Musical (1930)


Musique: George Gershwin
Paroles: Ira Gershwin
Livret: Guy Bolton • John McGowan
Production à la création:

"Girl Crazy" was written during the Depression, partly in an attempt to lighten the spirits of its audiences. Although the plot is frothy, the musical score is exquisite and features such enduring and beloved standards as "Embraceable You" and "I've Got Rhythm."

Version 1

Girl Crazy (1930-09-Shubert Theatre-Philadelphia) Pre Bway Try Out

Type de série: Pre-Broadway Try Out
Théâtre: Shubert Theatre (Philadelphia - Etats-Unis)
Durée : 1 semaine
Nombre :
Première Preview : lundi 29 septembre 1930
Première : lundi 29 septembre 1930
Dernière : samedi 11 octobre 1930
Mise en scène : Alexander Leftwich
Chorégraphie : George Hale
Producteur :
Avec : Danny Churchill ... Allen Kearns
Molly Gray ... Ginger Rogers
Kate Fothergill ... Ethel Merman
Slick Fothergill ... William Kent
Gieber Goldfarb ... Willie Howard
Tess Parker ... Olive Brady
Lank Sanders ... John Daley
Patsy West ... Peggy O'Connor
Eagle Rock ... Chief Rivers
Sam Mason ... Donald Foster
Flora James ... Eunice Healy
Lariat Joe ... Starr Jones
Jake Howell ... Lew Parker
Pete ... Clyde Veaux
Hotel Proprietor ... Jack Classon
The Foursome ... Ray Johnson, Carlton Macy, Del Porter, Marshall Smith
Commentaires longs: Two roles (June and Chesty) were eliminated during rehearsals. They were to have performed the song "Are You Dancing?".
The song "Embraceable You" needed to be restaged and Fred Astaire was brought in to do so. It was the first time that he and Ginger Rogers met.

According to his father, Danny Churchill Jr. too focused on girls and parties. Thus, Danny’s father ships him off to a mostly male town in Arizona with the goal of getting Danny’s attention focused on more serious matters. However, soon after arriving, Danny falls in love with the local postmistress, Molly Gray. He wins Molly’s affections – but can he beat off a New York rival?

Synopsis complet

Ce musical servira d'inspiration pour "Crazy for You", spectacle comprenant les plus grandes chansons des frères Gershwin et qui sera créé avec grand succès à Broadway en 1992.


The musical opened at the Alvin Theatre on October 14, 1930 and closed on June 6, 1931 after 272 performances. It was directed by Alexander Leftwich, with choreography by George Hale and sets by Donald Oenslager. This musical made a star of Ginger Rogers, who, with Allen Kearns, sang "Could You Use Me?" and "Embraceable You" and, with Willie Howard, "But Not for Me". Ethel Merman, in her Broadway debut sang "I Got Rhythm", "Sam and Delilah", and "Boy! What Love Has Done To Me!" and "became an overnight sensation...that launched her fifty year career." Also of note is the opening night pit orchestra, which was composed of many well-known jazz musicians, including Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, Glenn Miller and Jimmy Dorsey.

"The score was one of the Gershwins' best" according to theatre writer Ken Bloom.

In 1992 it was produced with a new title as the stage musical Crazy for You. The show was heavily revised, with a completely new plot, and songs from other Gershwin shows added.

"Musicals Tonight!", New York City, presented a staged concert in September 2001.

An abridged version of Girl Crazy was presented at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC October 2–5, 2008 as part of their Broadway: Three Generations production. Max von Essen played Danny, Jenn Colella played Molly, and Randy Graff played Kate, directed by Lonny Price.

The New York City Center Encores! staged concert was held in November 2009. Directed by Jerry Zaks, it starred Ana Gasteyer, Marc Kudisch, Becki Newton, and Wayne Knight.


Acte I
Bidin' My Time
The Lonesome Cowboy
Could You Use Me
Bronco Busters
Barbary Coast
Embraceable You
Goldfarb, That's I'm!
Embraceable You (Reprise)
Sam and Delilah
I Got Rhythm

Acte II
Land of the Gay Caballero
But Not For Me
Treat Me Rough
Boy! What Love Has Done To Me!
(When It's) Cactus Time in Arizona

Aucun dossier informatif complémentaire concernant Girl Crazy

Film adaptations: The 1932 RKO Radio Pictures production was very unlike the stage play except for its score. The film was tailored for the comic talents of Wheeler & Woolsey, a then-popular comedy team. In 1943, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer produced a lavish version starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. In 1965, MGM once again made the musical into a film, for Connie Francis. Unlike the previous two versions, the title was changed to When the Boys Meet the Girls. It co-starred Herman's Hermits, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, Louis Armstrong, and Liberace. A number of Gershwin songs were retained, including "Embraceable You", "Bidin' My Time", "But Not for Me", "Treat Me Rough", and "I Got Rhythm".

