REMEMBER when Frank Rich was drama critic of the New York Times? Feared as “the Butcher of Broadway,” he could close a show on opening night. He did it to a musical called Dance a Little Closer, set on the eve of World War III and written by Charles Strouse, composer of Annie, and Alan Jay Lerner, lyricist of My Fair Lady. But what did they know? At the first-night party, fax copies of Rich’s review were passed around, and the producers threw in the towel while the first canapés were still going round. Alan told me he spent the next 72 hours throwing up.
I had lunch with Mary Martin back then and she told me she’d just been sent a new play by a mutual friend. “What do you think of it?” I asked.
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