Tony Award-winning Pirates of Penzance (1981) souvenir program SIGNED by cast

Description

The estate of the late entertainer, Kaye Ballard (1925-2019) is putting up for auction several items of memorabilia and personal items that were in Ms. Ballard's possession in her home at the time of her passing. Signatures are original and not reproductions. Watermarks that appear in the photo(s) are not on the actual item.
Souvenir program from the Tony Award-winning Joseph Papp production of
THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE
signed
by the cast, including
Kaye Ballard
,
Maureen McGovern
,
Robby Benson
,
Patrick Cassidy
,
Treat Williams
,
Robert S. Irving
, and many more.
Program measures 12" x 9".  12 pages, including cover.
Included are two program inserts:  8.5"x11" page with Robby Benson bio and photo (as Mr. Benson was taking over the role of Frederic from Patrick Cassidy), and an 8-page libretto.
Program is in very good condition (please see photos).
A COA issued by the Kaye Ballard Estate will be included
upon request
.
PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO COMPLICATIONS RESULTING FROM THE PANDEMIC, PLEASE ALLOW ADDITIONAL TIME FOR SHIPPING. WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO SHIP ITEMS AS SOON AS WE ARE ABLE.
In 1980, Joseph Papp and the Public Theater of New York City produced a new version of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, directed by Wilford Leach and choreographed by Graciela Daniele, at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park, one of the series of annual Shakespeare in the Park summer events. Musical direction and arrangements were by William Elliott. The show played for 10 previews and 35 performances. It then transferred to Broadway, opening on 8 January 1981 for a run of 20 previews and 787 regular performances at the Uris and Minskoff Theatres. This take on
Pirates
earned enthusiastic reviews and seven Tony Award nominations, winning three, including the award for Best Revival and for Leach as director. It was also nominated for eight Drama Desk Awards, winning five, including Outstanding Musical and director.
Kaye Ballard with President Gerald Ford, Betty Ford, and Treat Williams (as The Pirate King) backstage at THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE
Compared with traditional productions of the opera, Papp's
Pirates
featured a more swashbuckling Pirate King and Frederic, and a broader, more musical comedy style of singing and humour. It did not significantly change the libretto, but it used a new orchestration and arrangements that changed some keys, added repeats, lengthened dance music and made other minor changes in the score. The "Matter Patter" trio from
Ruddigore
and "Sorry her lot" from
H.M.S. Pinafore
, two other Gilbert and Sullivan operas, were interpolated into the show. The production also restored Gilbert and Sullivan's original New York ending, with a reprise of the Major-General's song in the Act II finale. Linda Ronstadt starred as Mabel, Rex Smith as Frederic, Kevin Kline as the Pirate King, Patricia Routledge as Ruth (replaced by Estelle Parsons and later by Kaye Ballard for the Broadway transfer), George Rose as the Major-General, and Tony Azito as the Sergeant of Police. Kline won a Tony Award for his performance. Smith won a Theatre World Award, and Kline and Azito won Drama Desk Awards. Notable replacements during the Broadway run included Karla DeVito, Maureen McGovern and Pam Dawber as Mabel; Robby Benson, Patrick Cassidy and Peter Noone as Frederic; Treat Williams, Gary Sandy, James Belushi and Wally Kurth as the Pirate King; David Garrison as the Sergeant; George S. Irving as the Major-General; and Kaye Ballard as Ruth. The Los Angeles cast of the production featured Barry Bostwick as the Pirate King, Jo Anne Worley as Ruth, Clive Revill as the Major-General, Dawber as Mabel, Paxton Whitehead as the Sergeant, Caroline Peyton as Edith and Andy Gibb as Frederic. The production opened at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, on 26 May 1982, to generally warm reviews, for a run of 601 performances. Notable among the cast were George Cole and Ronald Fraser as the Major-General; Pamela Stephenson as Mabel; Michael Praed and Peter Noone as Frederic; Tim Curry, Timothy Bentinck, Oliver Tobias and Paul Nicholas as the Pirate King; Chris Langham as the Sergeant of Police; Annie Ross as Ruth; Bonnie Langford as Kate; and Louise Gold as Isabel.
