Presentation by Patrick Tice-Carroll

Creative Team:

Music by Richard Rodgers

Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein
Direction/choreography by Agnes de Mille
Lighting/Scenic Design by Jo Mielziner

Production History:

New Haven and Boston tryouts

Broadway (1947) at the Majestic Theatre (315 performances)
National Tour for 8 months in 1948
Canadian Premiere (2004)
All-star complete recording (2009)
European Premiere (2016)

Summary:

Act 1: In the year 1905, Marjorie Taylor gives birth to Joseph Taylor, Jr., the protagonist. We
follow Joe as he grows up in the new century, learning to walk, losing his grandmother, and
growing up into school age. Joe meets Jennie Brinker, who comforts him after the loss of his
grandmother, and the two become close and date through high school. Joe is too shy to kiss
Jennie.

Joe leaves for college to study medicine, like his father, and Jennie stays home with her family.
Neither Joe’s family nor Jennie’s family approves of the couple, but Joe and Jennie, despite
several times to date anyone else, Joe and Jennie cannot keep each other out of their minds.
Joe meets Charlie Townsend, another pre-med student, who helps Joe become ingrained in the
social fabric of college and who, in turn, can copy Joe’s homework. While Joe is at college,
Jenny and Marjorie have a dispute about Jenny and Joe’s relationship, and after this
confrontation, Marjorie dies of a heart attack. Joe and Jenny marry later, and the ghosts of Joe’s
mother and grandmother watch in disappointment.

Act 2: Joe graduates from school and works with his father back in his hometown. Jennie’s
father’s business has failed, and so he moved in with Jennie and Joe, who are basically living in
poverty. Joe is offered a hospital position in Chicago from Charlie’s uncle Dr. Denby, but turns it
down because he doesn’t want to leave his father. Jennie pushes him later to take the job, and
Joe obliges.

Joe winds up tending to hypochondriacs and making mindless chatter at cocktail hours, which is
the opposite of what he wanted to do with his life, but helps Joe climb the ladder in pay and
prestige. Charlie, also working at the hospital, turns to the bottle to cope with life. A nurse,
Emily, has taken quite a liking to Joe, but is fired by Dr. Denby at the soap manufacturer Mr.
Lansdale’s advice. Emily, Charlie, and Joe all comment on the trials and tribulations of modern
life in Chicago.

Joe’s disillusionment of the city life leads his thoughts back to his hometown and his father’s
practice. Joe learns that Jennie has been having an affair with Mr. Lansdale. Joe, who was
offered Dr. Denby’s position, eventually turns it down to return to his father with Charlie and
Emily.

Example of Greek-style speaking chorus: