In addition to Merman and Nype, the cast included Paul Lukas, Pat Harrington, Sr., Galina Talva, Lilia Skala, Tommy Rall and Richard Eastham. With a record advance sale of $2 million, the Broadway production opened on October 12 at the Imperial Theatre, where it ran for 644 performances and grossed more than $4 million. It opened in Boston on September 19, and while The Boston Record thought it offered "only an occasional flash of inspirational fire", it played to standing-room-only audiences throughout the run. Reviews were mixed - Variety said it "inspires warm applause rather than cheer"-and Berlin wrote two new songs to bolster the sagging second act. Productions ĭirected by George Abbott and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, the musical premiered at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut on September 11, 1950. When the star requested a duet with Russell Nype playing her lovestruck press attaché, Berlin responded by writing the counterpoint tune " You're Just in Love" and it ultimately became a showstopper at every performance. Berlin wrote "Something to Dance About" to give the second act a lively opening. Once the script was completed, everyone agreed that, while it seemed originally little more than standard situation comedy material-although as the years have transpired, many musical aficionados rate it much higher-it was a perfect vehicle for Merman, and that Berlin's score, raised to its pinnacle by Merman, was tuneful and memorable. Raoul Pene du Bois was hired to design sets and costumes, while the wardrobe worn by Merman was the responsibility of Mainbocher. Hayward hired George Abbott to direct, and Abbott and casting director Harold Prince auditioned thousands of actors for the twenty speaking roles and twenty-nine chorus members. In order to increase the profits, Hayward decided to charge an all-time high of $7.20 for orchestra seats. In exchange for the original cast recording and television broadcast rights, he arranged to have it financed 100% by RCA Records and NBC, with the two sharing 35% of the net earnings. Producer Leland Hayward budgeted the production at $250,000. As the work progressed, Merman conceded she would be willing to sing two or three songs, but eventually accepted the fact she was going to star in a full-scale musical comedy, instead of the drama she preferred. The three collaborators agreed they needed to treat their subject with care, to avoid any legal action by Mesta. Berlin's last production, Miss Liberty, had failed to recoup its investment, and he was determined to repeat the success he had had with Annie Get Your Gun. When he proposed the idea to Merman, who had little interest in either society or political news, she responded, "Who's Perle Mesta?" Īlthough Merman had announced she was interested in playing a dramatic role in her next project, Lindsay and Russel Crouse approached Irving Berlin and began working on the book for Call Me Madam when berlin expressed interest in composing the score. Watching Merman at poolside, while he was reading a magazine article about Mesta, Lindsay was struck by how typically "American" Merman was, and immediately envisioned her portraying a colorful character similar to the newly-appointed ambassador.
In 1949, Merman and her family were vacationing at the Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs with Howard Lindsay and his wife, Dorothy Stickney. Sally Adams nor Miss Ethel Merman resemble any person living or dead." The Playbill distributed at each performance humorously noted that "neither the character of Mrs. hostess and Democratic Party fundraiser Perle Mesta, who was appointed Ambassador to Luxembourg in 1949. The lead character is based on Washington, D.C.
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