View source for Kismet (musical)

{{short description|1953 US musical by Charles Lederer and Luther Davis}}
{{Infobox Musical
| name = Kismet
| subtitle = 
| image = Kismetlogo.png
| caption = Original logo
| music = [[Alexander Borodin]] <br> '''Adapted by:'''<br>[[Robert Wright (writer)|Robert Wright]] <br> [[George Forrest (author)|George Forrest]]
| lyrics = [[Robert Wright (writer)|Robert Wright]] <br> [[George Forrest (author)|George Forrest]]
| book = [[Charles Lederer]] <br> [[Luther Davis]]
| basis = Play by [[Edward Knoblock]]
| productions =1953 [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] <br> 1955 [[West End theatre|West End]] <br> 2007 [[English National Opera]]
<!-- Please do not include production-specific (acting, directing, etc.) awards -->| awards = [[Tony Award for Best Musical]]
}}
'''''Kismet''''' is a [[Musical theatre|musical]] adapted by [[Charles Lederer]] and [[Luther Davis]] from the play ''[[Kismet (play)|Kismet]]'' (1911) by [[Edward Knoblock]], with lyrics and musical adaptation (as well as some original music) by [[Robert Wright (writer)|Robert Wright]] and [[George Forrest (author)|George Forrest]]. The music was mostly adapted from several pieces composed by [[Alexander Borodin]]. The story concerns a wily poet who talks his way out of trouble several times; meanwhile, his beautiful daughter meets and falls in love with the young [[caliph]].

The musical was first produced on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] in 1953 and won the [[Tony Award]] for best musical in 1954. It was also successful in London's [[West End theatre|West End]] and has been given several revivals.  A 1955 [[Kismet (1955 film)|film version]] was produced by [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]].

==Background==
The musical was commissioned by [[Edwin Lester]], founder and director of the [[Los Angeles Civic Light Opera]], who conceived of a musical based on the 1911 play ''[[Kismet (play)|Kismet]]'' by [[Edward Knoblock]].<ref name="variety">Rooney, David. [https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117929565?categoryid=33&cs=1 ''Kismet''], ''Variety'', February 10, 2006, accessed November 28, 2011</ref><ref>Hochman, Stanley.  [https://books.google.com/books?id=zo5os6d0rvMC&dq=Wright+%22Rahadlakum%22&pg=PA495 "Kismet (1953)"].  ''McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama'', vol. 3, p. 495, 1984, {{ISBN|0-07-079169-4}}</ref> Lester had previously produced ''[[Song of Norway]]'', with the same composing team, adapting the melodies of [[Edvard Grieg]].  For ''Kismet'', the writers seized upon the music of [[Alexander Borodin]], which they felt had a suitable exotic flavor and lush melodies.<ref name=LinerOuz>Ouzounian, Richard. Liner notes from 2007 UK re-issue of the CD, Naxos.com</ref> Four film versions of the play were made before the creation of the musical, including a 1944 film produced by [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]], directed by [[William Dieterle]] and starring [[Ronald Colman]] as Hafiz and [[Marlene Dietrich]] as Jamille.<ref>{{cite book |first=Brian |last=Singleton |title=Oscar Asche, Orientalism, and British Musical Comedy |year=2004 |ISBN=0275979296 |publisher=Praeger |pages=64–65}}</ref>

==Synopsis==
''Kismet'' is set in a fictional [[Baghdad]] in the times of ''[[The Arabian Nights]]''.

===Act 1===
At a [[mosque]], an [[imam]] prays as the sun rises ("The Sands of Time"). Three [[beggar]]s sit outside the temple, but the fourth, [[Hajj]], has gone to [[Mecca]].  Crying "Rhymes! Fine Rhymes!", a poet enters to sell his verses. His beautiful daughter Marsinah joins in the sales pitch, but they have no success ("Rhymes Have I"). Marsinah is sent to steal oranges in the Bazaar for their breakfast, while her father sits down to beg. When the beggars object to the poet's taking Hajj's place, he claims to be a cousin of Hajj.  The poet threatens to curse those who do not give him money and soon earns a few coins ("Fate").  Hassen-Ben, a huge man from the desert, mistakes him for Hajj and kidnaps him.  The poet (who is referred to as Hajj thereafter) is taken to Jawan, a notorious [[Outlaw|brigand]].  Fifteen years ago, the real Hajj had placed a curse on Jawan that resulted in the disappearance of the brigand's little son. Now he wants the curse removed. The new Hajj, seeing an opportunity to make some money, promises to do so for 100 gold pieces. Jawan leaves for Baghdad to search for his son, and Hajj rejoices in his new-found riches ("Fate" (reprise)).

