''Take a Chance'' (1932) is a musical with lyrics by

B. G. De Sylva George Gard "Buddy" DeSylva (January 27, 1895 – July 11, 1950) was an American songwriter, film producer and record executive. He wrote or co-wrote many popular songs and, along with Johnny Mercer and Glenn Wallichs, he co-founded Capitol Recor ...

and music by

Nacio Herb Brown Ignacio Herbert "Nacio Herb" Brown (February 22, 1896 – September 28, 1964) was an American writer of popular songs, movie scores and Broadway theatre music in the 1920s through the early 1950s. Amongst his most enduring work is the scor ...

and Richard A. Whiting, with additional songs by

Vincent Youmans Vincent Millie Youmans (September 27, 1898 – April 5, 1946) was an American Broadway composer and producer. A leading Broadway composer of his day, Youmans collaborated with virtually all the greatest lyricists on Broadway: Ira Gershwin, ...

, and book by De Sylva and

Laurence Schwab Laurence Schwab (1893 - May 29, 1951) was an American theater and film producer, writer, and director. He was born in Boston and attended Harvard University. His first success was as co-producer of ''The Gingham Girl (1922). He co-authored and prod ...

Background

''Take a Chance'' started as a musical titled ''Humpty Dumpty'' written by DeSylva and Schwab, which flopped immediately during out-of town tryouts in

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

, where it had opened on September 26, 1932. The musical was extensively rewritten, and composer

was brought in to contribute to the score. After further tryouts in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington (Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...

, and

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.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. ...

. Composer Richard Whiting subsequently left the production.Green, Stanley. ''The World of Musical Comedy'', (1984), Da Capo Press, , p. 109

Production

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

Apollo Theatre The Apollo Theatre is a Grade II listed West End theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, in central London.

on November 26, 1932 and closed on July 1, 1933 after 243 performances. Directed by Edgar MacGregor with choreography by

Bobby Connolly William Harold "Bobby" Connolly (July 4, 1897 – February 29, 1944) was an American choreographer and director, first for Broadway musicals and then for films. Connolly was nominated for four Academy Awards for Best Dance Direction, for his wo ...

, the show starred Ethel Merman as Wanda Brill and featured

Jack Haley John Joseph Haley Jr. (August 10, 1897 – June 6, 1979) was an American actor, comedian, dancer, radio host, singer and vaudevillian. He was best known for his portrayal of the Tin Man and his farmhand counterpart Hickory in the 1939 Metro-G ...

as Duke Stanley, Jack Whiting as Kenneth Raleigh, June Knight as Toni Ray, and

Sid Silvers Sid Silvers (January 16, 1901 in Brooklyn, New York – August 20, 1976 in Brooklyn) was an American actor, comedian, lyricist, and writer. Silvers began his career in vaudeville in the early 1920s as a comedy partner of Phil Baker. As part of ...

as Louie Webb. Merman's vocal arrangements were by

Roger Edens Roger Edens (November 9, 1905 – July 13, 1970) was a Hollywood composer, arranger and associate producer, and is considered one of the major creative figures in Arthur Freed's musical film production unit at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during the "go ...

. Merman introduced the popular hit ''Eadie Was a Lady''.

Synopsis

Two small-time gamblers, Duke Stanley and Louie Webb, leave their carnival circuit to seek greater fortunes in the legitimate theater. Their friend Toni Ray wants to be a singer and her Harvard-educated boyfriend, Kenneth Raleigh, also wants to enter show business. They meet a no-nonsense nightclub singer, Wanda Brill. Wanda performs a risque number in a New Orleans club in a red dress and black boa ("Eadie Was a Lady").

Songs

;Act 1 *The Life of the Party (music by

) – Night Club Girls and Guests *Should I Be Sweet (music by

) – Toni Ray *So Do I (music by

) – Kenneth Raleigh, Toni Ray and Guests *I Got Religion – Wanda Brill *She's Nuts About Me – Duke Stanley *Tickled Pink – Kenneth Raleigh and Girls *Turn Out the Light – Louie Webb, Duke Stanley, Toni Ray, Kenneth Raleigh and Girls *Charity (music by

) – Guests *(Oh, How) I Long to Belong to You (music by

) – Kenneth Raleigh and Toni Ray *Rise and Shine (music by

) – Wanda Brill and Ensemble ;Act 2 *Tonight Is Opening Night (music by

)– Ensemble *You're an Old Smoothie – Duke Stanley and Wanda Brill *Eadie Was a Lady – Wanda Brill and Ensemble *Should I Be Sweet (Revue Version) (music by

) – Toni Ray

1933 Film

In 1933, the show was made into a film with almost no resemblance to the original show, except for the song "Eadie Was a Lady" and "Should I Be Sweet". It is remembered chiefly as the film in which "

It's Only a Paper Moon "It's Only a Paper Moon" is a popular song published in 1933 with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Yip Harburg and Billy Rose. Background It was originally titled "If You Believed in Me", but later went by the more popular title "It's On ...

," written by Harold Arlen,

E. Y. Harburg Edgar Yipsel Harburg (born Isidore Hochberg; April 8, 1896 – March 5, 1981) was an American popular song lyricist and librettist who worked with many well-known composers. He wrote the lyrics to the standards "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" ( ...

, and Billy Rose, appeared for the first time under that name.

Lillian Roth Lillian Roth (December 13, 1910 – May 12, 1980) was an American singer and actress. Her life story was told in the 1955 film '' I'll Cry Tomorrow'', in which she was portrayed by Susan Hayward, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best ...

played Merman's role in the film.

References

External links

Internet Broadway Database listingInternet Movie Database listing
{{Vincent Youmans 1932 musicals Broadway musicals