Danny Kaye was a nightmare to work with. That's not a secret in theater circles, but it’s the essential context for understanding why the Two by Two musical became one of the most chaotic chapters in Broadway history. Most people today haven't even heard of it. If they have, it's usually because of the backstage drama rather than the score itself, which is a shame because the music came from Richard Rodgers. Yes, that Richard Rodgers.
The show opened in 1970. It was based on Clifford Odets' play The Flowering Peach, a retelling of the story of Noah and the Ark. But this wasn't a Sunday school pageant. It was a domestic comedy about a 600-year-old man having a midlife crisis while the world literally ended around him.
The Messy Reality of Two by Two
Richard Rodgers was at a weird point in his career. Oscar Hammerstein II had been dead for a decade. Rodgers had tried collaborating with Stephen Sondheim on Do I Hear a Waltz? and it was, frankly, a disaster of clashing egos. By the time he got to the Two by Two musical, he was working with lyricist Martin Charnin. The show was supposed to be a return to form—a big, melodic, star-driven vehicle.
Then came Danny Kaye.
Kaye hadn't been on Broadway in twenty years. He was a massive star, but he was also incredibly temperamental. During the previews, he actually tore a ligament in his leg. Most actors would have taken a hiatus or used a subtle brace. Not Kaye. He stayed in the show but performed from a wheelchair or on crutches, and this is where things got bizarre. He started ad-libbing. He pinched the actresses. He made fun of the other actors’ performances while they were happening. He turned a serious musical about faith and survival into a personal vaudeville act.
Rodgers hated it. He reportedly wouldn't even speak to Kaye.
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Why the Music Actually Works
Despite the backstage circus, the score has some genuine gems. "I Do Not Know a Day I Did Not Love You" is a classic Rodgers ballad. It has that soaring, deceptive simplicity that defined the Golden Age. When you listen to the original cast recording, you can hear what the show was supposed to be: a moving exploration of aging and family dynamics.
The plot follows Noah as he receives the command from God. But his family thinks he's losing his mind. His sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—are more worried about their inheritance and their own petty squabbles than the impending flood. It’s remarkably cynical for a 1970s musical. Noah starts the play as a grumpy old man and, through a "miracle" from God, is restored to the body of a man in his nineties. Still old, but, hey, it's an improvement when you're six centuries deep.
The Two by Two musical also touched on themes of environmentalism and divine silence. God never speaks directly in the show; He communicates through a shimmering light or a rumbling sound. This left the interpretation of "The Word" entirely up to Noah, which creates a lot of the tension. Is he a prophet or just a guy who’s had enough of his kids?
The Characters and the Conflict
- Noah: A man caught between a silent God and a loud family.
- Esther: Noah’s wife, who provides the emotional grounding the show desperately needs.
- Japheth: The youngest son who refuses to get on the ark unless God gives him a better reason than "because I said so."
The conflict between Noah and Japheth is actually the heart of the show. Japheth represents the skeptical youth of the late 60s and early 70s. He doesn't want to save a world that he thinks is fundamentally broken. It’s a surprisingly modern sentiment.
The Critical Reception
Critics weren't exactly kind. Clive Barnes, writing for the New York Times, basically said the show was "mildly pleasant" but lacked a certain spark. It ran for 343 performances, which wasn't a total flop by 1970 standards, but it wasn't the smash hit Rodgers needed to prove he still had the "Hammerstein magic."
The set design was another sticking point. They used a lot of projected images and a massive, stylized ark that some found impressive and others found clunky. Honestly, trying to stage a global flood in a Broadway theater in 1970 was always going to be a bit of a gamble.
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A Legacy of "What If?"
If you look at the Two by Two musical today, it feels like a bridge between two eras. It has the DNA of the old-school book musical but tries to grapple with the cynicism of the Vietnam era. It’s a show about a family stuck on a boat while the world dies. That's dark. But because it was a "Danny Kaye vehicle," that darkness was often papered over with schtick.
There have been revivals, notably one with Jason Alexander and another with Madeline Kahn. These later versions often try to fix the tonal issues by leaning harder into the comedy or stripping it down to a more intimate "chamber musical" feel.
When you strip away the wheelchairs and the backstage feuds, you're left with a story about how we handle the end of everything. Do we build something new? Do we fight with our siblings? Do we keep believing in something we can't see?
How to Experience Two by Two Today
If you’re a musical theater nerd or just curious about this oddity, don't start with the Wikipedia summary. It doesn't capture the vibe.
- Listen to the Original Cast Recording. Focus on "Hey, Girlie" and "The Golden Ram." You can hear Danny Kaye’s charisma, even if you can’t see the chaos he was causing on stage.
- Find the 2001 York Theatre Concert Recording. It features Tony Award winner Faith Prince and gives a much clearer picture of the musical's structural bones without the 1970s variety-show distractions.
- Read Clifford Odets' The Flowering Peach. Since the musical is so closely tied to the play, understanding the source material helps you see where Rodgers and Charnin were trying to go.
The Two by Two musical is a reminder that even the legends of Broadway have "off" days—and sometimes those off days are more interesting than their biggest hits. It’s a flawed, messy, occasionally beautiful piece of theater that deserves a spot in the history books, if only for being the show that almost drove Richard Rodgers to retirement.
To really appreciate it, look for the sheet music of the lesser-known songs. Songs like "90 Again" show a humor that Rodgers rarely got to explore with Hammerstein. It’s a different side of a genius. If you're involved in community theater or a college drama department, this is a "lost" show that actually rewards a fresh look, especially if you have a lead actor who can handle the massive ego required to play Noah. Just make sure they stay off the crutches.