Search - Barbara Harris :: The Apple Tree (1966 Original Broadway Cast)

Bock & Harnick's Soulful, Tuneful Trio Is Wonderful

A. R. Karpe | New York, NY | 02/05/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bock & Harnick will certainly be remembered for their landmark musical, "Fiddler on the Roof," but this lesser known three-act musical (actually three individual musicals with connecting themes)deserves to be in the library of any true Broadway maven. In its original Broadway production, "The Apple Tree" became more a showcase for the phenomonally talented Barbara Harris than a memorable musical. Harris won the Tony for this performance, and it's evident on the recording why. Harris, Alan Alda and Larry Blyden play the leads in each of the three musicals, "The Diary of Adam and Eve," "The Lady or the Tiger" and "Passionella," but Harris is the one who gets to shine brightest. The three stories share common bonds, but they work individually as separate musicals. Highlights to the recording include Harris' heartfelt "What Makes Me Love Him?" where an adult Eve reflects on her life with Adam; "I've Got What You Want" where her sultry Princess attains the knowledge she's not supposed to have; and the gutsy, hilarious "Gorgeous" where the dirty chimneysweep, Ella, is magically transformed into the glamorous movie star, Passionella. This is pure entertainment, and doesn't pretend to be anything else, though it's done with such heart and soul. Alda and Blyden deliver fine performances as well, but it's Barbara Harris that will leave you wondering, "When will this amazing talent return to Broadway?""

Unforgettable Barbara Harris

Jay Dickson | Portland, OR | 03/17/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"One of the greatest of all musical comedy singers, Barbara Harris never appeared in a show that was an unqualified hit, but her great turns in two flawed but much-loved mid-60s shows, ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER and THE APPLE TREE, have made her a great cult figure for Broadway fans. THE APPLE TREE, for which she won the Tony, is really rememberted best today as a vehicle for her amazing voice, charm, and versatility, and the cast recording of the original Broadway cast her beautiful open voice shines through to its best advantage. The show features three short stories all centering upon the Eve and temptation theme, and all set to music by Bock and Harnick, the team behind SHE LOVES ME and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. The last of the stories, "Passionella" by Jules Feiffer, was said to have been the funniest (and Harris's strange adenoidal intonations in the title role are pretty funny) but certainly did not have the most memorable songs, nor did the middle story, an adaptation of Frank Stockton's "The Lady or the Tiger?" The best songs by far are from the first of the trio, a version of Mark Twain's "The Diary of Adam and Eve," and the beautiful combination of the shimmering orchestrations and Barbara Harris's soaring voice on "Here in Eden" is a revelation. The act's other highlight, "What Makes Me Love Him?" should have survived as a standard: again, it brings out the best in Harris's lovely mellow voice."

Dazzling music!

ckbegirl15@aol.com | 08/08/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I recently performed "Passionalla" and "Lady or the Tiger" with the Boston Children's Theater, and fell in love with the music! "The Apple Tree" is a wonderful CD--stirring and upbeat, with a Broadway/Hollywood feel to it. I reccomend it to any of you Broadway-buffs out there! :-)"