Index
(and links to less active productions at bottom of the index page)
Abe Lincoln in the 21st Century | Coming
Together Coming Apart | To Kill a
Mockingbird | The Dickens!
Fred and Adele Astaire: The Last Dance |
Mark Twain: Telling Tales | The
Belle of Amherst | Fahrenheit 451
Study in Scarlet | Joy Comes in the
Morning
A TWO-CHARACTER MUSICAL PLAY
CELEBRATING THE SONGS AND
LONG-TIME
FRIENDSHIP OF NOËL COWARD
AND COLE PORTER
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Let's Do It! |
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Written and Directed by David Houston
David
Houston as Noël (left)
Rick Heuthe as Cole (right)
THE BACKSTORY
In 1954 Cole Porter was depressed and convinced he'd never again write something worthwhile – although paradoxically his popularity was soaring. The recent KISS ME KATE and CAN-CAN were his most popular Broadway shows ever, and he was working on the score for an all-star film, HIGH SOCIETY. Noël Coward's popularity, on the other hand, was sliding downward. He had revolutionized the English musical with BITTERSWEET, shocked New York and London audiences with PRIVATE LIVES, delighted Americans and Brits with BLITHE SPIRIT, won Oscars and accolades for the movies CAVALCADE, BRIEF ENCOUNTER and IN WHICH WE SERVE; but now his work was considered out of date and out of style. Unlike his old friend Cole, however, Noël remained confident and busy. He wrote and produced a new musical, the unsuccessful AFTER THE BALL; and he had begun negotiations on both sides of the Atlantic for revivals, recordings, and teleplays of his works. None of that was paying his tax debt.Growing desperate, the omni-talented Noël tried the one thing he had never attempted before: a cabaret act. To everyone's surprise, except perhaps Noël's, the show at a posh London club was a complete success. It attracted the interest of casino operator Wilbur Clark who asked Noël to perform his act in Las Vegas – for a lot of money.
THE PLAY
LET'S DO IT!
imagines an event that might
have occurred in early 1954. Aware that his financial survival could depend
upon
an unqualified triumph in the desert, British
Running time is about an hour; performed without intermission.
Songs featured include: Porter's "I Love Paris," "The Physician," "Brush Up Your
Shakespeare," "Tale of the Oyster," "Siberia," "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home
To," "I'm Throwing a Ball Tonight"; Coward's "Mad Dogs and Englishmen,"
"I Went to a Marvelous Party," "Why Must the Show Go On?", "Play Orchestra, Play," "I'll See You Again," "Uncle Harry"
and "The Party's Over Now"; and PORTER's
SCROLL DOWN, OR CLICK LINKS TO GO TO:
The Performers (suggested program notes)
Key events in the life and career of Cole Porter
THE PERFORMERS (suggested program notes)
DAVID HOUSTON (Writer/Director, Noël Coward)—has appeared in leading roles in
scores of plays and musicals, including Friar Lawrence in Romeo and
Juliet, Senex in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,
Ben in Death of a Salesman, Herr Schultz in Cabaret and
Horace Giddens in
The Little Foxes.
He is a published and produced writer (14 books, 3 screenplays, 7 stage
plays), fiction and non-fiction. His original plays, including Lillie
Alone, Jazz Baby Joan, Great Scott and Zelda, Murder and Madness and Poe,
Fred and Adele Astaire The Last Dance, and The
Dickens! have been seen at a number of Long Island libraries,
schools and theatres.
RICK HEUTHE (Cole Porter)—is an accomplished character actor with more than 20 years' theatrical experience. His leading roles include Norman in The Dresser, William Detweiler in How the Other Half Loves, Sancho in Man of La Mancha, Amos in Chicago, Sir Joseph in H.M.S. Pinafore, Dr. Einstein in Arsenic and Old Lace, Ernie Cusack in Neil Simon's Rumors, The Prince of Wales in The Scarlet Pimpernel and Edgar Allan Poe in Houston's Murder and Madness and Poe. He toured with an ensemble of six in Gilbert and Sullivan a la Carte and had major roles in the world-premiere productions of The Mummy Musical (published by Dramatist's Play Service) and the popular cabaret revue Hollywood Exposed.
