| The Straw Hat Revue | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Music | Sylvia Fine and James Shelton |
| Lyrics | Sylvia Fine and James Shelton |
| Book | Max Liebman and Samuel Locke |
The Straw Hat Revue is a musical comedy revue with sketches mostly by Max Liebman and Samuel Locke, and music and lyrics by Sylvia Fine and James Shelton. It was produced on Broadway in 1939.
Production
[edit]The Straw Hat Revue started life as a 1939 summer theatre revue at Camp Tamiment, Bushkill, PA. It was discovered by the Broadway producer, Harry Kaufman, and reorganized into a Broadway show produced by Mr. Kaufman and Messrs. Shubert (Lee and J.J.).[1] The Straw Hat Revue premiered on Broadway at the Ambassador Theatre on September 29, 1939, and closed on December 2, 1939, after 75 performances.[2] It was conceived and staged by Max Liebman with choreography by Jerome Andrews, and settings by Edward Gilbert. The orchestra was under the direction of Edward A. Hunt.[3] The cast included Imogene Coca, Danny Kaye, Alfred Drake, Jerome Robbins, Mata & Hari, and James Shelton[4]
Songs
[edit]- Act I
- “Crashing Thru” (by Sylvia Fine) – Entire Company
- “Four Young People” (by James Shelton) – Alfred Drake, Dorothy Bird, Jerome Andrews, Albia Kavan
- “Anatole of Paris” (by Sylvia Fine) – Danny Kaye and Models
- “Tramping on Life” (by Max Liebman and James Shelton; special music by Glenn Bacon) – Robert Burton, Imogene Coca, James Shelton
- “The Swingaroo Trio” (by Sylvia Fine) – Imogene Coca, Robert Burton, Danny Kaye
- “The Great Chandelier” (by Sylvia Fine) – Robert Burton, Herbert Shepard, James Shelton, Danny Kaye, Imogene Coca, Lee Brody, Boys and Girls
- Act II
- “Crazy Cactus” (by Sylvia Fine) – Alfred Drake
- “Our Town” (by James Shelton) – James Shelton and several others
- “Soused American Way” – Alfred Drake
- “Finale” (lyrics by Sylvia Fine) – Entire Company
Reception
[edit]Brooks Atkinson of The New York Times said, “. . . a cheerful lark very much worth holding over into the felt hat season. . . . Put it down as the first pleasant surprise of the season. . . . written, acted and staged with skill and relish.” [5]
References
[edit]- ^ "Blast from the Past: ‘The Straw Hat Revue (1939),’ http://shubert.nyc/community/archive-the-straw-hat-revue
- ^ The Straw Hat Revue, Internet Broadway Database, accessed August 9, 2020
- ^ https://www.playbill.com/playbillpagegallery/inside-playbill?asset=00000150-aea2-d936-a7fd-eef607c00002&type=InsidePlaybill&slide=1 [dead link]
- ^ Mantle, Burns, The Best Plays of 1939-40, Dodd, Mead and Company, New York, 1940, p. 400
- ^ The New York Times, Saturday, September 30, 1939, p. 10
Sources
[edit]- Mantle, Burns (ed.), “The Best Plays of 1939-40”, Dodd, Mead and Company, New York, 1940, p. 400