was not produced.[2]
The show was never completed, but in April–May 1987 a workshop production was presented at the Mitzi Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center. Direction and choreography were by Jerome Robbins.[3][4]
There is no known recording of this show, although there was a demonstration recording done in 1968.[5]
Song list (Workshop)
- Prologue Marches
- Intro / In Seven Days Flat
- You're In Hann
- The Secret
- The Suspicion Song
- Coolie's Dilemma (lyrics by Jerry Leiber)
- Doors to Urga
- Get Your Ass In There
- Coolie's Prayer
- Number One
- The Zorba's Dance
References
- The Exception and the Rule listing sondheimguide.com, retrieved December 9, 2009
- Long, Robert. "Broadway, The Golden Years: Jerome Robbins And The Great Choreographer-Directors : 1940 To The Present" (2003). Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 0-8264-1462-1, pp 133-134
- Vaill, Amanda "Somewhere: The Life Of Jerome Robbins" (2006), p. 501 books.google.com, retrieved December 9, 2009
- Leonard Bernsten Timeline, 1987 leonardbernstein.com, retrieved December 9, 2009
- Exception and The Rule Demo castalbums.org, retrieved December 9, 2009