Saturday, September 27, 2008, 7:00 p.m., The Montauk Library
Saturday,
January 21, 2006, 7:00 p.m., South Huntington Public Library
Sunday, March 26, 2006, 2:30 p.m., Hewlett Woodmere Public Library
Friday, March 31, 2006, 7:00 p.m., Rogers Memorial Library, Southampton
Sunday, June 4, 2006, 2:00 p.m., Sachem Public Library, Holbrook
Thursday, June 29, 2006, 2:00 p.m., Jericho Public Library
Friday, November 5, 2004, 12:30 p.m., East Meadow Public Library
Sunday, November 21, 2004, 2:30 p.m., Shelter Rock Public Library
David Houston
(516) 293-2638; DH@davidhouston.net
700 Fulton Street, M-1, Farmingdale, New York 11735
$3
performers, small stage setting, and travel (Long Island);
facility is asked to supply a tuned piano, stage area at least 8' x 12',
basic lighting, and amplification if the auditorium is large
Let's Do It!
Phyllis Cox, Program Director and Publicity, Jericho Public Library:
"Excellent. Thank you again for a wonderful
performance. You keep making me look so good! [75 patrons expected,
128 came]." Frances Altemose, Head of Community Services, Sachem Public Library,
Holbrook: "The program was delightful and entertaining. Top notch!
The audience was hanging on every word and had an appreciation for the
clever lyrics and dialog. Yvette M. Postelle, Assistant, Adult Programs, Rogers Memorial Library,
Southampton: "Every patron passing me as they left that evening had
glowing comments. The audience was captivated, and I noticed quite a
few swaying to the music! Many said we should have more programs of
this sort." Nadine Connors, Cultural Programs Specialist, Hewlett-Woodmere Public
Library: "There's nothing wrong with this program. When Rick sang
almost to himself, that was your biggest applause, because he sang from
a different perspective and drew people in."
Catherine Schmoller, Adult Program Coordinator, South Huntington Public
Library: "Great turnout. Our audience loved the show."
Staff, Queens Library Forest Hills: "Several members of the
audience stopped by to comment on how much they enjoyed the play. I will be
sure to pass along a recommendation for your return to Queens Library. Connie Ellis, Programs, Peconic Landing Retirement Community, Greenport:
"Excellent. Our audience thought you were terrific. The length of the
show [one hour] was appropriate for them. Thank you! Be sure to stay in
touch for future programs."
Staff, Queens Library Jackson Heights: "The audience
loved it. The actors were very engaging. I would heartily recommend this
show." Marie Courtney, Reference Librarian and Adult Services, The Bryant
Library, Roslyn: "Most enjoyable. The audience loved it. It was clever,
witty and entertaining." Nell A. Brosnan, Librarian, West Islip Public Library: "This was a
well received excellent program."
Key events in the life and career of Cole Porter 1891
Key events in the life and career of
Noël Coward 1899 1911
(David Houston as Noel Coward; Rick Heuthe as Cole Porter)
Born June 9 in
Peru, Indiana
1901
Writes his first piano piece, dedicated to his mother
1909
Enters Yale; first published songs, "Bridget McGuire"
and "Bingo Eli Yale"
1914
Transfers to Harvard School of Music
1916
First Broadway
show See America First co-written with T. L. Riggs
1918
Meets Linda Lee Thomas
1919
Sells songs for Broadway revue Kitchy Koo of 1919;
marries Linda in Paris
1922
Sells songs for two London revues and Kitchy Koo of
1922 in New York
1923
Inherits fortune from mother and grandfather
(and more soon from his father)
1924
1927
Fanny Brice introduces Porter song "Weren't We Fools"
1928
Paris opens in New York;
songs included "Let's Do It," and "Let's Misbehave"
1929
Wake Up and Dream
1930
The New Yorkers
opens in New York with "Just
One of Those Things," "Love For Sale," "I'm Getting Myself Ready for
You," and "I Happen to Like New York"
1932
The Gay Divorce
opens on the Broadway stage,
with "Night and Day"
1933
Nymph Errant opens in
London with "The Physician," and "Experiment"
1934
Movie The Gay Divorcee makes "Night and Day"
immortal; Anything Goes, with Ethel Merman is a smash hit on
Broadway, with the songs "I Get a Kick Out of You," "All Through the
Night," "You're the Top," "Anything Goes," and "Blow Gabriel Blow" and
Porter writes "Don't Fence Me In" for an unproduced movie
1935
Jubilee
opens in New York with "Begin the
Beguine" and "Just One of Those Things"
1936
Movie Born To
Dance stars Eleanor Powell, James Stewart, with "Easy to Love" and
"I've Got You Under My Skin," Red Hot and Blue opens in New York
with "It's De-Lovely" and "Ridin' High"
1937
In a severe horse-riding accident, both of Cole's legs
