Composer

:

Stephen Sondheim

Genre

:

Musical Theatre

Style

:

Show/Musical

Compose Date

:

1964

Average_duration

:

69:01

"Anyone Can Whistle" is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Arthur Laurents. The show premiered on Broadway in 1964 and was a commercial and critical failure, closing after only nine performances. However, it has since gained a cult following and is considered a landmark in musical theatre history. The plot of "Anyone Can Whistle" centers around the fictional town of Anywhere, USA, which is facing financial ruin. The corrupt mayor, Cora Hoover Hooper, and her cronies come up with a scheme to fake a miracle in order to attract tourists and save the town. They choose a local mental institution as the site of the miracle and enlist the help of the institution's director, Dr. J. Bowden Hapgood, to stage it. However, things quickly spiral out of control as the patients of the institution escape and the townspeople become caught up in the chaos. The show's score is characterized by Sondheim's signature wit and complex melodies. The opening number, "Me and My Town," is a satirical take on small-town life, while "There Won't Be Trumpets" is a poignant ballad about unrequited love. The show's most famous song, "Anyone Can Whistle," is a catchy tune that serves as a rallying cry for the townspeople. Despite its initial failure, "Anyone Can Whistle" has had a lasting impact on musical theatre. It was one of the first shows to incorporate elements of absurdist theatre and postmodernism, and it paved the way for Sondheim's later, more successful works such as "Company" and "Sweeney Todd." The show has been revived several times, including a concert production in 1995 and a fully staged production in London in 2010.

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