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Broadway's Susan Watson stopped the show nightly with Claibe Richardson and Kenward Elmslies magnificent "Chain of Love" in the 1979 West Coast Premiere of "The Grass Harp: A Musical Play." When the production opened, Jack Viertel [now director of Jujamcyn Theaters and the artistic director of City Centers Encores! series, former drama critic of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, and the L.A. Reader] praised "a cast of first class performers. I cannot say enough about Susan Watson. She makes Dolly Talbo a moving, overwhelmingly sympathetic character. She sings in a voice that is at once sweet and powerful. Her performance, combined with Richardson's music and a certain uniqueness of subject matter make 'The Grass Harp' well worth the second look were now getting. A revival that offers real cause for cheer." And John C. Mahoney wrote in the Los Angeles Times: "The cast is extraordinary. Susan Watson has a glorious voice and a radiant personality. This show means business!"
After making her debut as Kim McAfee in the original cast of "Bye, Bye, Birdie", Susan Watson quickly became the quintessential Broadway ingenue of the 1960s, earning a Tony Award nomination for "A Joyful Noise," and also starring in "Carnival," "Ben Franklin in Paris," "Celebration," "Beggar on Horseback," the Lincoln Center revivals of "Carousel,"" Oklahoma!," "Wheres Charley," and in the title role of the landmark 1970 revival of "No, No, Nannette." Currently living and performing on the West Coast, Ms. Watson returned to the New York stage in 2000 to star with Walter Willison and Christiane Noll in Robert Wright & George Forrests "Kean." Most recently she appeared in "Remember and Celebrate: Honoring Tom Jones & Harvey Schmidt," a gala All-Star tribute to her longtime friends and collaborators [she was Luisa in the original stage and Hallmark Hall of Fame TV productions of their musical "The Fantasticks] at the 28th Annual William Inge Festival, and released a Best Selling CD in 2009 entitled "Earthly Paradise: Susan Watson Sings Jones & Schmidt."
With book and lyrics by Kenward Elmslie ["LingoLand"] and music by Clabe Richardson ["Night of the Hunter", adapted by from Truman Capote's novel, Directed and Staged by Walter Willison [Tony Award nominee and Theatre World Award winner for "Two By Two," also on Broadway in "Grand Hotel," "Pippin," "Norman, Is That You?." "Wild and Wonderful," "A Christmas Carol" at Madison Square Garden, Leonard Bernstein & Stephen Schwarz' Mass" at The Kennedy Center, and "Kean" Off-Broadway], Choreographed by Mary Ann Hay [national tours of "A Chorus Line,". "Evita," more recently "The Glass Menagerie," "Too Kill a Mockingbird," "Tally's Folly," "Beauty Queen of Leenane," and "Playing House" directed by John Strasberg, Off-Broadway.] and Produced by Jodie Mann Massimi [film and TV actress whose credits range from "Barney Miller" to "Married With Children", now a writer of such shows as "Caroline in the City" and "Dave's World".], Rick Ingold, Walter Willison.
The cast of The Grass Harp also featured Phyllis Applegate, Candy Ann Brown, Chris Costello, Leonard Conner, Wayne Dvorak, Curtis Gregory, Mary Ann Hay, Bill Mullikin, Claudia West and as Baby Loves Pride-n-Joys a then-six-year-old Christina Applegate [in her stage debut], Danny Eisenring, Dominique Eisenring, Rickey Segall, Michelle Stacy and Robert Wright aka Rob Wright, son of Susan Watson and Norton Wright and now an acclaimed producer of such television series as "Knight Rider," "Las Vegas," "Crossing Jordan" and "Charmed."
The role of Dolly Talbo was originated in the 1971 Broadway production of "The Grass Harp": A Musical Play by Barbara Cook.