''Make a Wish'' 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 Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...

with a book by Preston Sturges and

Abe Burrows Abe Burrows (born Abram Solman Borowitz; December 18, 1910 – May 17, 1985) was an American humorist, author, and director for radio and the stage. He won a Tony Award and was selected for two Pulitzer Prizes, only one of which was awarded. Ear ...

, who was not credited, and music and lyrics by Hugh Martin. Based on Sturges' screenplay for the 1935 film '' The Good Fairy'', which in turn is based on the 1930 play of the same name by

Ferenc Molnár Ferenc Molnár ( , ; born Ferenc Neumann; 12 January 18781 April 1952), often anglicized as Franz Molnar, was a Hungarian-born author, stage-director, dramatist, and poet, widely regarded as Hungary’s most celebrated and controversial play ...

as translated by Jane Hinton, the musical focuses on Janette, who experiences various adventures, including love with young artist Paul Dumont, when she abandons her tour group during a visit to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

. Sturges' primary motivation for writing the book was financial, as he was deeply in debt at the time., p.319 The musical opened 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 ...

on April 18, 1951 at the

Winter Garden Theatre The Winter Garden Theatre is a Broadway theatre at 1634 Broadway in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It opened in 1911 under designs by architect William Albert Swasey. The Winter Garden's current design dates to 1922, when ...

where it ran for a total of 102 performances until it closed on July 14, 1951. The production was produced by Harry Rigby,

Jule Styne Jule Styne (; born Julius Kerwin Stein; December 31, 1905 – September 20, 1994) was an English-American songwriter and composer best known for a series of Broadway musicals, including several famous frequently-revived shows that also becam ...

and Alexander H. Cohen; staged by John C. Wilson; and choreographed by

Gower Champion Gower Carlyle Champion (June 22, 1919 – August 25, 1980) was an American actor, theatre director, choreographer, and dancer. Early years Champion was born on June 22, 1919, in Geneva, Illinois, as the son of John W. Champion and Beatrice Car ...

. Raoul Pène Du Bois designed the sets, lights, and costumes for the production. The original cast included

Nanette Fabray Nanette Fabray (born Ruby Bernadette Nanette Theresa Fabares; October 27, 1920 – February 22, 2018) was an American actress, singer, and dancer. She began her career performing in vaudeville as a child and became a musical-theatre actress dur ...

as Janette, Harold Lang as Ricky,

Melville Cooper George Melville Cooper (15 October 1896 – 13 March 1973) was an English actor. His many notable screen roles include the High Sheriff of Nottingham in ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1938), Mr. Collins in ''Pride and Prejudice'' (1940) and ...

as Marius Frigo,

Stephen Douglass Stephen Douglass (September 27, 1921 – December 20, 2011) was an American actor-singer. Born Stephen Fitch in Mount Vernon, Ohio, Douglass had a distinguished theatrical career and appeared occasionally on television. He was the last perform ...

as Paul Dumont,

Helen Gallagher Helen Gallagher (born July 19, 1926) is an American actress, dancer, and singer. She is the recipient of three Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and a Drama Desk Award. Early years Born in Brooklyn, she was raised in Scarsdale, New York, and the Br ...

as Poupette,

Phil Leeds Phil Leeds (April 6, 1916 – August 16, 1998) was an American character actor. He is best known for appearing in many movies and television series, including guest appearances in ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'', '' Maude'', ''Friends'', ''Barney ...

as Dr. Francel, Eda Heinemann as Dr. Didier, and Howard Wendell as the policeman.

Song list

Act I * The Tour Must Go On * I Wanna Be Good'n Bad * The Time Step * (You're Just) What I Was Warned About * Who Gives a Sou? * Folies Labiche Overture (Hello, Hello, Hello) * Tonight You Are in Paree * When Does This Feeling Go Away * Suits Me Fine * Students Ball * Paris, France Act II * That Face! * Make a Wish * I'll Never Make a Frenchman Out of You * Over and Over * The Sale (Ballet) * Over and Over (Reprise) * Who Gives a Sou? (Reprise) * Take Me Back to Texas With You * Suits Me Fine (Reprise) * Finale

References

Notes

External links

* * * {{Preston Sturges 1951 musicals Broadway musicals Musicals based on plays Musicals based on films Plays by Preston Sturges