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| William Francis, Marcia Lewis. |
GOD BLESS CONEY
[Musical/Crime/Jews/Marriage] B/M/LY: John Glines; D: Bob Schwartz; S: Don
Tirell; C: Margaretta Maganin; L: William Mintzer; P: Paul B. Reynolds; T:
Orpheum Theatre (OB); 5/3/72-5/5/72 (3)
“[T]he book should be remaindered,” thundered Mel Gussow on
reviewing this waste of time and talent. God
Bless Coney, acted on a sand-covered stage, evoked nostalgia for the old
Coney Island in its tale of a depressed lifeguard (Bill Hinnant) who is too
broke to go to architecture school. He therefore arranges for an assassin to
knock him off during the Bastille Day fireworks celebrations on the beach.
Seated on a lifeguard stand designed in Greek Revival style,
he is surrounded by such persons as his unfaithful wife (Ann Hodapp), a female
British reporter (Liz Sheridan), a swishy priest (William Francis) who actually
is Jewish and turns out to be the hired killer, a fat Jewish momma (Marcia
Lewis), and her gambler husband (Johnny LaMotta). The action was carried out
against a score that sounded like a pastiche of familiar melodies.
God Bless Coney seemed
“confused about its intentions” to Joseph Mazo, and was a “twiggy, amateurish”
attempt to Jerry Tallmer. It blew away after three performances.