Back in the city, the wazir of police comes through the busy bazaar ("Bazaar of the Caravans"). The evil wazir and his seductive, beautiful wife-of-wives, Lalume, discuss a loan he desperately needs. In return for the money lent from the king of Ababu, the wazir must arrange for the [[caliph]] to marry one (or all three) of the princesses of Ababu, who perform a sexy dance. Through their [[Amah (occupation)|amah]], the princesses tell Lalume that they wish to return home. Lalume convinces them that Baghdad is much more exciting than any other place on earth ("Not Since Nineveh").

Marsinah is being pursued by a fruit merchant whose wares she has stolen.  Her father arrives to rescue her, giving the man money.  Hajj gives his daughter half of the money and leaves. The merchants set out their finest "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" for the young lady.  The young caliph and his advisor, [[Omar Khayyam]], have been traveling incognito. He is struck by Marsinah's beauty and follows her.  Elsewhere, Hajj is basking in the glow of some scantily-dressed slave girls he has just bought, when he is stopped by the police, who are checking identities because they are looking for Jawan. The Chief recognizes, on the coins, the [[family crest|crest]] of a family Jawan has robbed and arrests Hajj as a thief.  Meanwhile, Marsinah has found a quaint little house with a beautiful garden to buy for her father and herself. She is admiring the garden when the Caliph slips in and, pretending to be a gardener, introduces himself to her. They fall in love on the spot ("Stranger in Paradise").  They promise to meet again in the garden at moonrise.  The Caliph tells Omar that he has fallen in love, which is overheard by the princesses of Ababu; they are furious that he seems to ignore them, but the Chief Policeman reassures them that "He's in Love".

At the wazir's palace, Hajj is on trial for the theft of 100 pieces of gold. The wazir has no need for evidence; he sentences Hajj to 20 lashes, and his right hand is to be cut off.  The poet pleads that, as a poet and storyteller, the loss of a hand would cripple his career; it is the gesture that tells the story ("Gesticulate").  The lovely Lalume, attracted to the handsome poet, begs her husband for forgiveness, but the Wazir is not convinced and orders his guards to drag Hajj off to punishment.  As Hajj curses the wazir, a guard bursts in with news that they have captured Jawan.  The old brigand is brought in and asks Hajj where his son is.  He sees, around the wazir's neck, a medallion that his son was wearing when he was captured. The wazir is his son! Jawan praises the power of the great magician, Hajj, a man who has the power to curse and uncurse.  Jawan is thrilled to see his son, but the Wazir sentences his own father to death. "For the leading judge of [[Mesopotamia]] to have as a father the leading criminal of Mesopotamia," he says, is "a disturbing thought."

As Jawan is led to his execution, the wazir realizes that the "powerful magician" has cursed him. Just when he is about to murder Hajj, the caliph enters with news that he has found a bride, a commoner, and that he will marry her tonight.  The wazir is distraught: if the caliph does not marry a princess of Ababu, the wazir will be ruined.  He concludes that this is a result of Hajj's curse and begs Hajj to reverse the situation, promising him a reprieve and the title of [[Emir]]. Hajj agrees. Lalume knows that the poet is no wizard, but she decides that he may be her chance out of a dull life ("Bored")<ref>"Bored" is a song written for the film adaptation of the musical, but it has been included in most stage productions after the film's release</ref> and is falling in love with him; she promises to help.  When the wazir returns, Hajj sings a mystic-sounding invocation to fate as the slave-girls dance wildly, distracting the wazir. Hajj jumps out of a window, leaving his coat behind him. When the wazir sees he is gone, he clutches the cloak in amazement and faints.

===Act 2===
The caliph and his wedding procession approach the house of his beloved ("Night of my Nights"). Inside, Marsinah thinks only of her gardener ("Stranger in Paradise" (reprise)). Hajj enters and tells her of his situation and says that they must flee immediately to [[Damascus]], but Marsinah refuses to go. They argue, and he nearly strikes her before he runs off, ashamed.  She departs in the opposite direction. When the caliph enters the garden, his love is not there.

