''Courtin' Time'' is a musical in 2 Acts adapted by William Roos from

Eden Phillpotts Eden Phillpotts (4 November 1862 – 29 December 1960) was an English author, poet and dramatist. He was born in Mount Abu, India, was educated in Plymouth, Devon, and worked as an insurance officer for ten years before studying for the stage a ...

's 1916 play ''

The Farmer's Wife ''The Farmer's Wife'' is a 1928 British silent romantic comedy film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Jameson Thomas, Lillian Hall-Davis and Gordon Harker. It is adapted from a 1916 play of the same name by British novelist, poet an ...

'', with lyrics and music by Jack Lawrence and Don Walker.Atkinson, p. 30 Set in the state of

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...

in the year 1898, the musical centers around the character of the widower Samuel Rilling who asks his long time housekeeper, Araminta, to aid him in finding a new wife. Araminta herself loves Samuel, but agrees to help him. After several potential candidates all end in failure for a variety of reasons, Rilling discovers that the ideal candidate is in fact Araminta. ''Courtin' Time'' premiered on

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 ...

at the

Nederlander Theatre The Nederlander Theatre (formerly the National Theatre, the Billy Rose Theatre, and the Trafalgar Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 208 West 41st Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1921, it was des ...

(then known as the National Theatre) on June 13, 1951 in a production directed by

Alfred Drake Alfred Drake (October 7, 1914 – July 25, 1992) was an American actor and singer. Biography Born as Alfred Capurro in New York City, the son of parents emigrated from Recco, Genoa, Drake began his Broadway career while still a student at Broo ...

and using choreography by George Balanchine.

Ralph Alswang Ralph Alswang (April 12, 1916 – February 1979) was an American theatre and film director, designer, and producer. He designed scenery, lighting, and costumes for nearly 100 Broadway productions. He also designed venues such as the George Gershwin ...

served as the production's lighting and scenic designer, and Saul Bolasni designed the costumes. The cast was led by

Joe E. Brown Joseph Evans Brown (July 28, 1891 – July 6, 1973) was an American actor and comedian, remembered for his friendly screen persona, comic timing, and enormous elastic-mouth smile. He was one of the most popular American comedians in the 19 ...

as Samuel Rilling and

Billie Worth Billie Worth (born October 20, 1916) is an American former actress who performed on Broadway and in other venues from regional theater in the United States to European capitals. Her name is sometimes seen as Billy Worth, and she is also known a ...

as Araminta. Other members of the cast included Carmen Mathews as Theresa Tapper,

Rosemary Kuhlmann Rosemary Kuhlmann (January 30, 1922 – August 17, 2019) was an American operatic mezzo-soprano and Broadway musical actress best known for originating the role of the Mother in Gian Carlo Menotti's '' Amahl and the Night Visitors'', the first o ...

as Sadie, and Joseph Sweeney as Mr. Hearn. In mid run the production moved to the Royale Theatre (now the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre) where it closed on July 14, 1951 after 37 performances.Dietz, p. 77

References

Works cited

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Courtin Time 1951 musicals Broadway musicals Musicals choreographed by George Balanchine Musicals based on plays Musicals by William Roos Musicals set in Maine