Bells Are Ringing

The Oxford Companion to American Theatre | 2004 | 700+ words | Copyright

Bells Are Ringing (1956), a musical comedy by Betty Comden, Adolph Green (book, lyrics), Jule Styne (music). [Shubert Theatre, 924 perf.] Ella Peterson ( Judy Holliday), the friendly operator for Susanswerphone, often gets involved with her unseen clients and even falls for the playwright Jeff Moss ( Sydney Chaplin). When she finally meets Jeff face‐to‐face she is not disappointed but complications set in, augmented by bookies using the answering service to take horseracing bets, which lead the police to Ella and her boss ( Jean Stapleton). Notable songs: The Party's Over; Just in Time; Long Before I Knew You; I'm Going Back. The lighthearted Theatre Guild production was a tailor‐made vehicle for Holliday whose Tony Award–winning performance was a delight. Faith Prince was also praised as Ella in the 2001 Broadway revival, though the show had a short run.

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Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Bells Are Ringing." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Bells Are Ringing." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O149-BellsAreRinging.html

Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Bells Are Ringing." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O149-BellsAreRinging.html

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