I first saw 'Stop The World I Want To Get Off' during its try-out in Nottingham. As a result of that evening, I felt a need to wait and see if the show would became a hit in London, as it indeed did. I obtained the American rights the next day because I had been thoroughly entertained and absorbed by the freshness of conception shown by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse, the co-creators of the musical.
   The development at new forms for the musical stage has long been one of my major preoccupations, as is evident by such previous productions of mine as 'Gypsy', 'Irma La Douce', 'Carnival' and 'I Can Get It For You Wholesale'. It has become increasingly apparent, moreover, that audiences are no longer attracted by old-fashioned musicals, the ones with villagers prancing on stage in mythical gingerbread kingdoms. With very few exceptions, the really outstanding hits in the past few years have been unconventional and full of surprises. 'Stop The World I Want To Get Off' is very much in this category. The staging, the sets, the plot are all unique and thereby result in a singularly stimulating impact.
   Another factor about the show which impressed me was the startling personality of its star, Anthony Newley. I have no doubts at all that Mr. Newley is going to enjoy widespread and durable success in America. The man does everything, he acts well; he sings with individuality and verve; and most importantly, he is an exceptionally attractive performer. His personality is dynamic and he projects a brilliance of spirit, It is this latter quality that makes a star more than any other element in his work.
   The fact that Mr. Newley is also co-writer of the show signals the arrival of a man with more multiple talents than any other single figure the musical theatre has possessed for many years. I would also like to note that Anna Quayle, another member of the British cast who joins Mr. Newley on Broadway, is also distinctive and appealing. She too should score a decided personal success.
   A basic reason for my decision to bring 'Stop The World I Want To Get Off' to Broadway is its highly satisfying score. It is elementary, of course, that a musical must have good music in order to survive, and this one is particularly strong in the area. I predict that a sizable number of standard popular hits will emerge from this show, among them 'Gonna Build A Mountain,' 'Once In A Lifetime,' 'Someone Nice Like You,' and especially 'What Kind of Fool Am I?' As an index of the unusual quality of this score, recordings of tunes from the musical were being heard with swiftly rising frequency months before the production arrived in the United States.
   Mr. Newley has said that he and Leslie Bricusse tried to keep the music and the lyrics simple and thereby readily understood. He is obviously correct in holding to that goal. The best lyrics are always the simple ones; and a capacity for meaningful simplicity was the great talent, for example, of the late Oscar Hammerstein.
   A further asset is the show's very title, a phrase that will probably become part of our language. All these elements, a unique concept, delightful songs, and an unmistakably magnetic star, were decisive in my bringing 'Stop the World I Want To Get Off' to America. It is a pervasively entertaining musical experience and it should.