Allegro (1947) is sometimes described as the first concept musical, telling the life story of Joseph Taylor, Jr., from birth to tough career choices in his mid-thirties.
It used a constant Greek chorus, continuous action, and had no real sets, just props and furniture whisked on and off via treadmills. And, as one might have expected with Agnes de Mille as director, it had four big ballets. Audiences and critics didn’t take well to it, and do to its enormous operating costs, it lost money despite a decent run of 315 performances. Who was a “gofer” (general assistant) for the show, though he was only in his teens?
A.) Stephen Sondheim
B.) Fred Ebb
C.) Joe Layton
D.) Cy Coleman
E.) Michael Stewart
