''Sweet Adeline'' is a musical with music by

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over ...

, book and 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 original orchestration by Robert Russell Bennett. It 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 ...

in 1929. The story, set in the

Gay Nineties The Gay Nineties is an American nostalgic term and a periodization of the history of the United States referring to the decade of the 1890s. It is known in the United Kingdom as the Naughty Nineties, and refers there to the decade of supposedly ...

, concerns a

Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,690 i ...

girl who, unlucky in love, becomes a Broadway star.

Production history

The musical opened at Hammerstein's Theatre on September 3, 1929 and closed March 22, 1930, after 234 performances. Produced by Arthur Hammerstein the show was directed by Reginald Hammerstein (the brother of Oscar Hammerstein II) and was choreographed by

Danny Dare Danny Dare (March 20, 1905, New York City – November 20, 1996, Tarzana, Los Angeles, California) was an American choreographer, actor, director, writer, and producer of the stage, screen, and film.Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 1996: Film, ...

. The cast on opening night included Charles Butterworth and

Helen Morgan Helen Morgan may refer to: *Helen Morgan (singer) Helen Morgan (née Riggins; August 2, 1900 – October 9, 1941) was an American singer and actress who worked in films and on the stage. A quintessential torch singer, she made a big splash in ...

. The

Goodspeed Opera House Goodspeed Musicals is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and advancement of musical theater and the creation of new works, located in East Haddam, Connecticut. A distinctive feature of the view from the Connecticut River, th ...

, East Haddam, Connecticut, produced the musical in May 1977, starring Cynthia Wells. In 1985 a concert presentation was given at The Town Hall, New York as part of a Jerome Kern centennial celebration, which featured

Judy Kaye Judy Kaye (born October 11, 1948) is an American singer and actress. She has appeared in stage musicals, plays, and operas. Kaye has been in long runs on Broadway in the musicals ''The Phantom of the Opera'', ''Ragtime'', '' Mamma Mia!'', and ...

and Paula Laurence. ''Sweet Adeline'' was produced in 1997 as part of

City Center A city centre is the commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely equivalent terms exist in other languages, such as "" in Fren ...

's '' Encores! Great American Musicals in Concert''. The concert was directed by

Eric D. Schaeffer Eric D. Schaeffer is an American theater director and producer based in Arlington, Virginia. He is the co-founder and former Artistic Director of Signature Theatre., and is well known nationally for his re-invention of large American musicals for ...

, the choreographer was John DeLuca, adaption by Norman Allen with the scenic consultant

John Lee Beatty John Lee Beatty is an American scenic designer who has created set designs for more than 115 Broadway shows and has designed for other productions. He won two Tony Awards, for ''Talley's Folly'' (1980) and ''The Nance'' (2013), was nominated for ...

, apparel coordinator

Gregg Barnes Gregg Barnes is an American costume designer for stage and film. Barnes is a two-time winner of the Tony Award for Best Costume Design in a Musical for his work on the Broadway productions of ''The Drowsy Chaperone'' (2006) and ''Follies'' (2011 ...

, lighting by

Howell Binkley Howell Binkley (July 25, 1956 – August 14, 2020) was a professional lighting designer in New York City. He received the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design in a Musical for ''Jersey Boys'' in 2006, and again in 2016 for ''Hamilton''. He died du ...

and sound by Bruce Cameron. The cast starred

Dorothy Loudon Dorothy Loudon (September 17, 1925 – November 15, 2003) was an American actress and singer. She won the Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical in 1977 for her performance as Miss Hannigan in '' Annie''. Loudon was also nominated for T ...

Tony Randall Anthony Leonard Randall (born Aryeh Leonard Rosenberg; February 26, 1920 – May 17, 2004) was an American actor. He is best known for portraying the role of Felix Unger in a television adaptation of the 1965 play '' The Odd Couple'' by Neil Sim ...

Patti Cohenour Patti Cohenour (born October 17, 1952 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.) is an American actress and singer. She last performed as the standby for Elizabeth Arden in the Broadway musical '' War Paint'', a position she also held in the pre Broadway ...

, Stephen Bogardus,

Gary Beach Gary Beach (October 10, 1947 – July 17, 2018) was an American actor of stage, film and television. His roles included Roger De Bris in both the stage and film productions of ''The Producers'', which won him a Tony Award, and Lumiere in the st ...

, Myra Carter, Patrick Breen,

Hugh Panaro Hugh Panaro (born February 19, 1964) is an American actor and singer known for his work on Broadway. Early life Panaro was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and resided in the East Oak Lane section of the city with his family. As a schoolchild, ...

, and Jacquelyn Piro.

Songs

;Act 1 *"Play Us a Polka Dot" *"Twas Not So Long Ago" *"My Husband's First Wife" *"Here Am I" *"First Mate Martin" *"Spring is Here" *"Out of the Blue" *"Naughty Boy" *"Oriental Moon" *"Mollie O' Donahue" *"

Why Was I Born? "Why Was I Born?" is a 1929 song composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics written by Oscar Hammerstein II. It was written for the show '' Sweet Adeline'' (1929) and introduced by Helen Morgan. Popular recordings in 1930 were by Helen Morgan and by ...

" *"Finale" ;Act 2 *"Twas Not So Long Ago" (Reprise) *"Winter in Central Park" *"The Sun About to Rise" *"Some Girl is on Your Mind" *"Don't Ever Leave Me" *"Here Am I" (Reprise) *"Finaletto" *"Indestructible Kate" *"Take Me for a Honeymoon Ride" *"Harbor Scene" *"Twas Not So Long Ago" (Reprise) *"Finale"

Film

A film based on the stage musical was released in 1935 by Warner Brothers, directed by

Mervyn LeRoy Mervyn LeRoy (; October 15, 1900 – September 13, 1987) was an American film director and producer. In his youth he played juvenile roles in vaudeville and silent film comedies. During the 1930s, LeRoy was one of the two great practitioners of ...

, and starred

Irene Dunne Irene Dunne (born Irene Marie Dunn; December 20, 1898 – September 4, 1990) was an American actress who appeared in films during the Golden Age of Hollywood. She is best known for her comedic roles, though she performed in films of other gen ...

as Adeline,

Louis Calhern Carl Henry Vogt (February 19, 1895 – May 12, 1956), known professionally as Louis Calhern, was an American stage and screen actor. Well known to film noir fans for his role as the pivotal villain in 1950's '' The Asphalt Jungle'', he was ...

, Noah Berry and Hugh Herbert.Sennwald, Andr
"Movie Review:'Sweet Adeline' (1935);The Paramount Presents Irene Dunne in "'Sweet Adeline'"
''The New York Times'', January 7, 1935

Reception

Opening just before the stock market crash, it received rave reviews, but the elaborate, old-fashioned piece was a step back from the innovations in Kern and Hammerstein's ''

Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands and dock worke ...

'' (1927), or even Kern's Princess Theatre shows.

References

External links

*{{IBDB show, 8452, Sweet Adeline
NY Times review
by

Brooks Atkinson Justin Brooks Atkinson (November 28, 1894 – January 14, 1984) was an American theatre critic. He worked for '' The New York Times'' from 1922 to 1960. In his obituary, the ''Times'' called him "the theater's most influential reviewer of hi ...

, September 4, 1929
NY Times review
by Robert Berkvist, April 29, 1977, of the

revival
New York City Center webpage for ''Encores!'' previous casts and creative teams
1929 musicals Broadway musicals Original musicals