The wazir is informed by his spies that the caliph's bride has disappeared.  He rejoices at the power he wields, by having a magician as Emir ("Was I Wazir?"). He instructs Lalume to keep his new Emir happy, and she is eager to comply ("Rahadlakum").  Hajj and Lalume are discussing a trip to a "small oasis, a week's travel by camel" when Marsinah enters the Harem.  Father and daughter reconcile, and she tells him of her lover and asks him to find him.  At the same time, the caliph, in the next room, orders the wazir to find his love ("And This Is My Beloved").   Hajj and Omar encounter each other and engage in a battle of wits ("The Olive Tree").

The wazir, hoping to convince the caliph that only wanting one wife is just a phase, shows him his harem through a peephole where he sees Marsinah. The caliph is horrified that his love is a member of the wazir's Harem, and the wazir, sure that Hajj has arranged the whole thing, claims that she is one of his wives. The caliph, heartbroken, agrees to choose his wife-of-wives that night during his [[Divan#Council|diwan]].  So as not to have lied to his prince, the wazir immediately marries Marsinah, promising to visit her that night. She vows to kill herself if he does.

That night, at the caliph's diwan, the candidates for his hand dance for him: Princess Zubbediya of Damascus, Princess Samaris of Bangalore, and the three Ababu princesses. The caliph is unmoved.  Hajj is searching for Marsinah; the wazir thanks the "wizard" for placing the caliph's beloved in his own harem. Laughing, he tells him that he has married the pretty little Marsinah.  Realizing what has happened, Hajj pulls a knife, but has a better idea. He takes a blank plaque and throws it in a pool, proclaiming that when it is retrieved, it will read the name of the caliph's fated bride. He secretly gives the wazir another tablet, this one with the name Ababu written on it, and tells him to substitute it for the tablet from the pool.  When the wazir enters the pool, Hajj trips him and holds him underwater until he drowns.

Hajj explains all to the caliph, who is joyfully reunited with Marsinah. The caliph is ready to pardon Hajj for his murder of a public official, but the poet requests, as his punishment, to be "banished to some dreadful oasis ... at least a week's journey away by camel," and to be made to comfort the wazir's widow in her "grief". As the two couples unite, the poet reflects on the fleetingness of "The Sands of Time".

==Roles and original Broadway cast==
*Hajj – [[Alfred Drake]]
*The Wazir of Police – [[Henry Calvin]]
*Lalume – [[Joan Diener]] 
*The Caliph – [[Richard Kiley]]
*Marsinah (Hajj's Daughter) – [[Doretta Morrow]]
*Chief Policeman – Tom Charlesworth
*Omar – [[Philip Coolidge]]
*Jawan – Truman Gaige
*Princess Samaris of Bangalore – Beatrice Kraft
*Ayah to Samaris – Thelma Dare
*Princess Zubbediya of Damascus – Florence Lessing
*Ayah to Zubbediya – Lucy Andonian

==Musical numbers==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
; Act 1
* "Sands of Time" – Imam of the Mosque
* "Rhymes Have I" – Hajj and Marsinah
* "My Magic Lamp" - Marsinah†
* "[[Fate (1953 song)|Fate]]" – Hajj
* "Bazaar of the Caravans" – Street Dancer, Akbar, Assiz, Merchants and Shoppers
* "Not Since Nineveh" – Lalume, The Wazir of Police, Three Princesses of Ababu, Akbar, Assiz, Merchants and Shoppers
* "[[Baubles, Bangles and Beads]]" – Marsinah
* "[[Stranger in Paradise (song)|Stranger in Paradise]]"* – Caliph and Marsinah
* "He's in Love!" – Chief Policeman, Second Policeman, Prosecutor, Three Princesses of Ababu, Akbar, Assiz, Caliph and Omar
* "Gesticulate" – Hajj and Wazir's Council
* "Bored"† – Lalume<ref name=Bored/>
* "Fate" (Reprise) – Hajj and Ladies of the Wazir's Harem
{{col-2}}
; Act 2
* "Night of My Nights" – Caliph and Entourage
* "Stranger in Paradise" (Reprise) – Marsinah
* "Baubles, Bangles, and Beads" (Reprise) – The Caliph
* "He's in Love!" (Reprise) – Entourage
* "Was I Wazir?" – The Wazir of Police, Policemen and Guards
* "Rahadlakum"* – Hajj, Lalume, Princess Zubbediya of Damascus, Princess Samaris of Bangalore, Three Princesses and Wazir's Harem
* "[[And This Is My Beloved]]" – Marsinah, Caliph, Hajj and The Wazir of Police
* "The Olive Tree" – Hajj
* "Ceremonial of the Caliph's Diwan" – Diwan Dancers
* "Presentation of Princesses" – Princess Zubbediya of Damascus, Ayah, Princess Samaris of Bangalore and Three Princesses of Ababu
* "Finale" – Ensemble and Hajj
{{col-end}}

