Legends say that "Happy Hunting's" failure is the reason Ethel refused to allow Stephen Sondheim to compose the music for Gypsy. She was done with untested composers.
The libretto is an odd mix of roles old and new, giving her an Annie Oakley childhood, a Sally Adams fortune, monologues to an Ephram Levi-esque ex husband, and some romance aboard an Anything Goes style cruise ship. Though she never played Mame it culminates with a Mame style fox hunt, making nearly everything about the show feel borrowed.
Still she kept her opening number, "Gee! But it's good to be here," in her concert repertoire.
Read more about Happy Hunting here.
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