The Skin of Our Teeth

In September 1962, it was announced that Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolph were planning to write a musical version of Thornton WIlder's The Skin of Our Teeth, to be produced during the 1964-1965 Broadway season. Jerome Robbins was to direct and choregraph. In May 1963, it was announced that Bernstein would take a sabbatical from his duties as principal conductor of the New York Philharmonic during the 1964-1965 season in order to work on the musical. 

By September 1964, it was known publicly that C.B.S./Columbia would be putting up the entire capitalization for the production (which it was estimated would be $400,000), and that Leland Hayward would be the producer. At some point, it was decided that the production would aim for an opening in September 1965.

In January 1965, it was announced that the production had been dropped and it was rumored that the decision to cancel the production was at least partly the result of tensions among the writers, who had long been close friends.

On October 24, 1965, the New York Times published an article by Bernstein about his sabbatical. A poem by Bernstein was attached. One section of the poem addressed the musical version of The Skin of Our Teeth:

Since June of 1964

I've been officially free of chore

And duty to the N. Y. Phil.—

Fifteen beautiful months to kill!

But not to waste: There was a plan

For as long as my sabbatical ran

To write a new theater piece

(A theater composer needs release,

And "West Side Story" is eight years old!)

And so a few of us got hold

Of the rights to Wilder's play "The Skin of Our Teeth."

This is a play I've often thought was made

For singing; and for dance. It celebrates

The wonder of life, of human survival, told

In pity and terror and mad hilarity.

Six months, June to bleak December.

And bleak was our reward, when Christmas came,

To find ourselves uneasy with our work.

We gave it up, and went our several ways,

Still loving friends; but still there was the pain

Of seeing months of work down the drain.