''The Bunch and Judy'' is a musical comedy in two acts with book by

Anne Caldwell Anne Marsh Caldwell (August 30, 1867 – October 22, 1936), also known as Anne Caldwell O'Dea, was an American playwright and lyricist. She wrote both pop songs and Broadway shows, sometimes working with composer Jerome Kern. Biography Anne Ma ...

and R. H. Burnside, lyrics by

, and music by

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in ove ...

. The story centered on a Broadway starlet, who marries a Scottish nobleman, only to grow disenchanted and return to show business and the man she loves. The show was produced by

Charles Dillingham Charles Bancroft Dillingham (May 30, 1868 – August 30, 1934) was an American theatre manager and producer of over 200 Broadway shows. Biography Charles Bancroft Dillingham was born on May 30, 1868 in Hartford, Connecticut to Edmund Bancroft D ...

at the Globe Theater, and opened November 28, 1922.Mantle, Burns (ed.) "The Best Plays of 1922–1923", Dodd, Mead & Company, p. 495. The musical director was

Victor Baravalle Victor Baravalle (1885–1939) was an Italian born composer, music director, and conductor, best known for his work on both the stage and film productions of the Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II musical, ''Show Boat''. Baravalle worked as mu ...

and the music was orchestrated by Stephan Jones and

. The show was staged by Fred G. Latham. Scenic design by Frank E. Gates, and Edward A. Morange. Costume design by Wanamaker, Paul Poiret, and George Barber. It ran for 63 performances, closing on January 20, 1923.''The Bunch and Judy''
Internet Broadway Database, accessed December 26, 2014 The cast was headlined by

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

(Gerald Lane),

Adele Astaire Adele Astaire Douglass (born Adele Marie Austerlitz, later known as Lady Charles Cavendish; September 10, 1896 – January 25, 1981), was an American dancer, stage actress, and singer. After beginning work as a dancer and vaudeville perfor ...

(Judy Jordan), and

Philip Tonge Philip Asheton Tonge (26 April 1897 – 28 January 1959) was an English actor. Born into a theatrical family, he was a child actor, making his stage debut at the age of five. Among the stars with whom he performed while he was a boy were Henry I ...

(Lord Kinlock). The Astaire siblings played the romantic couple.

Gerald Bordman Gerald Martin Bordman (September 18, 1931 – May 9, 2011) was an American theatre historian, best known for authoring the reference volume ''The American Musical Theatre'', first published in 1978.Simonson, Robert (12 May 2011)Gerald Bordman, Th ...

reports that "Broadway’s critics were not bowled over. Although many headlines implied reviews would be raves, notices themselves were filled with qualifications. Most of the enthusiasm was reserved for the Astaires. When it came to Kern's score, the critics were generally unhappy". Bordman goes on to state that he agrees with the critical consensus, stating that most of the score is either pallid, unremarkable, or taken from Kern's earlier compositions.

Synopsis

As reported by Gerald Boardman: "The story centered on musical star Judy Jordan. As soon as she gives her final performance in ''Love Will Find a Way'', she abandons her career and sails for Scotland to marry a laird. The marriage fails when she and her husband's snobbish friends cannot reach an accommodation. She heads to London, discovering her old leading man, Gerald Lane, there. In no time she realizes that Gerald has always been her true love." As reported by Burns Mantle: ;Act 1 Judy Jordan is leaving the cast of a Broadway show after 40 weeks, to marry Lord Kinlock, who is visiting America from Scotland. The cast gives Judy a farewell dinner on stage after the last performance. ;Act 2 In Scotland, Judy is married to Kinlock, but unhappy because she is snubbed by the locals. The troupe is touring Europe. Angry at the Scots, Judy goes home with the troupe, returns to the stage and marries Gerald Lane, her former leading man.Mantle

Songs

Act 1 * “Silenzio” * “The Naughty Nobleman” * “Because You Love the Singer” * “Pale Venetian Moon” * “Hot Dog” * “Morning Glory” Act 2 * “Lovely Lassie” * “Every Day in Every Way” * “Times Square” * “Have You Forgotten Me” * “How Do You Do, Katinka?” * “Peach Girl”

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bunch and Judy 1922 musicals Broadway musicals Original musicals