Christine (1960 Original Broadway Cast)
On paper,Christineboasts some eye-popping attributes: It's the only Broadway musical written by a Nobel Prize winner (Pearl S. Buck), and it marked the debut of film actor Maureen O'Hara on the singing stage. O'Hara had a surprisingly decent voice, but even she couldn't pull off the plot, which was heavily influenced byThe King and I(just replace Siam with India, the king with a doctor, and the English woman with one from Ireland). This 1960 show never quite surpasses its curio status, but those with an appreciation for the more obscure reaches of the musical-theater world will get a kick out of it. (Come on: Pearl Buck and Maureen O'Hara!) The operetta-flavored duet "My Little Lost Girl" is particularly nice.--Elisabeth Vincentelli