Louisiana Purchase (musical)
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Louisiana Purchase is a musical with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin and book by Morrie Ryskind based on a story by B. G. DeSylva. Set in New Orleans, the musical lightly satirises Louisiana Governor Huey Long and his control over Louisiana politics.<ref>Bordman, Gerald (2001). American Musical Theater: A Chronicle. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press. Template:ISBN, pg. 573</ref> An honest U.S. senator travels to Louisiana to investigate corruption in the Louisiana Purchase Company; the company's lawyer attempts to divert him via the attentions of two beautiful women, but the senator maintains his integrity and ends up marrying one of them. In 1941 it was adapted for the film Louisiana Purchase directed by Irving Cummings.
The show opened at the Shubert Brothers' Imperial Theatre, New York City on May 28, 1940 and ran for 444 performances. It was produced by Buddy De Sylva, who also wrote the story, and staged by Edgar MacGregor. The musical orchestrations were by Robert Emmett Dolan and N. Lang Van Cleve, with the ballets by George Balanchine and the musical staging and dances by Carl Randall. On June 19, 1996, a concert version with the complete score was recorded at Carnegie Hall (during four performances), including three additional songs cut from the original album.
Songs
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- Act I
- The Letter - Sam Liebowitz
- Apologia - Secretary, Sam Liebowitz and Ensemble
- Sex Marches On - Jim Taylor, Col. Davis D. Davis Sr., Davis D. Davis Jr., Dean Manning and Police Captain Whitfield
- Louisiana Purchase - Beatrice, The Martins, the Buccaneers and Ensemble
- It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow - Madame Bordelaise
- Louisiana Purchase (Reprise) - Beatrice, Emmy-Lou, Lee Davis, The Martins and Ensemble
- Outside of That I Love You - Jim Taylor and Marina van Linden
- You're Lonely and I'm Lonely - Marina van Linden and Senator Oliver P. Loganberry
- (Dance with Me) Tonight at the Mardi Gras - The Martins
- Act II
- Latins Know How - Madame Bordelaise and Ensemble
- What Chance Have I (with Love) - Senator Oliver P. Loganberry
- The Lord Done Fixed Up My Soul - Beatrice, Abner, the Buccaneers and Ensemble
- Fools Fall in Love - Jim Taylor and Marina van Linden
- Old Man's Darling - Young Man's Slave? - Marina van Linden, Spirit of Jim Taylor and Spirit of Senator Loganberry
- You Can't Brush Me Off - Emmy-Lou, Lee Davis and The Martins
Casts
| Original Broadway (1940) | Film Adaptation (1941) | New York Concert (1996) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Taylor | William Gaxton | Bob Hope | Michael McGrath |
| Marina van Linden | Vera Zorina | Judy Blazer | |
| Senator Oliver P. Loganberry | Victor Moore | George S. Irving | |
| Madame Yvonne Bordelaise | Irène Bordoni | Taina Elg | |
| Emmy-Lou | April Ames | Phyllis Ruth | Alet Oury |
| Beatrice | Carol Bruce | Dona Drake | Debbie Gravitte |
| Alphonse | Charles La Torre | Keith Byron Kirk | |
| Colonel Davis D. Davis Sr. | Robert Pitkin | Raymond Walburn | John Wylie |
| Colonel Davis D. Davis Jr. | Ray Mayer | Michael Morotta | |
| Lee Davis | Nick Long Jr. | James Ludwig | |
| Dean Joseph T. Manning | Ralph Riggs | Andrew Tombes | Merwin Goldsmith |
| Police Captain Whitfield | Edward H. Robins | Donald MacBride | Rick Crom |
| Sam Liebowitz | John Eliot | Emory Parnell | Merwin Goldsmith |
| Secretary | Georgia Carroll | Iris Meredith | Erin Dilly |
References
Sources
- Suskin, Steven (2000) "Showtunes", 3rd ed. Oxford University Press; Template:ISBN
External links
- Louisiana Purchase at the Internet Broadway Database, ibdb.com. Accessed March 25, 2024.