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Rick Besoyan

RICK BESOYAN  (1924 - 1970)

 Nationality:    USA
email:    n/a     Website:    n/a

Literary Agent:    n/a

Born in 1924, Rick Besoyan had spent a part of his early career touring with the Savoy Light Opera Company throughout the United States and Canada, eventually playing the role of Koko in The Mikado more than 500 times. After giving up performing, Besoyan produced and directed an off-Broadway revival of Cole Porter's musical Out of This World in 1955 while earning a living as a vocal coach. In 1957, Besoyan contributed material to a revue called In Your Hat, presented by his friend Jim Paul Eilers at The Showplace on West 4th Street (it was at The Showplace that Jerry Herman would also get his first break). In Your Hat featured a 17-minute, six-song sequence called "Gems From Little Mary Sunshine," and this sketch would become the basis for a full length show that would open two years later. The $15,000 required to produce Little Mary Sunshine was raised from 127 investors at over 60 auditions. In addition to being its sole author, Besoyan also decided to direct the book, while leaving the musical staging and choreography to Ray Harrison; Harrison, who had been a principal dancer on Broadway for Jerome Robbins in On The Town and Hanya Holm in Out of This World, had been co-choreographer of the 1958, 3-performance Broadway musical disaster Porto Fino.

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below is a list of Rick Besoyan's plays - click on a Play Title for more information

         Babes In the Wood         Little Mary Sunshine         Student Gypsy, The

Babes In the Wood

Synopsis:
adaptation of Shakespeare's Midummer Night's Dream

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Broadway Play Publishing Inc, NY,    -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
musical frolic Play with Music

Parts:
Male:  5            Female:  3            Other:  minimum, expandable by use of chorus

Further Reference:
-

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Little Mary Sunshine

Little Mary Sunshine
Mary Sunshine the foster daughter of Chief Brown Bear runs an inn built on Indian property. there is a dispute with the Government over ownership of this land that is going through the courts. An Indian - Yellow Feather is being hunted by Captain Jim and his Forest Rangers. Yellow Feather has been hunting illegally. the Captain and his men arrive at the inn. Staying at the inn are a group of young ladies from eastchester. the rangers make their acquaintance and Captain Jim falls for Mary. the Captain goes off to find Yellow Feather. It turns out that Yellow Feather is Brown Bear's son who was thought dead. Mary goes to tend her garden and yellow Feather jumps on her and ties her to a tree. He is just about to have his way with her when Captain Jim arrives and rescues her

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Orpheum Theater, New York    1959

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1959   -

Music:
Original cast recording: angel (ZDM 7 64774 2 8) February 15, 1960

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Musical

Parts:
Male:  13            Female:  10            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Student Gypsy, The

Synopsis:
Turn of the century Singspelia and Merry May Glockenspiel seeks adventure with a band of gypsies

Notes:
Music by Rick Besoyan; lyrics by Rick Besoyan; book by Rick Besoyan

1st Produced:
54th Street Theatre, New York    1963

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Musical

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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