Applause

Applause is a musical with a book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, lyrics by Lee Adams, and music by Charles Strouse. It won the Tony Award for Best Musical, and Lauren Bacall won the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical.

The Broadway production opened on March 30, 1970 at the Palace Theatre, and closed on July 27, 1972, after 896 performances and 4 previews. Directed and choreographed by Ron Field with the orchestrations of Philip J. Lang, the original cast included Lauren Bacall as Margo Channing, Len Cariou, Penny Fuller as Eve Harrington, Bonnie Franklin, Lee Roy Reams, Robert Mandan, Brandon Maggart, Ann Williams, and Nicholas Dante. Anne Baxter, who had portrayed Eve in the original film, replaced Bacall as Margo Channing when she departed the cast later in the run.

The musical was later adapted for television, starring Bacall and Larry Hagman replacing Len Cariou in the role of Bill Sampson. It aired in the United States on CBS on March 19, 1973. New York City Center’s Encores! presented a new production of Applause February 7 to 10, 2008. It was directed by Kathleen Marshall and starred Christine Ebersole, Michael Park, Erin Davie, Megan Sikora, Mario Cantone, Tom Hewitt, Chip Zien, and Kate Burton.

Based on the screenplay for the classic Bette Davis film, All About Eve, and the original story by Mary Orr upon which the movie was based. At its center is veteran actress Margo Channing, who innocently takes a fledgling actress under her wings, unaware that the ruthless Eve is plotting to steal her career and her man.