Red, White and Maddox | |
---|---|
Music | Don Tucker[1] |
Lyrics | Don Tucker[1] |
Book | Don Tucker and Jay Broad[1] |
Premiere | October 1968: Atlanta |
Productions | 1968 Atlanta 1969 Broadway |
Red, White and Maddox is a satirical musical revue written by Jay Broad and Don Tucker. The play debuted in Atlanta in October 1968 and later had a 41-performance run on Broadway from January 26 to March 1, 1969. The play was conceived by Broad, who at the time was the director of the Theatre Atlanta theatrical company. Modeled as a fictional biography of Georgia Governor Lester Maddox, the play is split into two acts. The first act chronicles Maddox's foray into politics as a firebrand segregationist, culminating in him becoming governor of the state. The second act, set in the future, details Maddox becoming president of the United States.
The play was controversial upon its debut in Atlanta and may have contributed to Theatre Atlanta being evicted from their theater. After this, company management entered into discussions with producer Edward Padula, who helped move the production to the Cort Theatre on Broadway. The play received mixed reviews from New York critics, who contended that the subject matter was of local importance and not of enough notability to merit a Broadway production. However, Clive Barnes of The New York Times praised Jay Garner's performance of Maddox, and Richard Watts Jr. of the New York Post expressed enjoyment with the soundtrack. Due to the play's short run on Broadway, a planned album was cancelled, though several singles were recorded. In February 1970, a television adaptation was aired on WNEW-TV.