''A Dangerous Maid'' is a

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

with a book by Charles W. Bell, music by

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

and lyrics by

Ira Gershwin Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the 2 ...

(writing under the pseudonym "Arthur Francis"). The script is based on Bell's 1918 play ''A Dislocated Honeymoon''. The story concerns an ex-showgirl who elopes with a society boy, but his family tries to break up the marriage. The Gershwins wrote ten songs for the musical, eight of which were used in the production, which premiered in

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, on March 21, 1921. It toured through several cities and ended in

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, where it closed on April 16, 1921. The show was George Gershwin's second book musical and his first full score written with his brother Ira. The book is believed to be lost.Pollack, p. 255 The show is one of the few Gershwin musicals that never made it to

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

. The book was revised and retitled ''Elsie'' and, later, entirely new music was written for it by

Eubie Blake James Hubert "Eubie" Blake (February 7, 1887 – February 12, 1983) was an American pianist and composer of ragtime, jazz, and popular music. In 1921, he and his long-time collaborator Noble Sissle wrote '' Shuffle Along'', one of the first B ...

and others. This version was produced on Broadway in April 1923. Even though ''Elsie'' ran for only 40 performances, it made history as a rare early example of black songwriters writing for white performers.Pollack, p. 257 No one knows why director Edgar MacGregor abandoned the Gershwin score. Several of the songs were later reused, and

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

had a success in 1959 with her recording of " Boy Wanted".

Plot

Elsie Crofton, age eighteen, is a former chorus girl. She has given up the stage to elope with wealthy, spoiled, but good-hearted Harry Hammond, the son of a government contractor. Harry's parents, Phillip and Eleanor, his sister Margery and her fiancé Fred Blakely consider Elsie dangerous to their social position and oppose the marriage. They arrange for Harry to go to a family construction site, to interrupt the honeymoon, and send Elsie to stay at their summer home, where their family friends Alfie and Anne Westford are also staying. The family plans to destroy the marriage by placing Elsie in a compromising position with the willing and eager Fred. Anne also reveals her prejudices against Elsie. Elsie soon grasps the situation and decides to take action. She flirts with all the men, which dismays her visiting husband, but she gains the sympathies of Phillip, Fred and Alfie. Eleanor, Margery and Anne are furious, but Elsie reveals their scheme, and everybody reconciles.

Song list

;Surviving songs from ''A Dangerous Maid'' *Just to Know You are Mine – Elsie *Some Rain Must Fall – Elsie *The Simple Life – Elsie and Fred Blakely *Dancing Shoes – Elsie and Fred * Boy Wanted – Chorus Girls *The Sirens – Chorus Girls *Anything for You – Fred and Margery ;Songs from ''Elsie'' ;Act 1 *A Regular Guy – Parker and Girls *One Day in May – Girls *Hearts in Tune – Harry Hammond and Elsie *Elsie – Elsie *My Crinoline Girl – Harry, Elsie, Girls and Four Crinoline Girl Dancers ;Act 2 *I'd Like to Walk with a Pal Like You – Elsie and Fred *Two Lips Are Roses – Fred, Girls and Four Crinoline Girl Dancers *Baby Bunting – Margery Hammond and Fred *Honeymoon Home – Harry, Elsie and Girls *Sand Flowers – Elsie and Girls ;Act 3 *The Firefly – Elsie, Bunny and Girls *Symphonic Poem – Alfie Westford (music by Gene Salzer) *Everybody's Strutting Now – Fred, Margery and Girls *Thunderstorm Jazz – Anne Westford, Alfie, Margery, Fred, Girls and Four Goblins *Clouds of Love – Elsie

Productions

''A Dangerous Maid'' debuted in Atlantic City on March 21, 1921, with the production designed by the Robert Law Studios and staged by Edgar MacGregor, with help from

Eddie Leonard Eddie Leonard (October 17, 1870 – July 28, 1941), born Lemuel Golden Toney, was a vaudevillian and a man considered the greatest American minstrel of his day, at a time when minstrel shows were an acceptable and popular mainstream entertainm ...

and Julian Alfred and musical direction by Harold Vicars. The show featured Juliette Day as Elsie,

Creighton Hale Creighton Hale (born Patrick Fitzgerald; May 24, 1882 – August 9, 1965) was an Irish-American theatre, film, and television actor whose career extended more than a half-century, from the early 1900s to the end of the 1950s. Career Born in Cou ...

as Harry, Frederic Burt as Philip,

Amelia Bingham Amelia Swilley Bingham (March 20, 1869 – September 1, 1927) was an American actress from Hicksville, Ohio.''Amelia Bingham, Actress Is Dead'', New York Times, September 2, 1927, pg. 17. Her Broadway career extended from 1896 until 1926.

as Eleanor, Juanita Fletcher as Margery, Vinton Freedley as Fred, Arthur Shaw as Alfie, and

Ada Meade Ada Meade Saffarans (1884 - February 4, 1965) was an American actress known professionally as Ada Meade. She performed professionally in comic drama, comic opera, and musical comedy. Early years Meade was born in 1884 in Lexington, Kentucky. Her ...

as Anne. After Atlantic City, the show toured through

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...

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, Washington, D.C. and

, receiving warm reviews. During the tour,

Vivienne Segal Vivienne Sonia Segal (April 19, 1897 – December 29, 1992) was an American actress and singer. Early years Segal was born on April 19, 1897, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was the elder daughter of Jewish parents Bernhard Segal, a physician, ...

replaced Juliette Day and MacGregor renamed the show ''Elsie''. When the tour closed, MacGregor announced the show would be revised before any Broadway run. Two years later, the show finally made it to Broadway, retaining the name ''Elsie'', but with a rewritten book and a new score by

Noble Sissle Noble Lee Sissle (July 10, 1889 – December 17, 1975) was an American jazz composer, lyricist, bandleader, singer, and playwright, best known for the Broadway musical ''Shuffle Along'' (1921), and its hit song "I'm Just Wild About Harry". Ea ...

and

. Extra numbers were contributed by Alma Sanders and

Monte Carlo Monte Carlo (; ; french: Monte-Carlo , or colloquially ''Monte-Carl'' ; lij, Munte Carlu ; ) is officially an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is ...

. ''Elsie'' ran for 40 performances. Freedley played Harry this time, Burt and Meade returned as Philip and Anne,

Stanley Ridges Stanley Charles Ridges (17 July 1890 – 22 April 1951) was an English-born, American actor who made more than 100 appearances in theatre and movies from 1917 to 1951. After his American film debut in ''Success'' (1923), he appeared in films s ...

played Fred,

Maude Turner Gordon Maude Turner Gordon (November 10, 1868 – January 12, 1940) was an American actress who appeared in 81 films between 1914 and 1938. Biography Born in Franklin, Indiana, Gordon was the daughter of Alexander and Nancy Wright Turner. She wa ...

played Eleanor, and Marguerite Zender was Elsie.

In popular culture

In Season 2 of the television series '' Boardwalk Empire'', Episode 3 takes its name from this musical, as a character rehearses for a role in ''A Dangerous Maid''.

Notes

References

*Pollack, Howard
''George Gershwin: his life and work''
University of California Press, 2006 {{DEFAULTSORT:Dangerous Maid 1921 musicals Musicals set in the Roaring Twenties Musicals by George and Ira Gershwin