Diamonds is a musical revue about baseball. The book and music were created by many writers, composers, and lyricists. Among them were Ellen Fitzhugh, Roy Blount, Jr., and John Weidman (book); and Larry Grossman, Comden and Green, Howard Ashman, and Cy Coleman, music.[1]

Diamonds
A new musical revue
Album Cover
MusicGerard Alessandrini
Craig Carnelia
Cy Coleman
Larry Grossman
John Kander
Doug Katsaros
Alan Menken
Jonathan Sheffer
Lynn Udall
Albert Von Tilzer
Jim Wann
LyricsGerard Alessandrini
Howard Ashman
Craig Carnelia
Betty Comden
Fred Ebb
Ellen Fitzhugh
Adolph Green
Karl Kennett
Jack Norworth
Jim Wann
David Zippel
BookBud Abbott
Ralph G. Allen
Roy Blount, Jr.
Richard Camp
Jerry L. Crawford
Lou Costello
Lee Eisenberg
Sean Kelly
Jim Wann
John Lahr
Arthur Masella
Harry Stein
John Weidman
Alan Zweibel
Productions1984 Off Broadway

The musical ran Off Broadway at the Circle in the Square Downtown theater, beginning on December 16, 1984, and closing on March 31, 1985, after 122 performances. The production was directed by Broadway veteran Harold Prince. The cast included Loni Ackerman, Susan Bigelow, Jackée Harry, Scott Holmes, Dick Latessa, Dwayne Markee, Wade Raley, Larry Riley, Nestor Serrano, Gordon Stanley and Chip Zien.

The musical won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Set Design, by Tony Straiges.

Songs

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Critical response

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The Christian Science Monitor gave the musical a positive review, calling the "good-natured celebration of baseball" a hit but not a home run.[2] The Los Angeles Times quoted several reviews of the piece:

Is it a hit? Will it have a run? Frank Rich of the New York Times didn't particularly think so. Clive Barnes of the New York Post definitely thought not: 'A fiasco of the smallest, dullest kind. Say it ain't so, Hal.' But the Daily News Doug Watt thought the show had some cute ideas, such as its Kabuki-style rendering of 'Casey at the Bat.' His final verdict: 'Call 'Diamonds' a Little League homer and let it go at that.'"[3]

References

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  1. ^ Suskin, Steven. "Cy Coleman", Show Tunes: The Songs, Shows, and Careers of Broadway's Major Composers, Oxford University Press, 2000, ISBN 0195125991, p. 319
  2. ^ Beaufort, John (December 28, 1984). "This good-natured celebration of baseball is a hit but not a homer; Diamonds Musical revue. Directed by Harold Prince". Christian Science Monitor.
  3. ^ Sullivan, Dan (January 5, 1985). "Glenda Jackson Shows Firepower In 'Phedre'". Los Angeles Times.
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