Track the History of On the Twentieth Century, From Little Engine That Could to Splashy Broadway Sensation

All aboard! Kristin Chenoweth and Peter Gallagher embark on a madcap musical adventure as they travel On the Twentieth Century, the fabled Chicago-to-New York passenger train that doubles as the retro setting for the latest Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Cy Coleman revival. How did the Tony-winning musical, which officially bows March 15 at the American Airlines Theatre, reach its current destination? Sit down, and enjoy a fun (and occasionally tumultuous) ride down memory lane.


Now departing—with lots of playwrights!
On the Twentieth Century initially pulled into Broadway in 1978, but its journey starts nearly 50 years before. That’s when Charles Bruce Milholand hands his play, The Napoleon of Broadway, to producer Jed Harris. According to Ben Hecht: The Man Behind the Legend, the popular producer sees potential—he likes the central character, a crazed producer—but convinces Milholand to have Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, the writers of The Front Page, construct a new plot and dialogue. A month later, the pair delivers Harris two new acts, believing the final act should take a week to 10 days to complete. Ha!


Next stop: Multitask Station!
MacArthur and Hecht meet studio honcho Sam Goldwyn in an elevator, where Hecht can’t help pitching a script—Goldwyn accepts it on the spot. The writers retreat to a Hollywood ranch eager to finish the play, now retitled Twentieth Century. The abode swells with high-profile rambunctious guests, including Gone with the Wind producer David O. Selznick, who brawls with MacArthur. Goldwyn wants his script. Then Howard Hughes asks Hecht to write a gangster movie. Hecht promises to write Scarface if he’s given a $1,000 bill every workday at 6pm. He finishes in 11 days.


Next stop: Litigation Junction!
Harris travels to Hecht and MacArthur’s ranch for the elusive third act, only to be denied entrance. (The producer resorts to lurking outside, banging on doors and cursing. It doesn’t work.) He sues MacArthur and Hecht for breach of contract in December 1931, demanding the $5,000 he had advanced them. It’s hard to blame Harris. After all, the writers had agreed to have the remainder of the play done by August 15...of the previous year.


Next stop: Solutionville!
George Abbott and Philip Dunning secure the option for Milholland’s play. However, the contract between Harris and Milholland maintains that only Hecht and MacArthur can rewrite the third act. Ugh. Finally, fate intervenes! A professional director is needed for another Hecht play, The Great Magoo. (Jeez, when did Hecht sleep?) Abbott agrees to helm the project—if Hecht finishes Twentieth Century. Hecht, without MacArthur, writes the rest of the play in 10 days.


Next stop: Hitsburg!
Twentieth Century opens December 22, 1932 at the Broadhurst Theatre. Burns Mantle of The Daily News calls it “the most striking production of the year.” Sadly, The Great Magoo doesn’t fare so well, closing after only 11 days. The movie adaptation, of course written by Hecht and MacArthur, is released in 1934 and becomes a classic. Aside from being star John Barrymore’s favorite film, it’s considered the first screwball comedy. The play is revived in 1950 starring Jose Ferrer and Gloria Swanson, and in 2004 with Alec Baldwin and Anne Heche.


Next stop: Collaboration Square!
Betty Comden and Adolph Green work with famed composer Cy Coleman on an off-Broadway workshop revue. The trio gets along famously and vow to collaborate on a full-length show afterward. They spend months fruitlessly searching for an original project. Then, as Green told The New York Times, he decided to “turn a silk purse into what we hoped would be another kind of silk purse,” a musical adaptation of Twentieth Century. Easy, right?


Next stop: Frustration Cove!
Not even close. Securing the rights is a hassle. Then, they read the play. It’s funny, but the loads of dialogue, singular train setting, and big cast mean a gigantic headache. Plus, Columbia Pictures won’t allow the creative team to take anything from the movie. Comden, Green and Coleman finally decide to simplify the story of Broadway producer Oscar Jaffee trying to woo actress Lily Garland, his fellow train passenger and former mistress, to star in an imaginary new musical. Bruce Granit, Lily’s current beau, is added to mix—as well as a few train-free flashbacks.


Next stop: Music City!
Comden, Green, and Coleman deliberate on the show’s musical style. All they know is it should be over the top. That is settled after Coleman “improvised a musical sequence that was highly flamboyant, verging on the operatic,” Comden and Green wrote in The New York Times. Legendary director Hal Prince climbs aboard. “I thought it was intelligent fun, and I needed a job, so I accepted,” he told biographer Carl Ilson.


Next stop: Kahn Island!
After four weeks of tryout performances, On the Twentieth Century opens February 19, 1978 at the St. James Theatre. The show is ripe with veteran and fresh talent, including John Cullum as Oscar Jaffee, Madeline Kahn as Lily Garland, and Kevin Kline as Bruce Granit. The positive notices belie the backstage negativity. Kahn chafes at the “ludicrous” eight-shows-a week schedule, regularly skipping performances. Prince, who wanted Kahn fired after she vetoed Danny Kaye as her co-star, accuses the star of not going all-out every night. Something has to give.


Next stop: Savior Town!
Judy Kaye, Kahn’s understudy, steps in for the star two weeks after the show’s debut—on five minutes’ notice. Cy Coleman’s verdict? “A star is born!” Kahn and the show agree to part ways three weeks later, though Kahn gets $100,000 for her troubles. On the Twentieth Century ultimately wins five Tonys and closes after 449 performances on March 18, 1979. “If that show had opened with Judy Kaye,” Prince admits to Ilson, “I believe it would have run a few seasons.”


Next stop: Star Valley!
Fast forward to 2015: Director Scott Ellis (You Can't Take it With You) wants to mount a revival of the musical with Tony winner Kristin Chenoweth as Lily. No problem! Chenoweth adores Madeline Kahn—she named her Maltese after the late star—and the feisty Oklahoman relishes a big challenge: "I'm glad that I'm getting the opportunity to put my feet in her shoes," she says. Peter Gallagher signs on to play Oscar Jaffee for a different reason: "I had been dying to do a musical with Kristin Chenoweth," he tells Broadway.com. Lyricist Amanda Green (Green's daughter) and veteran TV scribe Marco Pennette provide new material for the show.


Final stop: the American Airlines Theatre!
37 years after its Broadway debut, On the Twentieth Century returns to the Main Stem, opening officially March 15. Chenoweth can't wait to begin her journey. ”The comedy chops are major, the vocal chops are challenging and tough, and physically it’s a killer,” she says. “I’ve wanted to work it in my schedule for a while, and finally it happened. I just want to do it justice, you know? I want to put my stamp on it and make Betty, Adolph, and Cy Coleman proud.”