Coco

Who the devil ca-ares!

What a woman wea-ars!

I began the week discussing Alan Jay Lerner’s revised librettos and decided to finish the week with two of his more obscure works. First up Coco in which Katherine Hepburn spoke-sang and sparred with lawyers, rivals and exes while planning a fashion show. Hepburn’s appearance was enough of an event that the show received a 15 minute excerpt on the 1970 Tony Awards in which she is betrayed by her comically awkward protégé. When Hepburn left the show she was replaced by the talented Danielle Darrieux but the show closed soon after.

Rene Auberjonois played Coco’s stereotypical gay nemesis and won a Tony for it. His one song, Fiasco, makes less of an impression than the demonic cackling fit he had in the middle of it on the cast album. He shared some fun backstage gossip with the San Franscisco Gate in 2008 when the show was revived at the 42^nd Street moon Theatre.

  "Whenever I would do something outlandish or think up a piece of business, (Benthall) would say, 'No no no, dear boy. You can't do that.' And Kate would say, 'What are you talking about? He's the only amusing thing in the show!'”