are broken; movie Rosalie starring Eleanor Powell and Nelson
Eddy
1938
You Never Know
opens on Broadway with "At Long Last Love," Leave it to Me with
Mary Martin is a Broadway hit with "Get Out of Town," "Most Gentlemen
Don't Like Love," and "My Heart Belongs To Daddy"
1939
Du Barry was a Lady
starring Ethel Merman and Bert Lahr opens in New York with "Do I Love
You?" "Well, Did You Evah!" and "Friendship"
1940
Panama Hattie
opens in New York with Ethel
Merman; Cole and Linda
buy an estate in Massachusetts; movie Broadway Melody of 1940
is released with "I Concentrate on You"
1941
Hospitalized for further leg surgery; movie You'll
Never Get Rich, Broadway Let's Face It
1943
Movie Something
to Shout About; Something for the Boys
on Broadway
1944
Broadway:
Mexican Hayride with "I Love You,"
also
Seven Lively Arts
1945
More leg surgery
1946
Movie biography of Cole Porter, Night and Day,
stars Cary Grant as Cole
1947
Writes songs for movie The Pirate which is not
a hit
1948
Kiss Me, Kate
opens in New York and becomes
longest running of all Porter shows; includes the songs "Wunderbar,"
"So In Love," "Why Can't You Behave," "Too Darn Hot," "Always True to
You In My Fashion," and "Brush Up Your Shakespeare"
1950
Out of this World
flops in New York, but contains "From This Moment On"
1951
Kiss Me, Kate
opens in London; Cole is severely
depressed
1953
Can-Can opens in New York and is a big hit
with "C'est Magnifique," "I Am In Love," "Allez-Vous-En," "It's All
Right With Me," and "I Love Paris"; movie of Kiss
Me, Kate opens worldwide
LET'S DO IT! is set in March of 1954
1954
In May, Linda Porter dies of emphysema; In the fall,
Can-Can opens in London and Cole's new show Silk Stockings
begins tryouts in Philadelphia
1955
Receives honorary degree, Doctor of Music, from
Williams College
1956
Movie High Society (based on the play
Philadelphia Story) is released and is a hit with "True Love,"
"You're Sensational" and Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby crooning "Well
Did You Evah!"; completes songs for
another movie, Les Girls
1957
Writes score for TV special Aladdin; Les
Girls released
1960
Receives honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters,
from Yale
1961
Frequently hospitalized
1963
Reclusive
1964
Dies October 15 in Santa Monica, California
Born December 16 in Teddington, Middlesex
First stage appearances as a child actor
1914
Tours as Slightly in Peter Pan; collaborates
with Esme Wynne on songs and stories
1916
Plays Charley in Charley's Aunt; Esme Wynne
plays Amy
1918
Writes first play not a collabaration:
The Rat Trap
1920
Coward comedy I'll Leave it to You is produced
in London
1923
London Calling with songs and sketches by
Noël
is produced in London, and I'll Leave it to You is produced in
New York; writes The Vortex and
Fallen Angels
1924
Acts and tours in The Vortex in England; Writes
Hay Fever and Easy Virtue
1926
Tours America in The Vortex
writes songs for Charlot Revue starring Noël, Beatrice Lillie
and Gertrude Lawrence with the song "Parisian Pierrot" and a dance
number choreographed by Fred Astaire
1928
Writes, directs, and stars in revue This Year of
Grace in Britain and U.S. with the songs "World Weary," "Dance
Little Lady" and "A Room With a View"
1929
Writes and directs Bittersweet hailed as
ground-breaking and a major hit in England, but, due to the
stock-market crash, only mildly successful in New York; includes the
songs "I'll See You Again," "Zigeuner," and "If Love Were All"
1930
Writes, produces, directs, and stars in Private
Lives, with Gertrude Lawrence, with the single new song "Someday
I'll Find You"; a major success in London and New York; begins work on
Cavalcade, an enormous pageant of English life from the Boar
through Queen Victoria
1931
Completes songs for Cavalcade,with
"Twentieth Century Blues"; opens at the Drury Lane and runs
for 405 performances
1932
Filmed Cavalcade
wins best-picture Oscar; writes book, music, and lyrics for
Words and Music revue, with "Mad About the Boy" and "The Party's
Over Now"
1933
Writes, stars in Design For Living in London
and New York, with Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne; filmed
with Fredric March, Miriam Hopkins, Gary Cooper
1934
Writes, directs and stars in the operetta
Conversation Piece in London and New York, featuring
"I'll Follow My Secret Heart"
1935
Writes, directs, and stars in Tonight at 8:30
(a collection of 9 one-act plays and musicals presented on three
consecutive evenings) in London, then in Boston, Washington and New
York; includes songs "We Were Dancing," "Has Anybody Seen Our Ship?"
