Emerson Colonial Theatre Official Blog

I Can Get It For You Wholesale

From February 27 - March 17, 1962, Boston audiences were introduced to a 19-year-old Barbra Streisand and a young Elliott Gould in the new musical I CAN GET IT FOR YOU WHOLESALE, directed by Arthur Laurents. With music and lyrics by Harold Rome and book by Jerome Weidman, based on his 1937 novel of the same title, I CAN GET IT FOR YOU WHOLESALE tells the story of an ambitious young businessman artfully clawing his way to the top of the garment industry in 1930s New York.

Producer David Merrick was among those who saw the importance of Boston tryouts for introducing new stars and playwrights. The production played a three-week pre-Broadway engagement at the Colonial before going on to Broadway.

Cyrus Durgin, reviewing for The Boston Globe, took note of Barbra Streisand, writing “Barbra Streisand wins applause for a stock performance of the stock Miss Marmelstein."

I CAN GET IT FOR YOU WHOLESALE ran from March 22 through December 9, 1962 on Broadway. Barbra Streisand made her Broadway debut and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

Photos 1-2: Barbra Streisand
Photo 3: Elliott Gould and Lillian Roth
Photo 4-5: Playbill
Photo 6: The cast, by Al Hirschfeld