Title: Michael Stewart Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1960-1969

Creator:

• Stewart, Michael, 1929-

Call Number: U.S. Mss 197AN; Tape 1038A

Quantity: 4.4 c.f. (4 record center cartons and 1 archives box) and 18 tape recordings

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society Archives / Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research
Contact Information

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:

Scripts and tape recordings of several popular Broadway stage plays, including Bye Bye Birdie, Carnival, George M!, and Hello, Dolly!, all of which were written by playwright Stewart. The papers include a few conductor's scores and lyrics, and some notes and miscellany, but the largest portion is composed of scripts in various drafts, most of which are annotated. Also present are taped performances of Hello, Dolly!, with Carol Channing (1964), Ginger Rogers (1965?), Martha Raye (1967, undated), and Pearl Bailey and Cab Calloway (1967), and a tape of George M! at the Fisher Theatre, 1968, with tapes of piano and vocal auditions, George M. Cohan songs, and sound effects and sound ballet.

Note:

There is a restriction on use of this material; see the Administrative/Restriction Information section of this finding aid below.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-us0197an

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Michael Stewart (né Rubin) was born August 1, 1929 to William E. and Kate (Dunitz) Rubin. He was educated at the Yale University School of Drama, from which he received an MFA in 1953. Stewart began his writing career by creating sketches and lyrics for a summer resort, and in 1955 contributed material for the Shoestring Revue (New York, President Theatre, February 28, 1955). He also wrote for the sequel, Shoestring '57 (New York, Barbizon Plaza, November 5, 1956), and for The Littlest Revue (Phoenix, May 22, 1956). From 1955 to 1959 Stewart also wrote for the television series Caesar's Hour on NBC. Stewart's first Broadway play was Bye Bye Birdie, which opened April 14, 1960 at the Martin Beck Theatre, and was the first of several Stewart successes. Almost exactly one year later, Stewart's Carnival, produced by David Merrick, opened at the Imperial Theatre (April 13, 1961). Carnival won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award in 1961. Stewart continued his success in 1964 with Hello, Dolly!, which opened at the St. James Theatre on January 16. Hello, Dolly!, winner of the 1964 Drama Critics Award, was directed by Gower Champion and produced by David Merrick, and like Bye Bye Birdie it was later made into a motion picture. In 1966 Stewart wrote Those That Play the Clowns, followed by George M! (1968), and Mack and Mabel (1974). He has also written novel versions of Bye Bye Birdie, Carnival, and Hello, Dolly!.

The collection consists almost entirely of scripts, drafts, and tape recordings of several of Stewart's most popular stage plays. There are also a few conductor's scores and lyrics, copies of Stewart's novel versions of the plays, and notes and miscellany. All scripts were authored by Stewart, unless otherwise noted. The plays represented in the collection are Bye Bye Birdie, Carnival, George M! , and Hello, Dolly! . Although many of the scripts are undated, the researcher can trace the development of the story through the many drafts of each script, most of which are annotated. There are also a few screenplays from film versions. The Tape Recordings include Broadway performances of Hello, Dolly! by Carol Channing (1964), by Ginger Rogers (national touring company, 1965), two performances by Martha Raye (1967, undated), and by Pearl Bailey and Cab Calloway (1967). From George M! there are four reels of a performance at the Fisher Theatre (1968), and tapes of piano and vocal auditions (June 1967 and undated), some by Peter Howard; of George M. Cohan songs; and of sound effects and sound ballet for the production.

Use Restrictions

Literary rights are retained by Michael Stewart.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Michael Stewart, New York, New York, 1969. Accession Number: MCHC69-122

Processing Information

Processed by Ann Bloczynski and Menzi Behrnd-Klodt, July 1983.

