''Bloomer Girl'' is a 1944 Broadway

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

with music by

Harold Arlen Harold Arlen (born Hyman Arluck; February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986) was an American composer of popular music, who composed over 500 songs, a number of which have become known worldwide. In addition to composing the songs for the 1939 film ' ...

, lyrics by E.Y. Harburg, and a book by Sig Herzig and Fred Saidy, based on an unpublished play by writer Daniel Lewis James and his wife Lilith.Suskin, 89 The plot concerns independent Evelina Applegate, a hoop skirt manufacturer's daughter who defies her father by rejecting hoopskirts and embracing comfortable

bloomers Bloomers, also called the bloomer, the Turkish dress, the American dress, or simply Victorian dress reform, reform dress, are divided women's garments for the lower body. They were developed in the 19th century as a healthful and comfortable a ...

advocated by her aunt "Dolly" Bloomer, who was inspired by the women's rights advocate Amelia Bloomer. The

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

is looming, and

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was Kingdom of France, France in 1315, but it was later used ...

Evelina refuses to marry suitor Jeff Calhoun until he frees his slave, Pompey. A television version of the musical was shown in 1956.

Productions

The original Broadway production opened at the Shubert Theatre on October 5, 1944, directed by William Schorr and produced by John C. Wilson in association with Nat Goldstone. The production's scenic designer and lighting designer was Lemuel Ayers. Agnes de Mille was the choreographer, and her contributions included a Civil War ballet. The production starred

Celeste Holm Celeste Holm (April 29, 1917 – July 15, 2012) was an American actress. Holm won an Academy Award for her performance in Elia Kazan's '' Gentleman's Agreement'' (1947), and was nominated for her roles in '' Come to the Stable'' (1949) and ''A ...

as Evelina, David Brooks as Jeff Calhoun, Dooley Wilson as the slave Pompey, and Joan McCracken in the featured dancing role as Daisy. While successful—it closed on April 27, 1946, after 657 performances on Broadway—it has seldom been revived. Alisa Roost directed an

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

revival, which recreated Agnes deMille's original dream ballet, at the Theatre at St. Clements in 2000 and New York City Center's

Encores! Encores! is a Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre, Tony-honored concert series dedicated to reviving United States, American Musical theatre, musicals, usually with their original orchestrations. Presented by New York City Center since 1994, E ...

staged concert series performed it for a week in 2001. ''Bloomer Girl'' caused a temporary rift between de Mille and

Jerome Robbins Jerome Robbins (born Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz; October 11, 1918 – July 29, 1998) was an American dancer, choreographer, film director, theatre director and producer who worked in classical ballet, on stage, film, and television. Among his nu ...

when, about a year into the show's run, Robbins appropriated several dancers then in the chorus, including James Mitchell and Arthur Partington, for '' Billion Dollar Baby'' (1945).Lawrence, Greg
deMille and Robbins
''Dance with Demons: The Life of Jerome Robbins'', Penguin, May 7, 2001,

Musical numbers

;Act 1 *When the Boys Come Home - Serena, Octavia, Lydia, Julia, Phoebe and Delia *Evelina - Jeff Calhoun and Evalina *Welcome Hinges - Serena, Horatio, Lydia, Julia, Phoebe, Delia, Joshua Dingle, Herman Brasher, Ebenezer Mimms, Wilfred Thrush, Hiram Crump, Evalina and Jeff Calhoun *Farmer's Daughter - Joshua Dingle, Herman Brasher, Ebenezer Mimms, Wilfred Thrush and Hiram Crump *It Was Good Enough for Grandma - Evalina and the Bloomer Girls *The Eagle and Me - Pompey *Right As the Rain - Jeff Calhoun and Evalina *T'Morra', T'Morra' - Daisy *Rakish Young Man With the Whiskers - Evalina and Jeff Calhoun *Pretty As a Picture - Male Ensemble ;Act 2 *Sunday in Cicero Falls - Principals and Company *I Got a Song - Alexander, Augustus and Pompey *Lullaby - Evalina *Simon Legree - Second Deputy *Liza Crossing the Ice - Ensemble * I Never Was Born - Daisy *Man For Sale - Soloist *The Eagle and Me (Reprise) - Ensemble *When the Boys Come Home (Reprise) - Entire Company

Recording

An original cast album was released on American Decca 78 RPM set DA 381Album cover for Decca set DA 381, 8 10" 78 RPM disks, copyright 1944 Decca Records, Inc. during the original Broadway run of ''Bloomer Girl''. The recording was re-released on LP in the 1950s. It then remained out of print until the same recording became available on CD in the early 1990s. The Drecording restored the second half of ''Sunday in Cicero Falls'', which was deleted from the Pdue to length.

Television production

An abridged version of the musical, which eliminated most of Agnes de Mille's choreography, except for the dance after "It Was Good Enough For Grandma" and the Civil War ballet, aired on '' Producers' Showcase'' in 1956; it starred Barbara Cook and Keith Andes and featured many of the original dancers, including James Mitchell, Lidija Franklin, Betty Low, and Emy St. Just.

Notes

References

*Bordman, Gerald (2001). ''American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle''. Third ed. New York: Oxford University Press. *Easton, Carol (1996). ''No Intermissions: The Life of Agnes de Mille''. New York: Little, Brown. . *Stempel, Larry (2010). ''Showtime: A History of the Broadway Musical Theater''. New York: W. W. Norton. *Suskin, Stephen (1990). ''Opening Night on Broadway: A Critical Quotebook of the Golden Era of the Musical Theatre''. New York: Schirmer Books. .

External links

* *{{ibdb title, 473558, 1947 revival
''Bloomer Girl''
Guide to Musical Theatre Broadway musicals Musicals by Harold Arlen Musicals by Yip Harburg 1944 musicals Musicals based on plays Musicals set in the United States Musicals set in the 19th century