Bobby Gomez

Bells Are Ringing

Synopsis
Ella Peterson works for "Susanswerphone", a telephone answering service owned by a
woman named Sue. She listens in on others' lives and adds some interest to her own
humdrum existence by adopting different identities – and voices – for her clients. They
include Blake Barton, an out-of-work method actor, Dr. Kitchell, a dentist with musical
yearnings but lacking talent, and playwright Jeff Moss, who is suffering from writer's
block and with whom Ella has fallen in love, although she has never formally met him.
Ella considers the relationships with these clients "perfect" because she can't see them
and they can't see her ("It's a Perfect Relationship").Jeff is writing a play called "The
Midas Touch," the first play he's written since his writing partner left him ("Independent
(On My Own)"). One day the producer of the play insists that he finish the play by the
next morning and meet him at 9:00 am. While asking her to wake him up on time, he
turns to Ella (who he only knows as the Susanswerphone lady) for help in writing the
play. Meanwhile, Sandor, Sue's rich boyfriend, reveals plans to a group of gangsters to
use Susanswerphone as a bookmaking operation, by pretending to be a record seller and
taking orders for "symphonies" as code. ("It's a Simple Little System").Ella wants to go
visit Jeff's apartment to help him write the play, but she is intercepted by a policeman
who is convinced that Susanswerphone is a front for an "escort service." Ella asks him "Is
it a Crime?" to help someone in need? He agrees that it isn't, and lets her go. She arrives
at Jeff's apartment and offers him help with his play, and a romance ensues "I Met a
Girl," "Long Before I Knew You."

Ella is preparing to go to a party at Jeff's apartment, feeling nervous about meeting his
friends. Carl, a friend of hers, helps her regain her confidence with a cha-cha dance
("Mu-Cha-Cha"). The guests at the party are all very pretentious and rich and snobby
("Drop That Name") and they make Ella feel very out of place. She leaves Jeff ("The
Party's Over"). Carl, a music nerd, thwarts Sandor's operation when he receives an order
for "Beethoven's 10th symphony," because he knows that Beethoven only wrote 9
symphonies. The policeman arrests Sandor. Meanwhile, Jeff comes to Susanswerphone
to confess his love for Ella. She quits Susanswerphone in order to make a life with herself
and Jeff ("I'm Going Back").

Characters
Ella Peterson – girl who works at a telephone answering service. She’s the protagonist of
the show.

Jeff Moss – playwright with writers block. He is Ella’s love interest.

Blake Barton – Out of work actor

Sue – owner of Susanswerphone

Bobby Gomez

Sandor – Sue’s boyfriend who wants to use her business as a bookmaking operation

Facts, bruh

 Book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green

 Lyrics also by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
 Music by Jule Styne
 Directed by Jerome Robbins
 Choreographed by Jerome Robbins and Bob Fosse
 Opened on November 29th, 1956 at the Schubert Theatre
 Transferred to the Alvin Theatre
 Ran for 924 performances
 West End production opened on November 14th 1957
 Ran for 292 performances
 Broadway Revival opened April 12th, 2001
 Bad reviews. Only ran for 68 performances

Original Cast

Judy Holiday as Ella Peterson

Sydney Chaplin as Jeff Moss

Frank Aletter as Blake Barton

Dort Clark as Inspector Barnes

Frank Green as Charles Bessemer

George S. Irving as Larry Hastings

Jeanine Masterson as Mrs. Mallet