Two roles (June and Chesty) were eliminated during rehearsals. They were to have performed the song "Are You Dancing?".
The song "Embraceable You" needed to be restaged and Fred Astaire was brought in to do so. It was the first time that he and Ginger Rogers met.


Version 1

Girl Crazy (1930-09-Shubert Theatre-Philadelphia) Pre Bway Try Out

Type de série: Pre-Broadway Try Out
Théâtre: Shubert Theatre (Philadelphia - Etats-Unis)
Durée : 1 semaine
Nombre :
Première Preview : lundi 29 septembre 1930
Première : lundi 29 septembre 1930
Dernière : samedi 11 octobre 1930
Mise en scène : Alexander Leftwich
Chorégraphie : George Hale
Producteur :
Avec : Danny Churchill ... Allen Kearns
Molly Gray ... Ginger Rogers
Kate Fothergill ... Ethel Merman
Slick Fothergill ... William Kent
Gieber Goldfarb ... Willie Howard
Tess Parker ... Olive Brady
Lank Sanders ... John Daley
Patsy West ... Peggy O'Connor
Eagle Rock ... Chief Rivers
Sam Mason ... Donald Foster
Flora James ... Eunice Healy
Lariat Joe ... Starr Jones
Jake Howell ... Lew Parker
Pete ... Clyde Veaux
Hotel Proprietor ... Jack Classon
The Foursome ... Ray Johnson, Carlton Macy, Del Porter, Marshall Smith
Commentaires longs: Two roles (June and Chesty) were eliminated during rehearsals. They were to have performed the song "Are You Dancing?".
The song "Embraceable You" needed to be restaged and Fred Astaire was brought in to do so. It was the first time that he and Ginger Rogers met.

Version 2

Girl Crazy (1930-10-Neil Simon Theatre-Broadway)

Type de série: Original
Théâtre: Neil Simon Theatre (Broadway - Etats-Unis)
Durée : 7 mois 3 semaines
Nombre : 272 représentations
Première Preview : mardi 14 octobre 1930
Première : mardi 14 octobre 1930
Dernière : samedi 06 juin 1931
Mise en scène : Alexander Leftwich
Chorégraphie : George Hale
Producteur :
Avec : Danny Churchill ... Allen Kearns
Molly Gray ... Ginger Rogers
Kate Fothergill ... Ethel Merman
Slick Fothergill ... William Kent
Gieber Goldfarb ... Willie Howard
Tess Parker ... Olive Brady
Lank Sanders ... John Daley
Patsy West ... Peggy O'Connor
Eagle Rock ... Chief Rivers
Sam Mason ... Donald Foster
Flora James ... Eunice Healy
Lariat Joe ... Starr Jones
Jake Howell ... Lew Parker
Pete ... Clyde Veaux
Hotel Proprietor ... Jack Classon
The Foursome ... Ray Johnson, Carlton Macy, Del Porter, Marshall Smith

Version 3

Girl Crazy (1932-03-Film)

Type de série: Film
Théâtre: *** Film (*** - ***)
Durée :
Nombre :
Première Preview : vendredi 25 mars 1932
Première : vendredi 25 mars 1932
Dernière : vendredi 25 mars 1932
Mise en scène : William A. Seiter
Chorégraphie : ???? ????
Producteur :
Avec : Jimmy Deegan ... Bert Wheeler
Slick Foster ... Robert Woolsey
Patsy ... Dorothy Lee
Danny Churchill ... Eddie Quillan
Tessie Deegan ... Mitzi Green
George Mason ... Brooks Benedict
Kate Foster ... Kitty Kelly
Molly Gray ... Arline Judge
Lank Sanders ... Stanley Fields
Mary ... Lita Chevret
Pete ... Chris-Pin Martin
Bartender ... Monte Collins
San Luz Bartender ... Al Cooke
Cowboy Giving Directions ... Dick Curtis
Eagle Rock ... High Eagle
Waiter ... Jerry Mandy
Motorcycle Cop ... Nat Pendleton
San Luz Señorita ... Esther García, Rochelle Hudson, Josefina Ramos
Custerville Cowboy ... Ethan Laidlaw, Jim Mason, Artie Ortego, Frank Ellis, Bob Reeves
Commentaires longs: Norman Taurog was the uncredited director of the retakes. Subsequently, he would oversee MGM's 1943 version starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. Providing new choreography for the "I Got Rhythm" retake with Kitty Kelly in 1932 was Busby Berkeley (also uncredited), who then would stage the Mickey-Judy number 11 years later. Originally tapped to direct, Mr. Berkeley was taken off the Metro production when Roger Edens expressed unhappiness with Mr. Berkeley's "I Got Rhythm" treatment, which Mr. Edens felt overloaded his arrangement. In addition, Miss Garland had complained that Mr. Berkeley's demanding work technique had exhausted her.