<nowiki>†</nowiki>Wright and Forrest composed the music for the bridge in "Stranger in Paradise" as well as the music for "Rahadlakum."  The music for the latter was originally used in the Wright and Forrest song "I'm Going Moroccan for Johnny."<ref name=Bored>Wright and Forrest composed  "My Magic Lamp" for the film version. It was cut but has been included in later productions and the 1991 studio recording. "Bored" was written for and cut from the original production; it was performed by [[Dolores Gray]] in the film version and has been used in most subsequent productions. [http://mysite.verizon.net/darrelkarl/copacabanarevue6-2-43.html "Copacabana Revue (6/2/43)"]. Mysite.verizon.net, accessed January 5, 2011</ref><ref>[http://www.waxwingwebs.com/stageleft/html2001/010815.html "The Grand Tour, Part 2"], Stage Left (KDHX, FM 88.1), August 15, 2001</ref><ref>[http://www.fredbarton.com/wrightforrest.html "A Bag of Popcorn and a Dream"], Fredbarton.com, accessed January 5, 2011</ref>

==Borodin source material==
According to Richard E. Rodda in his 2008 liner notes to recordings of Borodin works, Robert Wright and George Forrest specialized in "turning melodies from classical music into film scores and popular songs". The following Borodin works were used as musical sources for ''Kismet'':
*''[[In the Steppes of Central Asia]]'' ("Sands of Time")
*[[Symphony No. 2 (Borodin)|Symphony No. 2]], Movement 1 ("Fate")
*"[[Polovtsian Dances]]" from ''[[Prince Igor]]'' ("Bazaar of Caravans", "Not Since Nineveh", "Stranger in Paradise", "He's in Love", "Samaris' Dance")
*[[String Quartet No. 2 (Borodin)|String Quartet No. 2]], Movement 2 ("Baubles, Bangles and Beads"), Movement 3 ("And This Is My Beloved")
*{{Interlanguage link|String Quartet No. 1 (Borodin)|lt=String Quartet No. 1|it|Quartetto per archi n. 1 (Borodin)}}, Movement 4 ("[[Was I Wazir?]]")
*{{Interlanguage link|Symphony No. 1 (Borodin)|lt=Symphony No. 1|it|Sinfonia n. 1 (Borodin)}}, Movement 4 ("Gesticulate")
*"Serenade" from the ''[[Petite Suite (Borodin)|Petite Suite]]'' ("Night of My Nights")
*Act III trio from ''Prince Igor'' ("The Olive Tree")
*"Aria of Khan Konchak" from ''Prince Igor'' (Introduction to "Gesticulate")
*"Aria of Vladimir Galitsky" from ''Prince Igor'' ("Zubbediya")
*''Act II scene with Ovlur'' from ''Prince Igor'' ("My Magic Lamp")