"You Were There,"
1937
Writes Present Indicative, an autobiography
1938
Operette presented in London,
with "Dearest Love," "The Stately Homes of England," Set To Music
presented in Boston, Washington and New York with "Mad Dogs and
Englishmen" and "I Went to a Marvelous Party"
1939
Writes Present Laughter and This Happy Breed;
1940
Gives up creative pursuits to entertain troops
1941
1942
Writes, directs, composes background music score for,
and stars in film In Which We Serve which is highly praised and
profitable throughout the English speaking world; writes, stars, and
tours in Blithe Spirit
1944
Blithe Spirit is filmed, is instantly popular
(now considered a classic)
1945
Brief Encounter
1946
Writes and directs musical Pacific 1860
starring Mary Martin, with "This is a Changing World," "I Wish I Wasn't
Quite Such a Big Girl" and "Uncle Harry"
1948
Writes screenplay for The Astonished Heart;
tours in French version of Present Laughter
1950
Writes Relative Values; Ace of Clubs is
produced, with "Sail Away," "Nothing Can Last Forever," "I Like
America"
1951
Records narrative for Carnival of the Animals;
writes Quadrille, Relative Values; first London
cabaret act as a charity fund-raiser is a great success, with new
songs "Why Must the Show Go On?" and "A Bar on the Piccola Marina"
1952
Three plays from Tonight at 8:30 are filmed as
Meet Me Tonight (not successful)
1953
Acts in George Bernard Shaw's The Apple Cart;
writes and produces After the Ball (not successful)
LET'S DO IT! is set in March of 1954
1954
Writes Nude with Violin
for London and New York; writes After The Ball based on Wilde's
Lady Windermere's Fan produced in London only
1955
Cabaret act
in Las Vegas is
outstanding success and leads to other work in America
including
1956
Blithe Spirit and This Happy Breed are
adapted for American television; Noël Coward in New York is
recorded
1957
Conversation Piece
is revived Off Broadway,
recorded on Columbia
1958
Composes ballet
London Morning
1959
Writes Waiting in the Wings
with "Come the Wild Wild Weather"
1961
Writes, directs Sail Away, starring Elaine Stritch
with "You're a Long, Long Way From America," and "Why Do the
Wrong People Travel?"
1963
Writes book, music and lyrics for The Girl Who Came
To Supper for Broadway, starring Florence Henderson and Jose
Ferrer with "Saturday Night at the Rose and Crown," "Here and Now,"
"The Coconut Girl," "How Do You Do, Middle Age?" "I'll Remember Her"
1964
High Spirits,
musical based on Blithe Spirit but not composed by
Coward, starring Tammy Grimes and Beatrice Lillie, plays in New York
and London
1965
The Lyrics of
Noël Coward
is published; writes
and acts in Suite in Three Keys; acts in film
Bunny Lake is
Missing
1971
Writes The Grand Tour for The Royal Ballet
1972
Assists in compiling his work for two retrospective
revues: Cowardy Custard in London and Oh Coward! in New
York
1973
Dies March 26 at his home in Blue Harbour, Jamaica