U.S. Mss 197AN	Series: Plays
	Bye Bye Birdie (New York: Martin Beck Theatre, 1960)
Box   1 Folder   1	Conductor's Score for First Performance at the Martin Beck Theatre, New York, April 14, 1960
Box   1 Folder   2	Lyrics, undated
Box   1 Folder   3	Novel, by Michael Stewart, Lee Adams, and Charles Strouse (New York: DBS Publications, 1968?)
	Scripts and Screenplays
Box   1 Folder   4	Script, 1960
Box   1 Folder   5	Script, Tams-Witmark Version, 1960
Box   1 Folder   6	Final Stage Version (Annotated), circa 1960
Box   1 Folder   7	Script, circa 1960, with Replacement Pages and Author's Note, April 1965
Box   1 Folder   8	First Draft, Act II (“Let's Go Steady”), No Author Listed, undated
Box   1 Folder   9	Second Draft (“Love and Kisses”), 1959?
Box   1 Folder   10	Second Draft (“Love and Kisses”), undated
Box   1 Folder   11	Second Draft (Annotated), No Author Listed, undated
Box   1 Folder   12	Third Draft (“Love and Kisses”), undated
Box   1 Folder   13	Third Draft (“Love and Kisses,” Annotated), undated
Box   1 Folder   14	Fourth Draft, Act I (“The Day They Took Birdie Away,” Annotated), undated
Box   1 Folder   15	Fourth Draft, Act II (Annotated), undated
Box   1 Folder   16	Fourth Draft (Annotated), by Stewart and Wezelle, undated
Box   1 Folder   17	Fifth Draft (Annotated), No Author Listed, undated
Box   1 Folder   18	Fifth Draft (Annotated), with fragment of Act II, undated
Box   1 Folder   19	Rehearsal Version (Annotated), undated
Box   1 Folder   20	Acting Version, with Revisions, undated
Box   1 Folder   21	Script (“The Day They Took Birdie Away,” Annotated), undated
Box   1 Folder   22	Script (Annotated), undated
Box   1 Folder   23-24	Scripts (Annotated, Labeled “Las Vegas Version”), March 1962, undated
Box   1 Folder   25	Screenplay, by Stewart, with Extra Pages, Plot Outline, December 1961
Box   2 Folder   1	Scenes, Early Version, undated
Box   2 Folder   2-3	Script Fragments, Early Version, Acts I and II (Annotated), No Author Listed, undated
Box   2 Folder   4-6	Scenes, Act I
Box   2 Folder   7-9	Scenes, Act II
Box   2 Folder   10	Script Fragment, Act II, No Author Listed, undated
Box   2 Folder   11	Timetable, Work Schedule, Script Breakdown for London, undated
	Carnival (New York: Imperial, 1961)
Box   2 Folder   12	Brief for Plaintiffs-Respondents-Appellants in Carnival Company, et al. vs. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc., 1964
Box   2 Folder   13	Lyrics, undated
Box   2 Folder   14	Miscellaneous, 1963, 1966
Box   5 Folder   4	Musical Numbers, Piano Conductor's Score, from Premiere Performance, April 13, 1961
Box   2 Folder   15	Novel, by Michael Stewart and Bob Merrill (New York: DPS Publications, Inc., 1968)
	Scripts
Box   5 Folder   16	Original Version by Helen Deutsch (Annotated), typed September 15, 1960
Box   5 Folder   17	First Draft, book by Helen Deutsch and Michael (Annotated), undated
Box   5 Folder   18	First Draft (Annotated), undated
Box   5 Folder   19	Second Draft, No Author Listed, undated
Box   5 Folder   20	Second Draft (Annotated), by Stewart?, undated
Box   5 Folder   21	Second Draft, Act I (Annotated), No Author Listed, undated
Box   5 Folder   22	Third Draft (Complete, Annotated), undated
Box   5 Folder   23	Stage Manager's Final Operating Script (Annotated), undated
Box   5 Folder   24	Tams-Witmark Version (Annotated), Book by Michael Stewart, based on material by Helen Deutsch, undated
Box   5 Folder   25	Script (Annotated), undated
Box   3 Folder   1	Script (Annotated), undated
Box   3 Folder   2	Script, undated
Box   3 Folder   3	Scenes, Third Draft, undated
Box   3 Folder   4-6	Scenes, Act I (Annotated), undated
Box   3 Folder   7-8	Scenes, Act II (Annotated), undated
	George M! (New York, 1969)
Box   3 Folder   9	Auditions and Sound Ballet, November-December 1967
Box   5 Folder   5-6	Conductor's Score, Acts I and II, April 16, 1969
Box   3 Folder   9A	Extra Lyrics, undated
Box   3 Folder   10	Prompt Book (“Yankee Doodle Dandy”), Original Script Robert Buckner and Julius and Philip Epstein, undated
