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The Apple Tree

"The Apple Tree" was an interesting musical experiment, a show divided into three self-contained playlets based on short stories: "The Diary of Adam and Eve," "The Lady or the Tiger?" and "Passionella." While the musical itself got mixed notices, the critics bestowed almost unanimously glowing praise on leading lady Barbara Harris, who eventually earned a Best Actress Tony for her three roles in the show.

Playbill Bio

Whether Barbara Harris is on stage doing improvisational comedy ("From the Second City"), or scripted comedy as an adolescent enchantress ("Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You In The Closet And I'm Feeling So Sad"), or as a camp follower in a Brecht drama ("Mother Courage"), or as a young girl endowed with ESP in a musical ("On A Clear Day You Can See Forever"), she never fails to enrapture a theatre audience -- an intangible asset very few stars have. Born near Chicago, she apprenticed at the Playwrights' Theatre and made her professional debut there playing a wide variety of roles in repertory. After a trip to Hollywood and some television roles, she returned to the Windy City and joined a group of bright and talented young performers who called themselves The Compass Players. Among them was her current director, Mike Nichols. This ingeniously creative group also included Elaine May, Alan Arkin, Paul Sands and Severn Darden. With the help of impresario Max Liebman they put together a full length revue, called it "From the Second City," tried it out in Los Angeles and then came to New York. It met with creditable success, but, more important, it afforded Miss Harris the opportunity to attract the attention of Jerome Robbins. He cast her first in "Oh Dad...", and she promptly set New York on its ear. She then showed her acting versatility with a rousing performance in "Mother Courage." Miss Harris was seen on movie screens as the young social worker in the film, "A Thousand Clowns," and will be seen shortly in her original role in the filmed version of "Oh Dad, Poor Dad."

See below for pictures and a list of songs from the show. (Click on the song title for sound files, where available.)

The Diary of Adam and Eve