Kaye Ballard as Ruth and Maureen McGovern as Mabel in the Joseph Papp production of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE
The Australian production opened in Melbourne in January 1984, opening the new Victorian Arts Centre, directed by John Feraro. It starred Jon English as the Pirate King, Simon Gallaher as Frederic, June Bronhill as Ruth, David Atkins as the Sergeant of Police and Marina Prior as Mabel. The six-week limited season was followed by an Australian national tour from 1984 to 1986 and another tour with same cast in the mid-1990s.[citation needed] In 1985, Pirates opened the new Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Brisbane, setting attendance records that were not surpassed until many years later by The Phantom of the Opera.[citation needed] The Papp version also inspired foreign-language productions in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.
The Papp production was turned into a film in 1983, with the original Broadway principal cast reprising their roles, except that Angela Lansbury replaced Estelle Parsons as Ruth. The minor roles used British actors miming to their Broadway counterparts.
ABOUT KAYE BALLARD
Kaye Ballard
was born on November 20, 1925 in Cleveland, Ohio. Since then she has been on the cover of LIFE magazine, played the Tooth Fairy on CAPTAIN KANGAROO, and sipped tea in the Bronx with Mother Teresa. She knew she wanted to perform by the time she was five, and even before graduating high school, began to find work doing imitations of her favorite stars all around Ohio. Kaye performed in both Burlesque and Vaudeville, and before discovering the musical theatre, toured with the Spike Jones Orchestra for two years as featured vocalist and tuba player.
She went on to play every name nightclub that existed throughout the 1950's and '60's including The Bon Soir and The Blue Angel in New York, The Hungry i in San Francisco, and Mr. Kelly's in Chicago. She has appeared on every talk/variety show there ever was including, THE JACK PARR SHOW, THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JOHNNY CARSON, THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW, THE PERRY COMO SHOW, THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW, THE MIKE DOUGLAS SHOW, and THE MUPPET SHOW.
Film credits include THE GIRLS MOST LIKELY with Jane Powell, A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME with Shelley Winters, FREAKY FRIDAY with Jodie Foster, WHICH WAY TO THE FRONT? with Jerry Lewis, and THE RITZ with Rita Moreno and Jerry Stiller.
Where she really made a name for herself was on Broadway in such shows as THE GOLDEN APPLE, in which she introduced the standard, "Lazy Afternoon", the original company of CARNIVAL as Rosalie, MOLLY, as Molly Goldberg, and Ruth in PIRATES OF PENZANCE.
Other credits include several record albums, including the first recording of Charles Schultz' Peanuts characters with Arthur Siegel, Ado Annie in a best selling version of OKLAHOMA! with Nelson Eddy, and several Ben Bagley compilations.
Kaye has also performed Mama Rose in GYPSY with both Jack Cassidy and Gavin MacLeod, and been seen in OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS, QUARTET, FUNNY GIRL, Papermill's FOLLIES, and two all-star versions of Dan Goggin's NUNSENSE.
Kaye is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Kaye Beuhl opposite Eve Arden on the Desi Arnaz produced 1960s sitcom, THE MOTHERS-IN-LAW, and as Doris Day's landlord and friend, Angie Pallucci on THE DORIS DAY SHOW.
Kaye always had a project going. Over 70 years of making a living from nothing but show business. Whether writing her memoir, recording a biography, or giving a series of benefit concerts she just kept moving ahead.
In her late 80s Kaye performed no less than five different concerts backed by a full orchestra in New Mexico, Texas, and California with friends Lee Roy Reams, Donna McKechnie, and Liliane Montevecchi, all for the protection and well-being of animals.
Kaye lived her final years happily surrounded by her puppies in the house she bought from Desi Arnaz on a street which was ultimately named for her - Kaye Ballard Lane.
She knew and worked with every legend of 20th Century entertainment from Ray Bolger to George Clooney. Throughout her career Kaye was always devoted to the encouragement of rising talent.
Just before her passing, Kaye attended the exhibition of a documentary about her life and career entitled KAYE BALLARD: THE SHOW GOES ON! at the Palm Springs Film Festival. When told of the Audience Favorite Award the film was given, she responded by saying that, "I can now die a happy woman."
The documentary, KAYE BALLARD: THE SHOW GOES ON! will have its live streaming premiere on July 14, 2020. More info on Kaye's Facebook page (OfficialKayeBallard).
NOTE:
Items will be shipped from Indiana.  Items for sale were in Kaye's home at the time of her passing. They were collected from her home and shipped to an executor of her estate who resides in Indiana. As shipments arrive in Indiana from Kaye's home in Rancho Mirage CA, it is determined which items are able to be sold and those items are listed for sale.