Jerome Kern "GOWNS BY ROBERTA" Bob Hope / Lyda Roberti 1933 Tryout Playbill

Description

I'm currently listing a large number of playbills from out-of-town tryouts prior to the Broadway runs. Many are from early performances when revisions were common and include song titles that were cut before opening in New York. (See cut songs below.) ....... This
is a rare October 23rd, 1933 "Playgoer" playbill from the Pre-Broadway engagement of the JEROME KERN and OTTO HARBACH musical comedy "GOWNS BY ROBERTA" at the Forrest Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (The production would be retitled "ROBERTA" before opening November 18th, 1933
at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City
where it would run for 295 performances.) ..... The musical which introduced the standard, "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" starred BOB HOPE, TAMARA, LYDA ROBERTI and RAYMOND MIDDLETON
and the cast included
IMOGENE COCA (whose role of "Baby Face" was eliminated during tryouts), JOHN PETERS, GEORGE MURPHY, JULIE JOHNSON,
GRETCHEN SHERMAN,
FAY TEMPLETON,
WILLIAM HAIN,
SYDNEY GREENSTREET,
MAVIS WALSH,
MARION ROSS,
BERENICE ALAIRE,
NAYAN PEARCE, ED JEROME,
BOBETTE CHRISTINE, META CARLYLE
(whose role of "Valerie" was eliminated during tryouts),
JOHN MUCCIO, BASIL PROCK
(whose role of "Street Singer" was eliminated during tryouts),
KARL THEMAN
(whose role of "Street Singer" was eliminated during tryouts),
EUGENE PRUSSING
(whose role of "Street Singer" was eliminated during tryouts),
WILLIAM TORPEY,
VIRGINIA WHITMORE, GEORGE DJIMOS, STANISLAW SARMATOFF, FRED MacMURRAY, ALAN JONES and the CALIFORNIA COLLEGIANS ..... CREDITS: Music by JEROME KERN ("Show Boat", "The Cat and the Fiddle", "Sunny", "Roberta", "Very Good Eddie", "Leave It To Jane", "Sally", "Music In the Air", "Very Warm For May"); Book and Lyrics by OTTO HARBACH ("Bright Eyes", "The Cat and the Fiddle", "Roberta", "The Firefly", "Wildflower", "Sunny", "Rose-Marie", "Song of the Flame", "The Desert Song", "No, No, Nanette") adapted from ALICE DUER MILLER's novel "Gowns by Roberta"; Sets designed by CLARK ROBINSON; Costumes designed by KIVIETTE; Choreographed by JOHN LONERGAN (replaced out-of-town by JOSE LIMON and the CHARLES WEIDMAN GROUP); Directed by
JEROME KERN and OTTO HARBACH
; Produced by MAX GORDON ..... The playbill also includes the credits for the Post-Broadway engagement of the S. N. BEHRMAN comedy "BIOGRAPHY" at Philadelphia's Chestnut Street Opera House ..... DETAILS: The sixteen page playbill measures 5 1/4" X 7 3/4" inches and includes full production credits, cast list, synopsis of scenes, list of musical numbers and wonderful vintage advertising, but no cast photos or bios
..... CUT SONGS: The list of musical numbers includes "Armful of Trouble" and "Clementina" which were cut out-of-town
..... CONDITION: With the exception of the date written at the top of the "Biography" title page and light edge wear, this rare playbill is in excellent condition and will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any musical theatre aficionado or historian. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective, carded sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard.