175. Babes in Arms 1937
Musical Comedy in Two Acts and Fourteen Scenes
- Music
Music by Richard Rodgers. Lyrics by Lorenz Hart. Book by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. Orchestrations by Hans Spialek
- Choreography
George Balanchine. Assistant to Mr. Balanchine: Johnny Pierce
- Production
Production under the supervision of Dwight Deere Wiman. Produced by Dwight Deere Wiman. Staged by Robert Sinclair. Scenery by Raymond Sovey. Costumes by Helene Pons. Scenery built by Turner Scenic Construction Company and painted by Robert Bergman Studio and Triangle Studio; costumes executed by Helene Pons Studio
- Premiere
April 14, 1937, Shubert Theatre, New York. Conductor: Gene Salzer. Pianists: Edgar Fairchild and Adam Carroll. (Out-of-town preview: March 25, Shubert Theatre, Boston.)
- Cast
Val LaMar, Ray Heatherton; Marshall Blackstone, Alfred Drake; Billie Smith, Mitzi Green; Lee Calhoun, Dana Hardwick; Peter, Duke McHale; Baby Rose, Wynn Murray; Ivor and Irving de Quincy, Harold and Fayard Nicholas; and others.
I WISH I WERE IN LOVE AGAIN (Act I, Scene 3): Rolly Pickert, Grace Mcdonald (specialty dancers).
ALL DARK PEOPLE (Act I, Scene 4): The Nicholas Brothers.
LEE CALHOUN’S FOLLIES (Act I, Scene 9), performed to the song ‘Johnny One-Note’: The Singer, Wynn Murray; The Child, Douglas Perry; The High Priest, Alfred Drake; The Priestess, Elenore Tennis; The Nubians, The Nicholas Brothers; The Acrobat, Bobby Lane; The Specialty Dancers, Mitzi Green and Duke McHale; ensemble. This dance sequence included an Egyptian ballet.
BALLET: PETER’S JOURNEY (Act II, Scene 2, Dream Ballet to the song ‘Imagine’): The Prince, McHale; His Attendants, Kenneth Wilkins, Leroy James; Rockefeller, RoIly Pickert; The Mermaid, Tennis; Greta Garbo, Gedda Petry; Marlene Dietrich, Ursula Seiler; Clark Gable, Ted Gary; ensemble. DUET (untitled): Grace and Ray McDonald.
YOU ARE SO FAIR (Act II, Scene 3): Pickert, Grace McDonald.
Performance Type
Musical Theater
Note
289 performances. PETER’S JOURNEY is considered to be the first dream ballet on Broadway, introducing a form that was to become popular in American musicals. Peter dreams an imaginary journey around the world, to Hollywood, to Europe, to the African wilds, and back to reality.
Constance Valis Hill
