Harold Rome wrote the music and lyrics for the popular Broadway production I Can Get It for You Wholesale, which was written by Jerome Weidman. The director was Arthur Laurents, who also wrote the books for Gypsy and West Side Story. David Merrick produced the material. Since they were all Broadway celebrities, I didn’t think there was much chance they would be interested in hiring me.
That’s my mother’s negativity, which I inherited. “Don’t count on anything good, because then God will snatch it away,” was her constant advice to me. And I most likely shielded myself from that negativity.
I attended the November 1961 audition. I was in the mood for the play by dressing in my 1930s coat, since it was set in that era. It is made of karakul, the silky, honey-colored fleece of a lamb, with matching fox fur trimmed around the collar and hem (this was way before PETA). I thought it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, so I paid $10 for it at a thrift shop. The inside was just as gorgeous as the outside, which is what made it so exceptional. The lining was embroidered with vibrant flower baskets using chenille threads, and there was a small pocket made of ruched silk. It took a genuine concern for someone to attend all