	Scripts
Box   3 Folder   11	First Draft (Annotated), by Michael Stewart and Fran and John Pascal, September 1967
Box   3 Folder   12	Draft #1, undated
Box   3 Folder   13	Second Draft (Annotated), undated
Box   3 Folder   14	Second Draft, undated
Box   3 Folder   15	Second Draft (Draft #1, Annotated), with Loose Pages, undated
Box   3 Folder   16	Inserts, Leading to Draft #2, Revised Version (Annotated), undated
Box   3 Folder   17	Pages removed from Draft #2, replaced in Draft #2, Revised Version, undated
Box   3 Folder   18	Third Draft (Annotated), April 2, 1967
Box   3 Folder   19	Third Draft (Annotated), April 2, 1967
Box   3 Folder   20	Outline for Third Draft (Annotated), undated
Box   3 Folder   21	Pre-Rehearsal Draft, November 24, 1967
Box   3 Folder   22	Pre-Rehearsal Draft, December 6, 1967
Box   3 Folder   23	Revised Pre-Rehearsal Draft, December 6, 1967
Box   3 Folder   24	Rehearsal Draft, December 26, 1967
Box   3 Folder   25	Script for New York Production (Annotated), Spring 1969
Box   3 Folder   26	Script (Annotated), undated
Box   3 Folder   27	Script and Notes, undated
Box   3 Folder   28	Script, undated
Box   3 Folder   29	Script, with replacement pages, undated
Box   3 Folder   30	Miscellaneous Drafts, 1966-1968
Box   4 Folder   1	Additional Pages from Out of Town Scripts, February-March 1968
Box   5 Folder   7	Sheet Music, Booklet, 1968
Tape 1038A	Tape Recordings
No.   1-4	Performance at Fisher Theatre, March 9, 1968
No.   5	Auditions, June 1967
No.   6	Auditions - Accompaniment (Peter Howard), and Singing, undated
No.   7	Cohan Songs, July 8, 1966(?)
No.   8	Sound Effects and Sound Ballet, undated
U.S. Mss 197AN	Hello, Dolly! (New York: St. James Theatre, 1964)
Box   4 Folder   2	Conductor's Score, circa 1963
Box   4 Folder   3	Lyrics, undated
Box   4 Folder   4	Miscellaneous, 1964-1966, 1969
Box   4 Folder   5	Out of Town Notes and Corrections, undated
Box   4 Folder   6	Story, by Michael Stewart, Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman, based on The Matchmaker, by Thornton Wilder (New York: Signet Books, 1968; originally copyrighted 1964)
	Scripts
Box   4 Folder   7	From First Performance at the St. James Theatre, New York, January 16, 1964
Box   4 Folder   8	Revised Script, September 1, 1965
Box   4 Folder   9	Condensed Version of Script, September 1965
Box   4 Folder   10	Las Vegas (Condensed) Version (Annotated), September 1965
Box   4 Folder   11	Script (Annotated), August 1966
Box   4 Folder   12	General Version, August 1966
Box   4 Folder   13	First Draft Script, based on The Matchmaker, by Stewart, undated
Box   4 Folder   14	Rehearsal Version, Act I (Annotated), No Author Listed, undated
Box   4 Folder   15	Final Stage Version, undated
Box   4 Folder   16	Version 1 (“Dolly”), with Lyrics, Lists of Songs, Revised and Annotated, undated
Box   4 Folder   17	Script (“Dolly, a Damned Exasperating Woman”), undated
Box   4 Folder   18	Script (“Dolly, a Damned Exasperating Woman,” Annotated), undated
Box   4 Folder   19	Script (Annotated), undated
Box   4 Folder   20	Script (Annotated), undated
Box   4 Folder   21	Script (Annotated), undated
Box   4 Folder   22	Script, undated
Box   4 Folder   13	Opening Scenes, Early Drafts (“Dolly, a Damned Exasperating Woman,” Annotated), undated
Box   4 Folder   24	Opening Scenes, Pre-Second Mimeo (“Dolly, a Damned Exasperating Woman”), undated
Box   4 Folder   25-26	Opening Scenes (Annotated), undated
Box   4 Folder   27-29	Scenes, Act I, undated
Box   5 Folder   1-3	Scenes, Act II (Annotated), undated
Tape 1038A	Tape Recordings
No.   9-10	Performance by Carol Manning, New York, St. James Theatre, July 31, 1964
No.   11-12	Performance by Ginger Rogers, with national touring company, which opened in Tivoli Theatre, Chattanooga, Tennessee, November 3, 1965
No.   13-14	Performance by Martha Raye, St. James Theatre, May 13, 1967
No.   15-16	Performance by Martha Raye, undated
No.   17-18	Performance by Pearl Bailey and Cab Calloway, November 18, 1967