''Rainbow'' 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 ...

in two acts with music by Vincent Youmans, lyrics by

Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and (usually uncredited) director in the musical theater for almost 40 years. He won eight Ton ...

, and a book co-authored by Laurence Stallings and Hammerstein. After flopping on Broadway in 1928, it was adapted by Warner Bros. into the 1930 Western musical film '' Song of the West''.

Performance history

''Rainbow'' premiered on Broadway at the

Gallo Opera House Studio 54 is a Broadway theater and a former disco nightclub at 254 West 54th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Operated by the Roundabout Theatre Company, Studio 54 has 1,006 seats on two levels. The theater was ...

on November 21, 1928. While critics praised the quality of the show and in particular the higher standard of the dialogue, the length of the show was deemed too long, and technical troubles with sets made scene changes delay the action of the play. The opening premiere extended more than four hours, and several critics commented that the show should have been in development longer in

tryout ''Tryout'' was an amateur press journal published from 1914 to 1946 by Charles W. Smith of Haverhill, Massachusetts. It was connected to the National Amateur Press Association. Smith (1852–1948) was a friend and correspondent of H. P. Lovecraft ...

performances in order to make necessary cuts and other adjustments to make the production smoother and the length shorter. The musical ran for just 29 performances; closing on December 15, 1928. The Broadway production was produced by Philip Goodman, directed by Hammerstein, and choreographed by Busby Berkeley. Max Steiner orchestrated the music, and served as the show's music director. The costumes were designed by Charles LeMaire and the sets by Frank E. Gates and Edward A. Morange. It starred Allan Prior as Harry Stanton, Louise Brown as Virginia Brown,

Libby Holman Elizabeth Lloyd Holman (née Holzman; May 23, 1904 – June 18, 1971) was an American socialite, actress, singer, and activist. Early life Elizabeth Lloyd Holzman was born May 23, 1904, in Cincinnati, Ohio, the daughter of a lawyer and stockbrok ...

as Lotta, Rupert Lucas as Major Davolo, Brian Donlevy as Captain Robert Singleton, Henry Pemberton as Colonel Brown, and

Helen Lynd Helen Merrell Lynd (March 17, 1896 – January 30, 1982) was an American sociologist, social philosopher, educator, and author. She is best known for conducting the first Middletown studies of Muncie, Indiana, with her husband, Robert Staughto ...

as Penny.

Plot

Set in the years 1849–1851, the plot follows the soldier Harry Stanton who is stationed at Fort Independence in Missouri and is in love with Virginia, the daughter of his commanding officer. He is dishonorably discharged and sentenced to prison after killing Major Davolo, a troublemaker, in self-defense. He escapes and flees to California with Virginia during the

1849 Gold Rush The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California from ...

. The couple marry along the journey, and eventually arrive in the mining town of

Red Dog, California Red Dog (also known as Brooklyn or Brooklin) was a California gold rush mining town located in the Gold Country in south-central Nevada County, California, United States, northeast of Chicago Park. Red Dog Hill, a mine and campsite, was founde ...

. When finding gold leads to naught, the couple relocate to Sacramento, California where Harry establishes a gambling house much to the chagrin of Virginia. There marriage begins to fall apart. After other misadventures, Harry and Virginia reconcile in San Francisco had Harry's good name and military record are cleared when he is exonerated from his murder conviction.

References

External links

*{{IBDB show, id=10785 1928 musicals Broadway musicals Musicals by Oscar Hammerstein II Musicals by Vincent Youmans Musicals set in California Musicals set in Missouri Musicals set in the 1840s Musicals set in the 1850s California Gold Rush in fiction