==Productions==
===Original production===
[[File:Alfred Drake Kismet 1954.jpg|thumb|Alfred Drake as Hajj, 1954]]
''Kismet'' premiered in Los Angeles and then moved to San Francisco in the summer and autumn of 1953.<ref name=Green>[[Stanley Green (historian)|Green, Stanley]] and Green, Kay.  [https://books.google.com/books?id=KDKFHniTy1YC&pg=PA158 "Kismet"]. ''Broadway Musicals, Show By Show'' (ed 5), Hal Leonard Corporation, 1996, p. 158  {{ISBN|0-7935-7750-0}}</ref>  A successful change during the tryouts was to transform the character of Hajj from being merely a beggar to also being a poet.<ref name=LinerOuz/>  [[Charles Lederer]] became producer as well as book writer.<ref name=Green/>  The production moved to [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] on December 3, 1953, playing at the [[Ziegfeld Theatre (1927)|Ziegfeld Theatre]]. The director was [[Albert Marre]], with choreography by [[Jack Cole (choreographer)|Jack Cole]] and sumptuous settings and costumes by [[Lemuel Ayers]]. The original cast starred [[Alfred Drake]] as the poet Hajj, [[Doretta Morrow]] as his daughter Marsinah, [[Richard Kiley]] as the young Caliph of Baghdad, [[Henry Calvin]] as the Wazir and [[Joan Diener]] as Lalume, the vampy wife of the evil Wazir.  Bodybuilder [[Steve Reeves]] played the wizard's guard, a mute role.  [[Bill Johnson (musical theatre actor)|Bill Johnson]] later took over the role of Hajj, and [[Elaine Malbin]] the role of Marsinah.<ref name=bloom>Bloom, Ken; Vlastnik, Frank; Orbach, Jerry.  [https://books.google.com/books?id=V7WOS5w6mzwC&dq=%22Alfred+Drake%22+Kismet+Wright&pg=PA166 ''Broadway Musicals: The 101 Greatest Shows of All Time'']  ''Broadway Musicals: The 101 Greatest Shows of All Time'', Black Dog Publishing, 2008, {{ISBN|1-57912-313-9}}, p. 166</ref>

The show opened on Broadway in the midst of a newspaper strike,<ref name=bloom/> and since newspaper reviews were unavailable, the producers used television advertising to promote the show.  The musical caught the popular attention and ran for a successful 583 performances, winning the 1954 [[Tony Award for Best Musical]].<ref name=LinerOuz/>  The strike may have ultimately assisted the popularity of the show, since the reviews, arriving a few weeks after the opening, were not all favorable.<ref>Kenrick, John. [http://www.musicals101.com/1950bway.htm "Stage Musicals 1950s - Part 1"]. Musicals101.com, accessed January 5, 2010</ref>  The critic of ''Time'' magazine, punning on the name of the composer Borodin, disparaged the score as "a lot of borrowed din."<ref>Freedland, Michael. ''André Previn'', Century, 1991, p. 132</ref> [[Walter Kerr]] wrote that "It's the sort of show that would sell its soul for a joke, and the jokes should be better at the price."<ref name=mile>Miletich, Leo N.  [https://books.google.com/books?id=IccZwW_kk_cC&dq=%22Alfred+Drake%22+Kismet+Wright&pg=PA27 ''Broadway's prize-winning musicals'']  ''Broadway's prize-winning musicals'', Psychology Press, 1993, {{ISBN|1-56024-288-4}}, p. 28</ref> William Hawkins, however, wrote that it was "noisy, spectacular, and vigorous. ... It is melodic and gay".<ref name=mile/> Bloom and Vlastnik noted that it was the score that made the show successful, as the songs "Stranger in Paradise" and "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" were "huge hits on radio, television and records."<ref name=bloom/>

===West End and Australian premieres===
''Kismet'' was even more successful in London's [[West End theatre|West End]], enjoying a 648 performance run at the [[Peacock Theatre|Stoll Theatre]] commencing in April 1955. The London production opened with the three stars of the Broadway cast, Drake, Morrow and Diener.  They were subsequently replaced by Tudor Evans, Elizabeth Larner and Sheila Bradley, respectively.<ref>Green, Stanley. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ZWIRAljCR7oC&dq=%22Alfred+Drake%22+Kismet+Wright&pg=PA235 ''Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre'']. ''Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre'', Da Capo Press, 1980, {{ISBN|0-306-80113-2}}, p. 235</ref>

The first Australian production opened at the [[Princess Theatre (Melbourne)|Princess Theatre, Melbourne]] in November 1955, featuring [[Hayes Gordon]] and directed by American Burry Fredrik. It played over a year in Melbourne and Sydney.<ref>Manzie, Keith. [http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71770476 "''Kismet'' Folds Up Its Tents..."], ''[[The Argus (Melbourne)|The Argus]]'', Victoria, Australia, December 8, 1956, p. 19, accessed March 18, 2018, via National Library of Australia</ref><ref>[https://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/16429 ''Kismet''], [[AusStage]], accessed March 14, 2018</ref>

