John Graziano

Conferring With Oneself: Frank Loesser as Adaptor, Composer, and Lyricist of The Most Happy Fella

The history of the creation of musical theater from its beginnings in the seventeenth century suggests that the most successful work are usually the result of intense collaborations among various creative talents. There is usually an exchange of ideas between the librettist, composer, lyricist, director, choreographer, costume designer, etc., that ultimately shapes a show, be it opera, operetta, comic opera, or Broadway musical. When a show is primarily the work of a single person, that collaborative dynamic doesn’t occur. The normal give-and-take that usually provides objective views that influence (and change) the show’s various versions is no longer central to its development.

The number of successful single creator works is exceedingly small. Wagner, of course, immediately comes to mind. And there is the recent hit, Hamilton, with book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda. In the last century, the prime example of a Broadway show is Frank Loesser’s The Most Happy Fella. In this presentation, through an examination of the various scripts and the interim piano-vocal scores, I attempt to reconstruct the creation and development of the show from its first script through its opening night at the Imperial Theatre. In the course of the discussion, I speculate on how Loesser, as the sole creator, dealt with changes to his initial vision as a result of his interactions with the director and the producer.