Search - Original Broadway Cast :: Tovarich (1963 Original Broadway Cast)

Vivien Leigh in her Broadway-musical debut!

Byron Kolln | the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood | 12/26/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"TOVARICH is really only noteworthy as the musical Broadway debut for the incantory actress Vivien Leigh. She (deservedly) won the Best Actress Tony in 1963 for her work here, and now the cast-album has been re-issued by those wonderful people at DRG.TOVARICH tells the story of two members of the Russian exiled nobility after the Russian Revolution; Tatiana (Vivien Leigh) and Mikail (Jean Pierre Aumont). They get employment as domestics to an American family in Paris; soon finding themselves caught up in a new world that is completely foreign to their nature.Soon, Tatiana is being romantically-wooed by the family's eldest son (Byron Mitchell), while Mikail is the object of affection for the daughter (Margery Gray).There are some great songs in this score by Lee Pockriss and Anne Croswell, including "The Only One", "No! No! No!", "Say You'll Stay", "A Small Cartel", "Wilkes-Barre, PA", and "I Know the Feeling" (tenderly-sung as the crowning moment for Leigh in the score).If you love the 'forgetten flops of Broadway', you'll love TOVARICH! Highly-recommended!"

Tovarich Is Fantastic!

Ben Adam | Washington, DC | 10/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was a fan of Tovarich from years ago when it was a long-playing album of the original cast recording from Broadway. I was so happy to see that it was processed into a CD so that I could add it to my collection. The story of Tatiana and Mikhail, two impoverished members of the Russian nobility who find employment as domestics in Paris with an American family charmed audiences on Broadway and won actress Vivien Leigh a Tony award for Best Actress in a musical. The comedy that unfolds as the two nouveau domestics become involved in adolescent crushes with the children of their employers is very endearing as revealed by the songs "Wilkes Barre, PA," "No! No! No!", and "Uh-Oh!" to which Vivien Leigh sings the tender "I Know the Feeling" as the lesson to be learned. The Lee Pockriss-Anne Croswell score shines with many excellent numbers that the cast performs with flair and finesse.



Tovarich never made it to the highlights in Broadway history despite Vivien Leigh's Tony because it premiered during a newspaper strike, so it never received adequate publicity. It is well worth a second review."

Truly fantastic!

Vivian Hartley | Ca. United States | 07/13/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Along time ago when I was just a young girl I was visiting relatives with my family. They had many cds and "Tovarich" (means "Friend" in Russian) was one of them. I thought Tovarich was a funny word so I grabbed it off the rack and saw my favorite actress: Vivien Leigh did singing on it. So I begged to listen to it. I did and I was truly memorized! Each song is very wonderful! Each person is singing with their Russian accents so the cd is more enjoyable and interesting. My favorite song is definitly "Wilkes Barre, PA"! Such a very catchy song that makes you wanna get up and dance the Charleston! Vivien is very cute and wonderful on this cd. Even if you are not a Vivien Leigh fan but love musicals I highly recommend this cd! It is one of my all-time favs! It's right up there with Chicago in my book!"