Version 4

Girl Crazy (1943-11-Film)

Type de série: Film
Théâtre: *** Film (*** - ***)
Durée :
Nombre :
Première Preview : vendredi 26 novembre 1943
Première : vendredi 26 novembre 1943
Dernière : vendredi 26 novembre 1943
Mise en scène : Busby Berkeley
Chorégraphie :
Producteur :
Avec : Avec: Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, June Allyson, Nancy Walker
Commentaires longs: Judy Garland's character's name, Ginger Gray, is a tribute to Ginger Rogers, who played the part on Broadway when the character was named Molly Gray. Ginger Rogers wrote that one night onstage in the play, her costar Allen Kearns accidentally said: "Ginger, I love you" instead of "Molly". The mistake got such a huge laugh from the audience that they decided to continue to do that in subsequent performances, pretending it was a mistake. (Source: "Ginger: My Story". New York: Harper-Collins, 1991)

In the finale of the movie, a musical scene entitled "I Got Rhythm" Ginger Gray (played by Judy Garland) and Danny Churchill Jr. (played by Mickey Rooney) are lifted by a group of cowboys, while guns were going off around them. Garland was terribly afraid to do this shot, and Rooney had to coax her into it.

The musical play opened on Broadway in New York City, New York, USA on 14 October 1930 and had 272 performances. The leads were played by Ginger Rogers and Allen Kearns, but the cast also included Ethel Merman in her first Broadway production. She was featured in the "I Got Rhythm" number.

Many cast members in studio records/casting call lists did not appear or were not identifiable in the movie. These were (with their character names):Alphonse Martell (Waiter), Barbara Bedford (Churchill's secretary), Sarah Edwards (Governor's secretary), Harry C. Bradley (Governor's crony), Spec O'Donnell (Fiddle player), Sidney Miller (Ed), and all the Committee women, Blanche Rose, Helen Dickson, Melissa Ten Eyck, Vangie Beilby, Julia Griffith, Lillian West, Sandra Morgan, Peggy Leon and Bess Flowers.

After Busby Berkeley finished directing the finale ("I Got Rhythm" number, which was filmed first), he was fired by producer Arthur Freed and replaced by Norman Taurog. The reasons vary: modern sources say he was way over budget and behind schedule. Freed himself claimed it was because of a personality clash with Judy Garland, who requested his dismissal.

"Bronco Busters" (music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin), sung by Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Nancy Walker and chorus, was prerecorded but not filmed. The song is heard on the soundtrack CD from Rhino, and also on "The Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland Collection," a Warner Home Video release.

Another number, "Ginger Dear" by Roger Edens was recorded but deleted before release.

Version 5

Girl Crazy (1965-11-Film) "When the Boys Meet the Girls"

Type de série: Film
Théâtre: *** Film (*** - ***)
Durée :
Nombre :
Première Preview : dimanche 10 octobre 1965
Première : dimanche 10 octobre 1965
Dernière : dimanche 10 octobre 1965
Mise en scène : Alvin Ganzer
Chorégraphie : ???? ????
Producteur :
Avec : Avec: Connie Francis, Harve Presnell

Version 6

Girl Crazy (1971-07-Goodspeed Opera House-East Haddam)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Goodspeed Opera House (East Haddam - Etats-Unis)
Durée : 3 semaines
Nombre :
Première Preview : lundi 19 juillet 1971
Première : lundi 19 juillet 1971
Dernière : samedi 14 août 1971
Mise en scène : ???? ????
Chorégraphie : ???? ????
Producteur :
Avec : Avec: Janie Sell, Bill McCutcheon, Martin Ross, Eileen Rogosin, Mary Jo Catlett, Noel Craig, John Remme, Roy Baron, George Connolly, Kevin Daly, Harold Lubin, Richard Bonelle, Ida Mae McKenzie, Ann Hodapp, Sherry Lynn Diamant

Version 7

Girl Crazy (2008-10-Kennedy Center-Washington)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington - Etats-Unis)
Durée :
Nombre :
Première Preview : jeudi 02 octobre 2008
Première : jeudi 02 octobre 2008
Dernière : dimanche 05 octobre 2008
Mise en scène : Lonny Price
Chorégraphie : ???? ????
Producteur :
Avec : Danny Churchill ... Max von Essen
Kate Fothergill ... Randy Graff
Slick Fothergill ... Brooks Ashmanskas
Gieber Goldfarb ... Ned Eisenberg
Molly Gray ... Jenn Colella
Host ... Shirley Jones

Version 8

Girl Crazy (2009-11-New York City Center)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: New York City Center (Broadway - Etats-Unis)
Durée :
Nombre :
Première Preview : jeudi 19 novembre 2009
Première : jeudi 19 novembre 2009
Dernière : dimanche 22 novembre 2009
Mise en scène : Jerry Zaks
Chorégraphie : Warren Carlyle
Producteur :
Avec : Avec: Ana Gasteyer, Wayne Knight, Marc Kudisch, Richard Poe, Chris Diamantopoulos, Becki Newton, Jeremy Beck, Mylinda Hull, Daniel Stewart Sherman, Gregory Wooddell.

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