''Red, Hot and Blue'' is a

stage musical Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

with music and lyrics by

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...

and a book by

Howard Lindsay Howard Lindsay, born Herman Nelke, (March 29, 1889 – February 11, 1968) was an American playwright, librettist, director, actor and theatrical producer. He is best known for his writing work as part of the collaboration of Lindsay and Crouse ...

and

Russel Crouse Russel Crouse (20 February 1893 – 3 April 1966) was an American playwright and librettist, best known for his work in the Broadway writing partnership of Lindsay and Crouse. Life and career Born in Findlay, Ohio, Crouse was the son of Sarah (n� ...

. 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 1936 and introduced the popular song " It's De-Lovely," sung by

Ethel Merman Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann, January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American actress and singer, known for her distinctive, powerful voice, and for leading roles in musical theatre.Obituary '' Variety'', February 22, 1984. ...

and

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with ...

. The musical has no connection to the 1949 film musical of the same name with songs by

Frank Loesser Frank Henry Loesser (; June 29, 1910 – July 28, 1969) was an American songwriter who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals ''Guys and Dolls'' and ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'', among others. He won a Tony ...

. Today it may be most famous as one of the first instances of creative resolution of top billing on posters and marquees. Stars Jimmy Durante and Ethel Merman refused to accept second billing. The producers devised a compromise in which their names formed an X-shaped cross, drawing the observer’s eye in two directions. The third star, Bob Hope, settled for his name in bold under the cross.

Synopsis

Nails O'Reilly Duquesne is a newly wealthy young widow. Loud and brassy, Nails is a former manicurist. She organizes a benefit for her favorite cause, the rehabilitation of ex-convicts. Together with her sidekick (an "ex-con" himself), Policy Pinkle, and her "square" boyfriend, lawyer Bob Hale, she embarks on a nationwide search for Bob's old girlfriend, which is really the reason for the enterprise. The girlfriend, 18 years earlier, had sat upon a hot waffle iron and so had a unique "imprint". However, the national lottery that Nails starts gets the attention of the Finance Committee, and they wind up in Washington DC in an even more complicated situation. The Supreme Court declares the lottery unconstitutional, because it would benefit the people.

Songs

;Act 1 *"At Ye Olde Coffee Shoppe in Cheyenne" – Reporters and Prison Band *"It's a Great Life"/ "Perennial Debutantes" – Guests and Debutantes *"Ours" – Anne Westcott, Sonny Hadley, Grace, "Fingers" and Girls *" Down in the Depths on the 90th Floor" – Nails O'Reilly Duquesne *"Carry On" – Sonny Hadley, Reporters and Muggs *"You've Got Something" – Bob Hale and Nails *" It's De-Lovely" – Nails and Bob *"A Little Skipper from Heaven Above" – Policy Pinkle, Muggs and Reporters *"Five Hundred Million" – Vivian, Betty and Debutantes *" Ridin' High" – Nails and Ensemble ;Act 2 *"We're About to Start Big Rehearsin'" – Ensemble *"Hymn to Hymen" – Ensemble *"What a Great Pair We'll Be" – Anne and Sonny *"The Ozarks Are Callin' Me Home" – Nails *"Red, Hot and Blue" – Nails and Ensemble ;Cut Songs *"You're a Bad Influence On Me" ropped soon after the New York opening; replaced by "The Ozarks Are Callin' Me Home"*"When Your Troubles Have Started" ropped during the Boston tryout*"Goodbye, Little Dream, Goodbye" ropped during the Boston tryout; replaced by "Down in the Depths"; originally written for the film Born to Dance] *"Bertie and Gertie" [dropped during rehearsals] *"Who But You?" [unused] *"That's the News I'm Waiting to Hear" [unused] *"Where?" [unused] *"Lonely Star" [unused]

History

During the out-of-town tryouts, according to Cole Porter's biography, ''Cole Porter: A Biography'' by Charles Schwartz, the book was too long and did not blend with the music. Further the producer Vinton Freedley made "numerous suggestions for overhauling the show", which were accepted by all except Porter. Porter initially told Freedley to communicate through his agent, but finally relented. Additional conflict had arisen before the show's tryouts, when Freedley had assembled the cast and creative team behind the musical ''

Anything Goes ''Anything Goes'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap ant ...

'', hoping to repeat that show's success.

William Gaxton William Gaxton (né Arthur Anthony Gaxiola, December 2, 1893 – February 2, 1963) was an American star of vaudeville, film, and theatre. Gaxton was president of The Lambs Club from 1936 to 1939, 1952 to 1953, and 1957 to 1961. He and Victo ...

was part of that cast, but withdrew because

's part was so large and

was cast. The next conflict came over billing for

Jimmy Durante James Francis Durante ( , ; February 10, 1893 – January 29, 1980) was an American comedian, actor, singer, vaudevillian, and pianist. His distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced son ...

and Merman, which was resolved by having their names crisscrossed above the title.Schwartz, Charles (1979). ''Cole Porter: A Biography''. Da Capo Press. , pp. 163-168 The musical was first titled ''But Millions!'' and then ''Wait for Baby!''. Porter had written the song "It's De-Lovely" for the film ''Born to Dance'' but it was not used. He turned it into a romantic duet for Merman and

, in which they trace their romance from first kiss to marriage to a baby.

