Original Listing Description

I'm currently listing a large number of playbills from out-of-town tryouts prior to the Broadway runs. Many are from early performances when revisions were common and include song titles that were cut before opening in New York. (See cut songs below.) ....... This is a rare September 12th, 1932 "Playgoer" playbill from the Pre-Broadway tryout and WORLD PREMIERE engagement of the B. G. "Buddy" DeSYLVA and LAURENCE SCHWAB musical comedy "HUMPTY DUMPTY" at the Nixon Theatre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (The production opened September 12th, 1932 and played only five performances in Pittsburgh before closing for revisions. After considerable rewrites, the show returned to the road retitled "TAKE A CHANCE", eventually opening November 26th, 1932 at the Apollo Theatre in New York City and running for 243 performances.) ..... The cast included ETHEL MERMAN, EDDIE FOY, Jr., SID SILVERS, LOU HOLTZ, JUNE KNIGHT, LISA SILBERT, DORIS GRODAY, DOUGLAS WOOD, J. C. NUGENT, WILLIAM LYNN, WALTER ARMIN, HARRY T. SHANNON, OSCAR RAGLAND, SARA JANE, VERNON BIDDLE, TONI CHASE, EDITH SPEARE, O. J. VANASSE, TOM DIAMOND, MARY DAY, BOBBY DAY, THOMAS LADD, JACK ARMSTRONG, BUDD KELHNER, PAUL PEGUE, EDWARD DELRIDGE, NEIL EVANS, CHET BREE and WILLIAM H. STAMM ..... Side note: Humpty-Dumpty was a thinly plotted musical comedy about a theatrical family backing a musical revue concerning great moments in American history featuring a cast that included LOU HOLTZ, SID SILVERS, EDDIE FOY, Jr. and ETHEL MERMAN (in only her third musical). After a disastrous five-performance run in Pittsburgh, Humpty-Dumpty closed for repairs. The sketches were reduced, VINCENT YOUMANS was brought in to beef up the score, and all of the principal cast members, save MERMAN and SILVERS were replaced. The new line-up would feature JACK WHITING and JUNE KNIGHT as the backer and the star (in a romance of course) and JACK HALEY as another comic. Retitled Take a Chance, the show finally opened in November and was a surprise hit ..... CREDITS: Book and Lyrics by LAURENCE SCHWAB and B. G. DeSYLVA; Music by NACIO HERB BROWN and RICHARD WHITING; Sets designed by CLEON THROCKMORTON; Costumes designed by KIVIETTE and CHARLES LeMAIRE; Musical Arrangement for Miss Merman by ROGER EDENS; Choreographed by GEORGIE HALE; Directed by LAURENCE SCHWAB; Produced by LAURENCE SCHWAB and B. G. De SYLVA ..... DETAILS: The sixteen page program measures 5 7/8" X 8 7/8" inches and includes full production credits, cast list, synopsis of scenes, list of musical numbers, promotional text, a photo of ETHEL MERMAN and wonderful vintage advertising ..... CUT SONGS: The list of musical numbers includes "Humpty Dumpty" and "Way Ahead of the Game" which were cut out-of-town ..... CONDITION: With the exception of a light vertical crease, this program is in excellent condition and will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any musical theatre aficionado or historian. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective, carded sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard.

Note: This item has been sold and is no longer available. This page serves as a historical price reference for Playbill collectors and appraisers.