 SUNNY
a Musical Comedy in 2 Acts, 12 Scenes. Book and Lyrics by Otto Harbach
and Oscar Hammerstein 2nd:
Music by Jerome Kern
New Amsterdam Theatre, Broadway - 23 September, 1925 (517 perfs)
London Hippodrome, 7 October, 1926
THE STORY (USA and England in the early 1900s)
This romantic "twenties" musical embodies
all the light-heartedness and gaiety associated with the period. It
is essentially a love story, centring around three couples, and, as
with all the best romances, ends happily. In love with Tim, and seeking
escape from a forced marriage to Mr Wendell-Wendell, Sunny stows away
on a liner leaving for New York, on which Tom is travelling with his
fiancée Marcia. On realising that she will be refused entry
to America, Sunny arranges to marry Tom's friend, Jim, with the understanding
that they will divorce as soon as she has her entry permit. Jim agrees,
but is worried about the effect on his English girl friend, Weenie.
After many problems, Sunny and Jim realise that they love each other,
and in the final scene at the Hunt Ball, Weenie and Mr Wendell-Wendell
agree to marry, and Tom and Marcia announce their engagement.
It is simple to stage and dress, modest in its demands, and can be played
with a large or small company. Dancing is uncomplicated and the melodious
Vocal Score will not scare a good singer of average range; therefore, the
period of rehearsal time required for this production may reasonably be
anticipated as less than normal.
Three light baritones are required for the parts of Tom, Jim and Harold,
and four sopranos for Weenie, Marcia, Sue and Sunny, all of whom should
be fairly young people. There is a very funny part for a vacant-faced comedian
and half a dozen good, small and non-singing parts of any age group.
The songs from this show are played as often now as when they were first
written, and include WHO; D'YE LOVE ME and TWO LITTLE BLUEBIRDS. The Vocal
Score also includes the very famous knockabout comedy quartet, THE FOX
HAS LEFT ITS LAIR.
If played at a good speed by a high spirited cast with a sense of fun,
SUNNY can still effervesce with the same sparkle that made it the unforgettable
hit show that it was.
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CAST:
- Mlle. Sadie
- Bally Hoo
- Tom Warren
- Siegfried Peters
- Harold Harcourt Wendell-Wendell
- Sue Warren
- Sam
- 'Sunny' Peters
- Jim Deering
- 'Weenie' Winters
- Marcia Manners
- Magnolia
- First Mate
- First Ship's Officer
- Second Ship's Officer
- Ship's Captain
- Diana Miles
- Millicent Smythe
- Groom
Specialty Dancers
Scenes and settings
Act 1
Scene 1: Outside a Circus Tent, Southampton, England.
Scene 2: Back of the Circus. Interlude: A Street in Southampton.
Scene 3: In Front of `Weenie's' House. Interlude: The Gangplank.
Scene 4: S. S. Triumphant.
Scene 5: S. S. Triumphant. Noon, two days later.
Scene 6: A Park in Southampton. Next day.
Interlude: Jim's Cabin. Evening before landing.
Scene 7: Grand Salon, S. S. Triumphant.
Act 2
Scene 1: Conservatory adjoining Jim's Gymnasium at a fashionable
Southern resort.
Scene 2: The Grove. That afternoon.
Scene 3: A Poppy Field.
Scene 4: The Woods.
Scene 5: Ball Room of the Hotel.
Musical Numbers
- Opening ("Here We Are Together Again") - Ensemble
- (Dance) The Cocktails
- "Sunny" - Tom Warren, Boys
- "Who?" - 'Sunny' Peters, Tom Warren
Interlude
- "So's Your Old Man" - Wendell, The Cocktails
- "Let's Say Good Night Till It's Morning" - Jim Deering,
'Weenie' Winters
- "Do You Love Me?" (D'ye Love Me) - 'Sunny' Peters
Dance: Jim Deering
- "The Wedding Knell"
'Sunny' Peters, Boys
- "Two Little Blue Birds" - Wendell, 'Weenie' Winters
- Finale - (Company)
- Opening Act 2 ("We're Gymnastic") - Ensemble
- "When We Get Our Divorce" - 'Sunny' Peters, Jim Deering
- "Sunshine" - Marcia Manners, Boys
Dance: Linda
- "Who?" (reprise) - 'Sunny' Peters, Tom Warren
Dance: 'Sunny' Peters, Jim Deering, Wendell, 'Weenie' Winters
Dance: Ensemble
- (Specialty):
"Paddlin' Madelin' Home" - Sam
(Music and Lyrics by Harry Woods.)
Other songs interpolated during the run:
"I'll Say to You and You Say to Me" - Sam (Music by Eddie
Ward. Lyrics by Chick Endor.)
"I'm Moving Away" - Sam (Music and Lyrics by Cliff Edwards
and Irving Caesar.)
- "Just a Little Thing Called Rhythm" - Sam (Music by
Eddie Ward. Lyrics by Chick Endor.)
- The Chase (Ensemble)
- "Strolling, or What Have You? - Wendell, 'Weenie' Winters
- "Magnolia in the Woods" - Magnolia (Music and Lyrics
by Pert Kelton.)
- The Hunt Dance - 'Sunny' Peters
- Finale - 'Sunny' Peters, Entire Company
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