Search - Melina Mercouri, Orson Bean, Tito Vandis :: Illya Darling (1967 Original Broadway Cast)

ILLYA WAS A DARLING BUT NOT THE SHOW

Robert F. Powers | Quincy, Ma USA | 04/11/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Illya Darling is the musical version of a naughty for its' time little movie called "Never On Sunday" about a hooker with a heart of gold starring the incandescent Melina Mercouri as Illya. The show bloated the little movie and although it ran for over 300 performances, it flopped like a beached whale. The shows run can be wholly attributed to the considerable charms and 1000kw smile of Miss Mercouri who repeated her famous role. The buzz along Broadway was could Merlina Mercouri sing? The answer is NO but with her husky and sultry purr she was in full command of every wrong note she sang. Despite her vocal shortcomings she is charming and compelling on songs like "Pireaus, My Love" "Love, Love, Love" and her sunny deconstruction of the Greek tragedy Medea and Illya declares a happy ending where Medea packs a lunch and the family is happily together and they all head to the seashore for a picnic.

But Miss Mercouri really shines on "Never On Sunday" where she is most comfortable as the song is performed entirely in Greek.



Manos Hadjidakis who had written the background score for the original movie wrote the score for the show with Joe Darion of "Man of LaMancha" fame writing the lyrics. Major problem. Mr Hadjidakis spoke no English and Mr Darion spoke no Greek. And they didn't like each other. They worked separately and probably an interpreter running between the both of them. Eventually Mr Hadjidakis quit and headed home. This led to a hole in the score and it would seem an uncredited composer was hired to fill the hole. Listening to the score it becomes apparent-the songs of Mr. Hadjidakis are bouzouki drenched and have a Greek flavor to the music-some songs such as "I Think She Needs Me" "Dear Mr Schubert" and one of the worst songs ever heard on Broadway "Heaven Help The Sailors On A Night Like This" do not sound like Hadjidakis.



Still Mr Hadjidakis left behind three instrumental tracks that range from good, "Yorgos' Dance" , the lovely Overture which is really the Entr'acte but never mind and the spine tingly "Taverna Dance" a.k.a "Bouzouki Nights" This is track 16 and is so exquisitly thrilling you just want to jump up and dance and in the Greek tradition, smash the plates on the floor.



The Cd as a whole is pleasant enough with the exception of the outstandingly memorable instrumental tracks which soar and of course Melina Mercouri in her element singing "Never On Sunday" and the finale "Ya Chara" is very lovely whether written by Manos Hadjidakis or not.



P.S. In one scene Miss Mercouri sported a string bikini which looked like a few shoelaces strung together. This brought gasps from the ladies in the audience and hoots and cheers from the men. This was 1967 before the PC police took over, and nowadays the men would have to be silent. I was in one of those audiences and I was classier, I only cheered(didn't want to hoot).



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