Breakfast at Tiffany's

Breakfast at Tiffany's

From Closing Night by Patrick Oliver Jones

July 7, 2025 · 54 min · Season 2 · Episode 10

About this episode

This episode explores the chaotic history of the Broadway musical adaptation of Breakfast at Tiffany's, detailing its disastrous production and infamous status as a flop.

You know the book. You know the movie. But do you know the Broadway musical that lasted just three days? In the mid-1960s, producer David Merrick (the notorious "Abominable Showman") had a glittering vision: transform Truman Capote's beloved Breakfast at Tiffany's into a Broadway musical. He assembled a dream team: beloved TV star Mary Tyler Moore as Holly Golightly, heartthrob Richard Chamberlain, and legendary director Abe Burrows. What could go wrong? Almost everything. In this episode, we unravel the chaotic, star-studded saga of Breakfast at Tiffany's. From disastrous out-of-town tryouts and frantic rewrites to a rough stint on the road before trying to make it to Broadway, this is the story of a glamorous failure that became one of the most infamous flops in theater history. Discover how a show with every ingredient for success spiraled into a legendary disaster that nearly derailed the careers of its leading stars. --- Theme music created by Blake Stadnik. Click ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ for a transcript and list of all resources used. Produced by Patrick Oliver Jones and WINMI Media with Dan Delgado as co-producer. One of the pieces of background music in this episode is "Mom n' Pa" by…

People in this episode

Host: Patrick Oliver Jones

Topics covered

  • Broadway musical
  • theater history
  • failed productions
  • David Merrick
  • Mary Tyler Moore
  • chaotic performances

Keywords

  • Breakfast at Tiffany's
  • Broadway musical
  • David Merrick
  • Mary Tyler Moore
  • theater flop
  • chaotic production
  • Truman Capote

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: WINMI Media, Beat Mekanik

Books & works: Breakfast at Tiffany's

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