Productions

''Red, Hot and Blue'' had its pre-Broadway tryout in Boston at the Colonial Theatre, starting on October 7, 1936, and the Shubert Theatre in New Haven starting on October 19, 1936.Porter, Cole; Kimball, Robert (ed.) (1992). The Complete Lyrics of Cole Porter''. Da Capo Press. , p. 205 The musical premiered on Broadway on October 29, 1936 at the Alvin Theatre (now the

Neil Simon 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 ...

) and closed on April 10, 1937 after 183 performances. Directed by

with choreography by George Hale, it starred

as Nails O'Reilly Duquesne,

as Policy Pinkle, and

as Bob Hale. The Equity Library Theater (New York City) production ran in January 1984. The "Discovering Lost Musicals Charitable Trust" series staged the show at

Barbican Centre The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhib ...

Cinema 1 in 1994, with a cast that included

Louise Gold Louise Gold (born 1956) is an English puppeteer, actress and singer whose career has spanned more than four decades. She is best known for her work as a puppeteer on television and for roles in musical theatre in the West End. Gold was raised ...

and

Don Fellows Don Fellows (December 2, 1922 – October 21, 2007) was an American actor known for his roles in British theater and television. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah and raised in Madison, Wisconsin, Fellows served in the United States Merchant Marine ...

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 East Haddam is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut. The population was 8,875 at the time of the 2020 census. History Until 1650, the area of East Haddam was inhabited by at least three Indigenous peoples: the Wangunk, the Mohegan and the N ...

mounted a revival in the fall of 2000 featuring a revised book by director Michael Leeds. The production starred Debbie Gravitte (

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

winner for "

Jerome Robbins' Broadway ''Jerome Robbins' Broadway'' is an anthology comprising musical numbers from shows that were either directed or choreographed by Jerome Robbins. The shows represented include, for example, '' The King and I'', '' On the Town'' and ''West Side Stor ...

") as Nails Duquesne, Peter Reardon as Bob Hale, and Ben Lipitz as Policy Pinkle. Previews began October 13 with the official opening on November 3. The production ran through December 31. Along with Leeds, the creative team included

Andy Blankenbuehler Andy Blankenbuehler (born March 7, 1970) is an American dancer, choreographer and director primarily for stage and concerts. He has been nominated for the Tony Award for Best Choreography five times, and has won three times: for '' In the Height ...

(choreographer), Michael O'Flaherty (musical director), Ken Foy (sets), Ann Hould-Ward (costumes), and

Ken Billington Ken Billington (born October 29, 1946) is an American lighting designer. He began his career in New York City working as an assistant to Tharon Musser. He was born in White Plains, New York, the son of Kenneth Arthur (an automobile dealer) and ...

(lighting). The rest of the cast included Brian Barry (Rats), Robin Baxter (Peaches), Lesley Blumenthal, Randy Bobish (Bugs), Dianna Bush (Olive), Paul Carlin, Kevin Covert (Leonard), Beth Glover, Billy Hartung (Fingers), Jessica Kostival (Grace),

Stephanie Kurtzuba Stephanie Kurtzuba (born March 20, 1972) is an American film, television, and theater actress. She is best known for her roles in the films '' The Wolf of Wall Street'' (2013), '' Annie'' (2014), and ''The Irishman'' (2019), and on television in ...

(Jane), Kristin Maloney (Helen), Steve Luker (Eagle Eye), Jody Madaras, Trish Reidy (Vivian), Vince Trani, Matt Williams (Coyote), and Darlene Wilson (Barbara). A production in 2009 by George Productions had

Richard Steven Horvitz Richard Steven Horvitz (born July 29, 1966) is an American actor and comedian, best known for his voice work in animation and video games. His voice credits include the original Alpha 5 on ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'', ''Power Rangers Zeo'' an ...

as Policy Pinkle, Allyson Turner as Nails and Kyle Nudo as Bob Hale.

Legacy

Redhot & Blue, a singing group at Yale University (

's alma mater), is named after this musical. The group still performs the title song of the musical.

Response

Porter and Merman were mutually appreciative of each other's talents. Porter praised her delivery, professionalism, ability to memorize lyric changes, and said: "She has the finest enunciation of any American singer I know. She has a sense of rhythm which few can equal and her feeling for comedy is so intuitive that she can get every value out of a line without over-stressing". Merman said, "I'd rather sing his songs than those by any other writer".Citron, Stephen (2005). ''Noel & Cole: the Sophisticates''. Hal Leonard Corporation. , p. 141 Porter's songs were criticized by critics and the show had a limited run. According to theatre writer Stanley Green in his book ''The World of Musical Comedy'', the show was not a success, and the major problem was the book, "...a fairly elementary piece..." Green said that Porter's songs were more "inspired", noting that Merman sang the song "Down in the Depths" in "a gold lamé gown illuminated by a single gold spotlight, brilliantly heightened the heroine's loneliness by contrasting it with her surroundings".Green, Stanley (1984). ''The World of Musical Comedy''. Da Capo Press. , pp. 150-151

References

External links

*
Redhot & Blue of Yale University
{{Authority control 1936 musicals Broadway musicals Original musicals Musicals by Cole Porter Musicals by Lindsay and Crouse Plays set in New York City