''Watch Your Step'' is a musical with music and lyrics by

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russ ...

and a book by Harry B. Smith. It was Irving Berlin's debut musical. "

Play a Simple Melody "Play a Simple Melody" is a song from the 1914 musical, '' Watch Your Step'', with words and music by Irving Berlin. The show was the first stage musical that Berlin wrote. It ran for 175 performances at the New Amsterdam Theater in New York City. ...

" and "They Always Follow Me Around" as well as "When I Discovered You" and "The Syncopated Walk" were introduced by this musical. A highlight of the show was the Act II Finale, "Opera in Modern Time" in which melodies from famous operas were turned into popular dances of the time. The Ghost of Verdi then appeared to protest the ragging of his "Rigoletto" to no avail. "Watch Your Step" marked the first time a Tin Pan Alley composer moved "uptown" to Broadway with a complete score.

Productions

The original

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 ...

production, produced by Charles Dillingham, opened at the

New Amsterdam Theatre The New Amsterdam Theatre is a Broadway theater on 214 West 42nd Street, at the southern end of Times Square, in the Theater District of Manhattan in New York City. One of the oldest surviving Broadway venues, the New Amsterdam was built fro ...

on December 8, 1914. It ran for 175 performances''Watch Your Step'' at the IBDB database
(Retrieved on November 15, 2007) and featured in the cast

Vernon and Irene Castle Vernon and Irene Castle were a husband-and-wife team of ballroom dancers and dance teachers who appeared on Broadway and in silent films in the early 20th century. They are credited with reviving the popularity of modern dancing. Castle was a st ...

, Frank Tinney, Elizabeth Murray, Harry Kelly and Justine Johnstone.

References

Musicals by Irving Berlin 1914 musicals Broadway musicals {{musical-theat-stub