Kern–Oh,Lady Overture youtube

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In A Walkthrough Shows, Songs and More
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With the show, Oh, Lady! Lady!, the B-W-K era at the Princess Theatre came to an end. Many people, including myself, feel that the score was not as good as the ones Kern wrote for the previous three shows; but, hey, it is still very, very good. Guy Bolton gave an interview, in which he discussed the progress in the art of writing librettos: “Our musical comedies … depend as much upon plot and the development of their characters for success as upon their music, and because they deal with subjects and peoples near to the audiences.”

I agree with Bolton to the extent that we traded European uniforms for garden parties; however, the same plot twists continued to be used as before: the former fiancee who shows up the day of the wedding; the bridegroom accused of the theft of some pearls; the best friend who has a very weird sense of humor; the valet who did time in Sing Sing.

Bolton and Wodehouse excelled at these types of mis-matched characters and awkward situations; their dialogue and lyrics provided a great deal of amusement. However, there was no serious dramatic plot; it was gay frivolity, and Kern’s lilting tunes matched the good humor of the plot.

It is important that we not judge the merits of the plot, using a retrospective lens with our 2018 perceptions. In the contemporaneous New York Times review of February 1, 1918, the reviewer said: “If the offering lacks highly sensational features, it has the rarer virtue of being thoroughly well rounded and virtually flawless. The book, by Bolton and Wodehouse, has a measurably novel plot that actually sustains interest for itself alone.”

The show starts at the Farrington living room in Hempstead, Long Island, very near to the actual home of Guy Bolton before he moved to the Hamptons. Mollie Farrington is about to marry Willoughby “Bill” Finch, much to the dismay of Mollie’s mother. Hale Underwood is Bill’s friend, and May Barber is Bill’s ex-fiancee. Spike Hudgins is Bill’s valet and a graduate of Sing Sing, and Spike plans to marry Fanny Welch, a pickpocket with a very light touch.

This gives us three romantic pairings: Mollie and Bill; May and Hale; and Fanny and Spike. They all were given splendid duets to sing to each other.

One historical note: Mollie was originally played by Vivienne Segal. She was a talented actress and singer who had many starring roles on Broadway, including Margot in The Desert Song; but she will be best remembered for creating the role of Vera Simpson in the 1940 musical by Rodgers and Hart, Pal Joey. She also played the role of Morgan LeFay in the 1943 revival of Connecticut Yankee; Larry Hart wrote “To Keep My Love Alive” specifically for her. It was one of the last lyrics he ever wrote; he died the same year.

Here is the effervescent Overture, conducted by John McGlinn.

0-0.40: I can’t place this song
0:40-1:52: “Not Yet” (duet for Mollie and Bill)
1:53-2:20: “Little Ships Come Sailing Home” (Mollie and Girls)
2:20-3:30: “Our Little Nest” (Fanny and Spike)
3:32-4:35: “Moon” (The Moon Song) (Miss Clarette Cupp/Ensemble)
4:37-5:35: “You Found Me and I Found You” (May and Hale)
5:40-6:43: “Do Look at Him” (Mollie and Girls)
6:55-end: “Waiting Around the Corner” (May and Boys)