===Subsequent productions===
The musical was revived at [[Lincoln Center]]'s [[New York State Theater]], starting on June 22, 1965, for 39 performances and starring Drake, Lee Venora, Anne Jeffreys, and Henry Calvin.<ref name=show>Suskin, Steven.  [https://books.google.com/books?id=_3mOZv6OaUIC&dq=%22Alfred+Drake%22+Kismet+Wright&pg=PA409 ''Show Tunes: The Songs, Shows, and Careers of Broadway's Major Composers'']. ''Show Tunes: The Songs, Shows, and Careers of Broadway's Major Composers'', Oxford University Press US, 2010 (4 ed, revised), {{ISBN|0-19-531407-7}}, p. 409</ref>

The [[New York City Opera]] presented the musical in October 1985, featuring [[George Hearn]] (Hajj), [[Susanne Marsee]] (Lalume) and Maryanne Telese (Marsinah) with direction by [[Frank Corsaro]].<ref>Henahan, Donal. [http://theater.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=940DEFDC1339F937A35753C1A963948260 "City Opera: 'Kismet' Makes Season Debut"], ''The New York Times'', October 4, 1985</ref> In 1994, [[BBC Radio 2]] broadcast a complete production starring [[Ethan Freeman]] as Hajj, [[Julia Migenes]] as Lalume, Stephen Hill as the Caliph, Katrina Murphy as Marsinah, [[Frank Middlemass]] as Omar Kayyam and David Adler as the Wazir, with the [[BBC Concert Orchestra]], conducted by [[Kenneth Alwyn]]. The production was re-broadcast on 13 August 2016.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07nsq9w "Wright and Forrest – ''Kismet''"], BBC, 13 August 2016</ref>

Jettisoning the lush oriental context and physical production of the original, a restaging re-titled as ''[[Timbuktu!]]'' opened at the [[Mark Hellinger Theatre]] on March 1, 1978, and ran for 243 performances.<ref>[http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=4043 "Internet Broadway Database listing, 'Timbuktu!', 1978"], Internet Broadway Database, accessed January 6, 2011</ref> This version, with a new book by Luther Davis, set the story in Africa, with minimalist settings and an all-Black cast. Plot emphasis was shifted, with increased emphasis given to Lalume (renamed Shaleem-La-Lume), played by [[Eartha Kitt]] opposite [[William Marshall (actor)|William Marshall]] and [[Melba Moore]]. Two new songs were written for the production: "Since the Beginning, Women" and "Golden Land, Golden Life."<ref name=show/>

The [[New York City Center]] [[Encores!]] series presented a staged concert in February 2006, starring [[Brian Stokes Mitchell]] and [[Marin Mazzie]].<ref name="variety"/><ref>Brantley, Ben. [http://theater.nytimes.com/2006/02/11/theater/reviews/11kism.html "Theatre Review:After 50 Years, the Return of Bangles, Beads and Kitsch"], ''The New York Times'', February 11, 2006</ref> The musical was revived in 2007 by the [[English National Opera]] at the [[London Coliseum]] and starred [[Michael Ball (singer)|Michael Ball]], [[Faith Prince]] and [[Alfie Boe]].{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}

===Films and television===
{{main|Kismet (1955 film)}}
The musical was made into a [[Cinemascope]] [[Kismet (1955 film)|film]] in 1955 by [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]], directed by [[Vincente Minnelli]] and starring [[Howard Keel]] as Hajj, [[Ann Blyth]] as Marsinah, [[Dolores Gray]] as Lalume, and [[Vic Damone]] as the Caliph. The quartet "This is My Beloved" was changed to a trio, because [[Sebastian Cabot (actor)|Sebastian Cabot]], who played the Wazir, could not sing.

An ''[[Armstrong Circle Theater]]''<ref name=IMDb/> TV version premiered on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] in 1967 starring [[Barbara Eden]] as Lalume, [[José Ferrer]] as Hajj, [[Anna Maria Alberghetti]] as Marsinah, and [[George Chakiris]] as the [[Caliph]].<ref name=1967TV>{{YouTube|id=UcjOgX4e8Zw|ABC TV production of ''Kismet'', Oct. 24, 1967}}</ref><ref name=IMDb>{{IMDb title|0202441|"Kismet" (1967 ABC-TV production)}}</ref> The script was edited down to fit the 90-minute broadcast, but it cut few musical numbers.

