The 1924 Broadway musical 鈥淟ady Be Good鈥� will be presented by the 麻豆传媒 Opera and Musical Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, April 23-25, and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 26, in Wilner Auditorium on the 麻豆传媒 campus.
It is rated G.
George and Ira Gershwin, in their first Broadway collaboration, wrote music and lyrics for the zany production that showcased a young Fred Astaire and his sister, Adele.
With book by Guy Bolton and Fred Thompson, 鈥淟ady Be Good鈥� ran for a year, a long run in those days.
The songs includes such Gershwin gems as 鈥淔ascinating Rhythm,鈥� 鈥淭he Man I Love鈥� and the title song. The plot abides by all the 1920s鈥� musical comedy rules.
It revolves around an out-of-work dance team, a sister and brother who find both money and romance while entertaining in the homes of the very wealthy.
Two winsome siblings, Dick and Susie Trevor, are kicked out of their posh digs for serial unpaid rent and start attending cocktail parties for food.
Dick proposes to wealthy socialite Josephine Vanderwater, while Susie tries to pass herself off as a Mexican widow to lay hands on big bucks. Add in a Mexican gangster, a shyster lawyer and a presumed dead millionaire, and you have the story.
And with four loving 鈥� and singing and dancing 鈥� couples, you have an all-star octet.
All roles are played by undergraduate music theatre, dance, theatre and voice majors. Dick and Susie are played by Daxton Bloomquist and Stacy Keele; Shirley and Jack by Christina Hink and Jeremy Wright; Bertie and Daisy by Ross McCorkle and Kacey Armbruster; Josephine and Wattie by Kylie Jo Jennings and Miles Mattal.
Also featured are Maurice Sims as Jeff; Craig Richardson as Rufus; and Lucas Walker as Manuel Estrada. Sims and Sarah Gale are dance captains.
Joining them in the ensemble are Josh Atkins, Ashley Lauren, Laura Leisinger, Alyssa Schmidt, Katelynn Snyder, Casey Violette, Zach Powell, Zak Smith, Casey Wohletz and Brian Yeakly.
Amy Baker
Nicholas Gilmore is music director and conductor. Brandon Holmes is stage manager; technical direction is by Ed Baker.