A Joyful Noise is a musical with a book by
Edward Padula and music and lyrics
by Oscar Brand and Paul Nassau. The 1966 Broadway production was a flop but
introduced choreographer Michael Bennett in his Broadway debut.
Based on the 1959 novel The Insolent Breed by Mississippi author Borden Deal,
the story centers on Shade Motley, a fiddler who arrives in a small Southern and
shocks the stern community with his exuberant love of hillbilly music and life
in general.
The musical underwent significant changes, both in performers and creators,
during
the tryout period. The book originally written by Edward Padula was
rewritten by Dore Schary, who also took over as director. However, he quit, and
Padula and Michael Bennett became co-directors. Donna McKechnie, as the ingenue
lead, was replaced by Susan Watson. Mitzi Welch and James Rado were replaced
by
Karen Morrow and Clifford David. It had "laughably stilted dialogue
" and "an
unconvincing plot." John Raitt, who was to play Shade Motley, was aware of the
show's problems and, in an interview, said that they "could never get by the New
York critics."[1]
The young women of the town find the stranger attractive.
One young woman
in particular, Jenny Lee, falls immediately in love with him,
although she is engaged to Brother Locke, the local minister. Shade gives Jenny
a locket, but her father Walter Wishenant, tells him to leave fist
. Just then
Bliss Stanley arrives, with an offer to make Shade rich through his singing.
Jenny Lee ends up marrying Brother Locke, and Shade goes off to make his
fortune. He returns for a visit with Mary Texas, an extroverted blonde.