''Treasure Girl'' is a musical with a book by Fred Thompson and Vincent Lawrence, 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. The musical's best-known song is " (I've Got a) Crush on You", which has been recorded by a number of artists, including Frank Sinatra. After a tryout in Philadelphia beginning on October 15, 1928, 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 ...

at the

Alvin Theatre The Neil Simon Theatre, originally the Alvin Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 250 West 52nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1927, the theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was built for ...

on November 8, 1928. It ran for 68 performances before closing on January 5, 1929. It starred

Gertrude Lawrence Gertrude Lawrence (4 July 1898 – 6 September 1952) was an English actress, singer, dancer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End of London and on Broadway in New York. Early life Lawrence was born Gertr ...

and featured

Clifton Webb Webb Parmelee Hollenbeck (November 19, 1889 – October 13, 1966), known professionally as Clifton Webb, was an American actor, singer, and dancer. He worked extensively and was known for his stage appearances in the plays of Noël Coward, i ...

and

Walter Catlett Walter Leland Catlett (February 4, 1889 – November 14, 1960) was an American actor and comedian. He made a career of playing excitable, meddlesome, temperamental, and officious blowhards. Career Catlett was born on February 4, 1889, in S ...

. Bertram Harrison directed, and Bobby Connelly choreographed. The critics praised the lyrics and some of the music but found the book "remorselessly dull".Pollack, Howard.
''George Gershwin: his life and work''
pp. 429–30, Berkeley: University of California Press (2006).

Musical numbers

;Act 1 *"Skull and Bones" – Ensemble *" (I've Got a) Crush on You" – Polly Tees, "Nat" McNally and Ensemble *"

Oh, So Nice! "Oh, So Nice!" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. George Gershwin described the song as an effort "to get the effect of a Viennese waltz in foxtrot time" with Ira relating that the lyric took "days and days" to writ ...

" – Ann Wainwright and Neil Forrester *"According to Mr. Grimes" – Mortimer Grimes and Ensemble *"Place in the Country" – Neil Forrester, Bunce and Girls *"K-ra-zy for You" – "Nat" McNally, Polly Tees and Girls *"I Don't Think I'll Fall in Love Today" – Ann Wainwright and Neil Forrester *"I've Got a Rainbow" – Larry Hopkins, Jack Wrigley, Mary Grimes, Betty, Madge, Kitty and Girls *"Feeling I'm Falling" – Ann Wainwright and Neil Forrester ;Act 2 *"Treasure Island" – Ensemble *"What Causes That?" – Polly Tees, "Nat" McNally and Girls *"What Are We Here For?" – Ann Wainwright, "Nat" McNally and Girls *"I've Got a Rainbow (Reprise)" – Girls *"Where's the Boy? (Here's the Girl!)" – Ann Wainwright and Boys :''Note:'' The song "

A-Hunting We Will Go "A-Hunting We Will Go" is a popular folk song and nursery rhyme composed in 1777 by English composer Thomas Arne. Arne had composed the song for a 1777 production of ''The Beggar's Opera'' in London. The '' a-'' is an archaic intensifying ...

" was cut from the production.

Roles and original cast

*Charles Barron as Jack Wrigley *

as Larry Hopkins *Norman Curtis as Bunce *John Dunsmure as "Slug" Bullard *Stephen Francis as First Mate *Virginia Franck as Madge *Paul Frawley as Neil Forrester *Victor Garland as Arthur *Ferris Hartman as Mortimer Grimes * Mary Hay as Polly Tees * Dorothy Jordan as Betty *

as Ann Wainwright *Gertrude McDonald as Mary Grimes *Peggy O'Neill as Kitty *Edwin Preble as Postman *

as "Nat" McNally

References

External links

*
Recording of songs from ''Treasure Girl''
1928 musicals Broadway musicals Musicals by George and Ira Gershwin {{musical-theat-stub