''Three to Make Ready'' is an American

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...

in two acts with a sketches and lyrics by

Nancy Hamilton Nancy Hamilton (July 27, 1908 - February 18, 1985) was an American actress, playwright, lyricist, director and producer. Early life and education Nancy Hamilton was born in Sewickley, Pennsylvania on July 27, 1908, daughter of Charles Lee Hami ...

and music by Morgan Lewis. It was produced 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 Stre ...

in 1946.

Production

''Three to Make Ready'' premiered on

at the

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...

on March 7, 1946, and, after moving to the

Broadhurst Theatre The Broadhurst Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 235 West 44th Street (Manhattan), 44th Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1917, the thea ...

and then back to the Adelphi, it closed on December 14, 1946, after 327 performances. It was produced by

Stanley Gilkey Stanley Gilkey (1900-1979), also known as Stanley Gilky, was a production manager, producer, and actor on Broadway theatre, Broadway. He attended Harvard University and graduated from the university in 1923. He was executive producer for Guthrie ...

and Barbara Payne.''Three to Make Ready''
Internet Broadway Database, accessed April 9, 2023 The sketches and lyrics were by

and the music was by Morgan Lewis. The entire production was devised and staged by

John Murray Anderson John Murray Anderson (September 20, 1886 – January 30, 1954) was a Canadian theatre director and theatre producer, producer, songwriter, actor, screenwriter, dancer and lighting designer, who made his career in the United States, primarily in ...

. The scenic design was by

Donald Oenslager Donald Oenslager (March 7, 1902 – June 11, 1975) was an American scenic designer who won the Tony Award for Best Scenic Design. Biography Oenslager was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and attended Harvard University, graduating in 1923. He bec ...

and the costume design was by Audre. The cast included

Ray Bolger Raymond Wallace Bolger (; January 10, 1904 – January 15, 1987) was an American actor, dancer, singer, vaudevillian, and stage performer (particularly musical theater) who started his movie career in the silent-film era. Bolger was a major B ...

, Harold Lang,

Gordon MacRae Albert Gordon MacRae (March 12, 1921 – January 24, 1986) was an American actor, singer, and television and radio host. He appeared in the film versions of two Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, ''Oklahoma!'' (1955) and ''Carousel'' (1956), and ...

Bibi Osterwald Margaret Virginia "Bibi" Osterwald (February 3, 1920 – January 2, 2002) was an American actress. Life and career Osterwald was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, the daughter of Dagmar (Kvastad) and Rudolf August Osterwald, a hotel owne ...

, and

Arthur Godfrey Arthur Morton Godfrey (August 31, 1903 – March 16, 1983) was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer. At the peak of his success, in the early to mid-1950s, Godfrey was heard on radio and seen on television up to six days ...

Songs

* “Tell Me the Story” * “Barnaby Beach” * “Oh, You’re a Wonderful Person” (cut from the show) * “The Old Soft Shoe” * “Lovely Lazy Kind of Day”

Reception

"The production received mixed reviews, but everyone agreed Bolger was the mainstay of the evening. Otherwise, most of the aisle sitters felt the material let him and the cast down. In fact, with just two exceptions, the critics were so generally unhappy with the revue that it’s surprising it lasted for nine months and made a profit."Dietz, Dan, ''The Complete Book of 1940s Broadway Musicals, '' Rowman & Littlefield, New York, 2015, pp. 324-326

References

Sources

*Bordman, Gerald, ''American Musical Theatre, '' Oxford University Press, New York, 1978, p. 551. * Mantle, Burns (ed.) ''The Best Plays of 1945–1946,'' Dodd, Mead and Company, New York, 1946, p. 431. *Dietz, Dan, ''The Complete Book of 1940s Broadway Musicals, '' Rowman & Littlefield, New York, 2015, pp. 324–326. *Stubblebine, Daniel J., ''Broadway Sheet Music, '' McFarland & Company, Jefferson, NC 1996, #2326, p. 285.

External links

* Three to Make Ready Three to Make Ready Broadway musicals Revues {{Musical-theat-stub