The Amorous Flea

*The Amorous Flea*
The Amorous Flea
Music	Bruce Montgomery
Lyrics	Bruce Montgomery
Book	Jerry Devine
Basis	Molière's 1662 comedy The School for Wives
Productions	1964 Off-Broadway

The Amorous Flea is a musical with a book by Jerry Devine and music and lyrics by Bruce Montgomery. It is based on Molière's 1662 comedy The School for Wives.^[1]

The off-Broadway production, directed by Jack Sydow, opened on February 17, 1964, at the East 78th Street Playhouse and moved to York Theatre, running for a total of 93 performances.^[2]^[3] Proctor won the Theatre World Award for his performance.^[4] Songs in the production include "Lessons On Life".

Principal cast

Arnolphe - Lew Parker - Baritone
Chrysalde - David C. Jones - Baritone
Alain - Jack Fletcher - Baritone
Georgette - Ann Mitchell - Alto
Agnes - Imelda De Martin - Mezzo-soprano
Horace - Philip Proctor - Tenor

Synopsis

Arnolphe is about to marry Agnes, a beautiful orphaned girl whom he has groomed to be the perfect wife by sequestering her in a convent and keeping her totally ignorant of the outside world since she was four years old. Just as she reaches legal age, she meets and falls in love with Horace (son of Arnolphe's old friend Oronte), whom Arnolphe befriends without revealing his identity as the girl's lecherous fiancé. To his dismay, Horace persists in describing his success at wooing Agnes. Eventually her birth father Enrique arrives on the scene to demand she fulfill the marriage contract he arranged for her many years before, Agnes discovers the deception, and the revelation of the identity of the intended groom leaves Arnolphe a very unhappy man.

Songs

Act I

All About Me
All About He
All About Him
Learning Love
There Goes a Mad Old Man
Dialogue on Dalliance

Act II

March of the Vigilant Vassals
Lessons on Life
Man is Man's Best Friend
The Other Side of the Wall
Closeness Begets Closeness

Act III

It's a Stretchy Day
When Time Takes Your Hand
The Amorous Flea
Learning Love (Reprise)
Finale

References

^ "Lew Parker Stars Uptown in 'The Amorous Flea' by Moliere". The New York Times. February 18, 1964. p. 26. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
^ "'The Amorous Flea' to Move". The New York Times. March 18, 1964. p. 45. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
^ "'Amorous Flea' Closes Sunday". The New York Times. May 4, 1964. p. 34. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
^ "FIREZINE #5: Inside Planet Proctor". www.firezine.net. Retrieved 2019-12-01.

Flinn, Denny Martin. Little Musicals for Little Theatres Hal Leonard (2006), pages 4–5 (ISBN 0-87910321-3)
Synopsis and notes on the musical
Information about the show from the licensor

[1] "Lew Parker Stars Uptown in 'The Amorous Flea' by Moliere". The New York Times. February 18, 1964. p. 26. Retrieved June 4, 2023.

[2] "'The Amorous Flea' to Move". The New York Times. March 18, 1964. p. 45. Retrieved June 4, 2023.

[3] "'Amorous Flea' Closes Sunday". The New York Times. May 4, 1964. p. 34. Retrieved June 4, 2023.

[4] "FIREZINE #5: Inside Planet Proctor". www.firezine.net. Retrieved 2019-12-01.

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