Pal Joey (musical)

Pal Joey is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart. The book is by John O'Hara after his short stories, which were published in the late 1930s in the New Yorker magazine. George Abbott produced and directed the production. Vivienne Segal was seen in the role of Vera Simpson; Gene Kelly as Joey played his first starring role on Broadway. The premiere took place on 25 December 1940 at Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York. The UK launch was on 31 October 1954 at the Prince's (now Shaftesbury ) Theatre in London's West End. The German premiere took place on 21 October 1980 at the Aalto Theatre in Essen, in a translation by Horst Königstein instead.

Content

Time and Place: Chicago in the late 1930s. Pal Joey is a braggart and very full of himself. He must be well in the night club business as Emcee (Master of Ceremonies / MC). His charm and good looks also help him across the remaining character weaknesses. One evening the rich Vera Simpson in the club comes up, he senses immediately the big money, serving from his lovely but poor friend Linda and does serve up the expensive piece. As he runs an open door, for the slightly older and married Vera is quite fierce for him and obviously needs a toy. Joey now comes with Veras money stand out; He soon include a new wardrobe, a new apartment and a night club. But happiness is not of long duration; A former sidekick, the dancer Gladys and the seedy Ludlow Lowell bring Joey business in their dependence and plan Vera Simpson to blackmail because of her lover. Linda, who accidentally discovers it, warns Vera so that the plan fails. In the end, for once sacked Joey going from Vera, who also locks all the same accounts, but Joey has already plans ...

Well-known musical numbers

  • I Could Write a Book
  • Zip
  • The Lady Is a Tramp
  • My Funny Valentine
  • Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

Filming

The film adaptation of the same name in 1957 by George Sidney with Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak is based on the musical. See Pal Joey (film).

Broadway theatre West End of London
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