Dance a Little Closer

Dance a Little Closer closed after one performance and a scathing New York Times review. It was quickly dubbed Close a Little Faster. The 1936 play, Idiot’s Delight, paired Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne in a romance against a war-torn backdrop. The musical updated the show to the Cold War and ruined the “did she or didn't she” mystery with some ill-advised flashbacks. The modern setting allowed for lyrics like:

Whoever made Atari should be hung by his thumbs.

I’m mad I have to eat so many Rol-Aids and TUMS.

Lerner added a subplot for a gay couple who wanted to get married. Since this drawing I’ve learned that they were airline stewards, not skaters, but they performed a duet on skates. Though more sympathetic than Lerner’s gay villain in Coco they had less personality, despite the efforts of Jeff Keller and the dashing Brent Barrett.

Here's Jaime J. Weinman's essay on the show with song clips.