Two’s Company

Sketches: Peter De Vries, George Foster, Billy Friedberg, Mort Green, Nat Hiken, Arnold B. Horwitt, Lee Rogow, Charles Sherman, and Oliver Wakefield Lyrics: Sammy Cahn, Sheldon Harnick, and Ogden Nash Music: Vernon Duke, Sheldon Harnick (ballet music by Genevieve Pitot and David Baker) Direction: Production supervised by John Murray Anderson (sketches directed by Jules Dassin); Producers: James Russo and Michael Ellis; Choreography: Jerome Robbins; Scenery and Lighting: Ralph Alswang; Costumes: Miles White; Musical Direction: Milton Rosenstock Cast: Bette Davis, Hiram Sherman, David Burns, Bill Callahan, Stanley Prager, Ellen Hanley, George S. Irving, Maria Karnilova, Buzz Miller, Oliver Wakefield, Peter Kelley, Robert Orton’s Teen Aces, Nora Kaye; Singers: Art Carroll, Clifford Fearl, Bill Krach, Robert Neukum, Franklin Neil, Sue Hight, Lenore Korman, Tina Louise, May Muth, Basha Regis, Deborah Remsen, Teddy Tavenner, Doris Wolin; Dancers: William Inglis, John Kelly, Ralph Linn, Job Sanders, Stanley Simmons, Florence Baum, Jeanna Belkin, Eleanor Boleyn, Barbara Heath, Dorothy Hill, Julie Marlowe, Helen Murielle; The Teen Aces: Robert Orton (Leader), Francis Edwards, Henry Mallory, Gilbert Shipley, Armistead Shobey, Norman Shobey The revue was presented in two acts. Sketches and Musical Numbers Act One: Opening: “(The) Theatre Is a Lady” (lyric by Ogden Nash, music by Vernon Duke) (introduced by Hiram Sherman; Bill Callahan, Boys, Girls); “Turn Me Loose on Broadway” (lyric by Ogden Nash, music by Vernon Duke) (Bette Davis, Buzz Miller, Robert Pagent, Job Sanders, Stanley Simmons); “And a Little Child” (sketch by Arnold B. Horwitt and Lee Rogow) (Producer: George S. Irving; Secretary: Tina Louise; Dudley Dawson: David Burns; Rollo: Michael Mann; Butler: Franklin Neil; Mrs. Wilkins: May Muth); “It Just Occurred to Me” (lyric by Sammy Cahn, music by Vernon Duke) (Peter Kelley, Deborah Remsen, Singers; danced by Florence Baum, Barbara Heath, Helen Murielle, Ralph Linn, Robert Pagent, Job Sanders); “Jealousy” (sketch by Nat Hiken and Billy Friedberg) (Helen: Bette Davis; Stanley: David Burns); “Baby Couldn’t Dance” (lyric by Ogden Nash, music by Vernon Duke) (Girl: Nora Kaye; Boy: Bill Callahan; Professor: Stanley Simmons; Pupils: Barbara Heath, Florence Baum); “A Man’s Home” (lyric and music by Sheldon Harnick) (Hiram Sherman); “One’s a Crowd” (sketch by Mort Green and George Foster) (That One: Bette Davis; Reggie: Hiram Sherman; J.C.: George S. Irving; Usher: Robert Neukum; Harassed Gentleman: Stanley Prager; Audience: Teddy Tavenner, Earl Renard, Tina Louise, Basha Regis, Clifford Fearl, Dorothy Hill, May Muth, Eleanor Boleyn, Sue Hight, Robert Neukum); “Roundabout” (lyric by Ogden Nash, music by Vernon Duke; scenario by Horton Foote and Jerome Robbins) (Ellen Hanley; Voices: Deborah Remsen, Sue Hight, George S. Irving, Bill Crach; danced by Nora Kaye with Ralph Linn, Robert Pagent, William Inglis, Eleanor Boleyn, Barbara Heath, Dancers); “The Voice of Inexperience” (monologue by Oliver Wakefield) (Oliver Wakefield); “Roll Along, Sadie” (lyric by Ogden Nash, music by Vernon Duke) (Bette Davis, Hiram Sherman, Buzz Miller, Ralph Linn, Company) Act Two: “(Out of the) Clear Blue Sky” (Peter Kelley, Sue Hight; danced by Maria Karnilova and Robert Pagent; Singers, Dancers); “Street Scenes” (sketch by Charles Sherman and Peter De Vries (Bette Davis, Hiram Sherman); “Esther” (lyric by Sammy Cahn, music by Vernon Duke) (Melvin: David Burns; Esther: Maria Karnilova; Native: Buzz Miller; Robert Orton’s Teen Aces); “When in Rome” (sketch by Arnold B. Horwitt and Lee Rogow) (Strombolini: David Burns; Nina: Helen Murielle; Thomaso: Stanley Prager; Porter: Clifford Fearl; Jezebela: Bette Davis; Musician: George S. Irving); “Haunted Hot Spot” (lyric by Ogden Nash, music by Vernon Duke) (Ellen Hanley; Dancers—The Stripper: Nora Kaye; The Drummer: Bill Callahan; The Pianist: Buzz Miller); “Purple Rose” (sketch by Charles Sherman and Peter De Vries, lyric by Ogden Nash, music by Vernon Duke) (Sybill: Bette Davis; Peter: Hiram Sherman; Horatio: Earl Renard; Terrance: George S. Irving; Hilary: Clifford Fearl; Hortense: May Muth; Ginger: Deborah Remsen; Camera Man: Maurice Brenner; Butler: Franklin Neil; Maid: Basha Regis; Virgil: Robert Neukum; Cicero: Bill Krach); “Just Like a Man” (lyric by Ogden Nash, music by Vernon Duke) (Bette Davis); Finale (lyric by Ogden Nash, music by Vernon Duke) (Company) Bette Davis had made a delightful impression with her clipped, semi-singing voice in the 1943 film musical Thank Your Lucky Stars, in which she introduced the saucy “They’re Either Too Young or Too Old” (lyric by Frank Loesser, music by Arthur Schwartz). But this was a brief cameo appearance in a movie, and her revue Two’s Company was a full-fledged Broadway evening of songs and sketches. While she was game and seemed to enjoy herself, the critics felt she wasn’t all that comfortable in musical theatre, and apparently they were righ

Music

Vernon Duke, Sheldon Harnick (ballet music by Genevieve Pitot and David Baker)

Lyrics

Sammy Cahn, Sheldon Harnick, and Ogden Nash