The New Yorkers

The New Yorkers [program]

A Musical Comedy / Revue in Two Acts
Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
Additional songs by Jimmy Durante, Chas. Henderson, and Fred Waring
[only Porter songs listed]
Book by Herbert Fields, based on a story
by E. Ray Goetz and Peter Arno

Tryouts began November 12, 1930
at the Chestnut Street Opera
House, Philadelphia
November 24, 1930 at the
Shubert Theatre, Newark

Opened December 8, 1930 at B. S. Moss's Broadway Theatre, NYC
Ran for 168 performances
Produced by E. Ray Goetz
Directed by Monty Woolley
Choreography by George Hale
Costumes by Peter Arno, Charles Le Maire
Set Design by Dale Stetson
Orchestrations by Hans Spialek
Musical Direction by Al Goodman

Synopsis

During socialite Alice Wentworth's fling with bootlegger Al Spanish, she joins in a subterranean escape from the police, visits a bootlegging factory, arranges a raid on a speakeasy she's running out of her home, and masterminds a jailbreak.  A character named Jimmy Deegan is on hand to offer musical salutes to money, wood, data, and the Hot Patata; to invent an alcholic tonic called Licquor Lax; to murder his archrival Feet McGeehan four times; and to preside over the wedding of Al and Alice, for which the bridemaids carry bouquets of bombs and the maid-of-honor wields a pistol.

Cast

Hope Williams (Alice Wentworth), Charles King (Al Spanish), Jimmy Durante (Jimmy Deegan), Ann Pennington (Lola McGee), Frances Williams (Mona Low), Marie Cahill (Gloria Wentworth), Lou Clayton (Oscar Gregory), Eddie Jackson (Grover McGeehan), Richard Carle (Dr. Windham Wentworth), Iris Adrian (), Kathryn Crawford (May), Ralph Glover (Burns), Paul Huber (Dr. Dortland Jenks), Barrie Oliver (James Livingston), Oscar Ragland (Mildew), Tammany Young (Butch McGeehan), Marjorie Arnold (Nurse), Charles Angelo (Felix), Maurice Lapue (Alfredo Gomez), Billy Culloo (Dopey), Donald McGinnis (Attendant at Sing Sing), Stanley Harrison (Plague), the Three Girl Friends (June Shafer, Ida Pearson, and Stella Friend), and Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians

Note: Kathryn Crawford was replaced by Elisabeth Welch in mid-January, 1931

Musical Numbers

    Act One

  • "Go Into Your Dance" - Mona and Ensemble
  • "Where Have You Been?" - Alice and Al
  • "Say It With Gin" - Ensemble
  • "Venice" - Alice, Jimmy, Oscar and Grover
  • "I'm Getting Myself Ready For You" - Mona, James, Lola and Alfredo
  • "Love For Sale" - May and the Three Girl Friends
  • "The Great Indoors" - Mona and Ensemble

    • Act Two

  • "Sing Sing for Sing Sing" - Al, with Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians
  • "Take Me Back to Manhattan" - Mona
  • "Let's Fly Away" - Al and Alice
  • "I Happen to Like New York" [added after the New York opening] - Mildew

Cut Songs

  • "Just One of Those Things" [NOT the same song written for Jubilee; dropped during the Philadelphia tryout and replaced by "Take Me Back to Manhattan"; sung by Frances Williams]
  • "The Poor Rich" [dropped before the New York opening; sung by Hope Williams, Eddie Jackson and Lou Clayton]
  • "We've Been Spending the Summers With Our Families" [Alternate title: "Opening Scene 1"; dropped before the Philadelphia tryout]
  • "Mona and Her Kiddies" [dropped before the New York opening]
  • "Where Can One Powder One's Nose? [Alternate title: "Opening Reuben's Scene"; unused]
  • "You've Got to Be Hard-Boiled [unused]
  • "My Louisa" [unused; originally intended for Wake Up and Sing]
  • "Why Talk About Sex?" [unused]
  • "It Only Happens in Dreams" [unused]
  • "I'm Haunted By You" [unused]
  • "I've Got to Be Psychoanalyzed By You" [unused]
  • "You're Too Far Away" [unused; later considered for Nymph Errant]
  • "But He Never Says He Loves Me" [dropped before the New York opening; used in Nymph Errant with slight lyrical changes and title changed to "The Physician"]

Original Cast Recordings

"Love for Sale" / "Where Have You Been" - Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians with the Three Waring Girls

  • 78 RPM, 1931 [Victor 22598] Charted March 14, 1931; peaked at #14

Contemporaneous Recordings

"I'm Getting Myself Ready for You" - Blanche Calloway

  • 78 RPM, 1931 [Victor 22659]

"Where Have You Been?" / "I'm Getting Myself Ready for You" - Emil Coleman & His Orchestra

  • 78 RPM, 1930 [Brunswick 6006] A-side charted on December 27, 1930; peaked at #6

"Love for Sale" - Libby Holman

  • 78 RPM, 1931 [Brunswick 6044] Charted on February 21, 1931; peaked at #5

"Love for Sale" - Ralph Bennett and His Seven Aces

  • 78 RPM, 1931 [Melotone M-12108]

"Love for Sale" - Fred Rich and His Orchestra

  • 78 RPM, 1931 [Odeon ONY-36816]

"Love for Sale" - Ben Selvin and His Orchestra

  • 78 RPM, 1931 [Columbia 2400-D]

"Love for Sale" - Sam Wooding and His Orchestra

  • 78 RPM, 1931 [Brunswick A-500097]

"Love for Sale" - Hal Kemp and His Orchestra

  • 78 RPM, 1939 [Victor 26278] Charted July 8, 1939; peaked at #14


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