==Recordings==
[[Columbia Masterworks Records]] recorded the original Broadway cast in late 1953; the recording was later reissued on CD by [[Masterworks Broadway Records]].

Other recordings of the musical include a 1961 London studio recording by [[World Record Club]] conducted by [[Kenneth Alwyn]] with Graham Laver (Hajj), [[Elizabeth Harwood]] (Marsinah), Peter Grant (Caliph), Diana Landor (Lalume), [[Paul Whitsun-Jones]] (Wazir) and [[Hazel Holt]]. A 1964 Decca recording was conducted by [[Mantovani]] with [[Robert Merrill]] (Hajj), [[Adele Leigh]] (Marsinah), [[Kenneth McKellar (singer)|Kenneth McKellar]] (Caliph), [[Regina Resnik]] (Lalume), [[Ian Wallace (singer)|Ian Wallace]] (Wazir) and [[The Mike Sammes Singers]]. An abridged 1964 Capitol version was conducted by [[Van Alexander]] with [[Gordon MacRae]] as Hajj and the Caliph, [[Dorothy Kirsten]] (Marsinah), Bunny Bishop (Lalume), [[Johnny Guarnieri]], Richard Levitt, [[Salli Terri]] and the [[Roger Wagner Chorale]].{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}

A 1989 recording on Jay Records that includes some songs from the [[Kismet (1955 film)|film version]] and ''[[Timbuktu!]]'' as bonus tracks was conducted by [[John Owen Edwards]] with [[Donald Maxwell (baritone)|Donald Maxwell]] (Hajj), [[Valerie Masterson]] (Marsinah), [[David Rendall (tenor)|David Rendall]] (Caliph), [[Judy Kaye]] (Lalume), [[Richard Van Allan]] (Wazir), [[Bonaventura Bottone]] and [[Rosemary Ashe]].<ref>[http://jayrecords.com/recording/kismet/ "''Kismet'' – First complete recording"], JAY Records, accessed December 23, 2015</ref>  A 1991 Sony Broadway version with new orchestrations by conductor [[Paul Gemignani]] stars [[Samuel Ramey]] (Hajj), [[Ruth Ann Swenson]] (Marsinah), [[Jerry Hadley]] (Caliph), [[Julia Migenes]] (Lalume), [[Dom DeLuise]] (Wazir) and [[Mandy Patinkin]] (Marriage arranger).<ref>[http://www.masterworksbroadway.com/music/kismet-a-musical-arabian-night-studio-cast-recording-1991/ "''Kismet'': a musical Arabian night – studio cast recording 1991"], Masterworks Broadway, accessed December 23, 2015</ref>

==Awards and nominations==

===Original Broadway production===
{| class="wikitable" width="95%"
|-
! width="5%"| Year
! width="20%"| Award Ceremony
! width="45%"| Category
! width="20%"| Nominee
! width="10%"| Result
|-
| rowspan="3" align="center"| 1954
| rowspan="3"| [[Tony Award]]
| colspan="2"| [[Tony Award for Best Musical|Best Musical]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical|Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical]]
| [[Alfred Drake]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Tony Award for Best Conductor and Musical Director|Best Conductor and Musical Director]]
| Louis Adrian
| {{won}}
|}

==Sources==
*Borodin, A. ''Le Prince Igor''.  Partition pour chant et piano.  Edition [[Mitrofan Belyayev|M.P. Belaieff]]. ''(Russian, French, and German text.)''
*Rodda, Richard E. ''Ravel, Borodin, Bizet''. Liner notes to CD recording by [[Cincinnati Pops Orchestra]]. 2008, [[Telarc]] CD-80703

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Kismet (1953 musical)}}
* {{IBDB show|id=5079|title=Kismet}}
* {{IMDb title|0202441|Kismet {{noitalic|(1967 TV adaptation)}}}}
* [http://www.mtishows.com/show_detail.asp?showid=000046 ''Kismet''] at the Music Theatre International website

{{Kismet}}
{{TonyAwardBestMusical 1947-1975}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1953 musicals]]
[[Category:Broadway musicals]]
[[Category:Musicals based on plays]]
[[Category:Tony Award for Best Musical]]
[[Category:West End musicals]]
[[Category:Tony Award–winning musicals]]
[[Category:Musicals set in Iraq]]
[[Category:Arrangements of compositions by Alexander Borodin]]