Milk and Honey (musical) Milk and Honey (musical) Milk and Honey is a musical with a book by Don Appell and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman. The story centers on a busload of lonely American widows hoping to catch husbands while touring Israel and is set against the backdrop of the country's struggle for recognition as an independent nation. It was Herman's first Broadway book musical following a succession of off-Broadway revues. Herman was playing the piano for "Parade", his most recent revue following "I Feel Wonderful" and "Nitecap", when he was approached by theatre producer Gerard Oestreicher, who was seeking a composer
Milk and Honey (musical) moved on to the Colonial Theatre in Boston, playing there from September 5 - 23. After one preview, "Milk and Honey" opened on Broadway on October 10, 1961 in the Martin Beck Theatre and ran for 543 performances. In addition to Picon, the show featured Metropolitan Opera stars Mimi Benzell and Robert Weede, and dancer-singer Tommy Rall. Hermione Gingold replaced Picon later in the run. The musical director was Max Goberman. "New York Times" theater critic Howard Taubman praised the musical for its "heartwarming integrity" and for "taste and imagination," and lauded its performances, especially Picon's. The musical was revived