Dancing Around is a two-act musical revue with music by Sigmund Romberg and Harry Carroll and lyrics and book by Harold Atteridge.[1] The production was "the first show in which Al Jolson received top billing from the start."[2] As a revue, the score features songs from multiple composers and lyricists,[3] notably featuring the songs "Sister Susie's Sewing Shirts for Soldiers" and "It's a Long Way to Tipperary."[4] However, the Grace Leboy song "Everybody Rag With Me",[5] commonly associated with the musical in sheet music[6] and recordings popularized by Jolson, did not appear in the original production, but rather was added during a tour. [7][8][9] Jolson appeared in blackface, performing the "Everybody Rag With Me" number and the encore without the makeup.[8] Performances began at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York on October 10, 1914, running for 145 performances before closing on February 13, 1915.

Dancing Around
MusicSigmund Romberg and Harry Carroll, additional music by Jack Judge and Jean Gilbert
LyricsHarold Atteridge, additional lyrics by Harry Williams
BookHarold Atteridge
ProductionsWinter Garden Theatre 1914

List of musical numbers

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  • "The Army Club"
  • "When Tommy Atkins Smiles at All the Girls"
  • "Never Trust a Soldier Man"
  • "My Rainbow Beau"
  • "I Was Born on the Aisle of Man"
  • "There's Something About You"
  • "My Lady of the Telephone"
  • "The Call of the Colors"
  • "Somebody's Dancing with My Girl"
  • "The Afternoon Tea"
  • "Seeking for Sigfried"
  • "A Fashion Slave"
  • "Venetia"
  • "He Is Sweet, He Is Good"
  • "The Shuffling Shivaree"
  • "When an Englishman Marries a Parisian"
  • "I Want to Be in Norfolk"
  • "Oh, You John"
  • "Sister Susie's Sewing Shirts for Soldiers"
  • "It's a Long Way to Tipperary"
  • "Oh, Tennessee, I Hear You Calling Me"

References

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  1. ^ The Broadway League. "Dancing Around – Broadway Musical – Original". IBDB. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  2. ^ "Ajolson/Onstage".
  3. ^ "New York Public Library / All Locations". legacycatalog.nypl.org. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  4. ^ "Dancing Around (Romberg/Carroll, 1914)". ovrtur.com. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  5. ^ LeBoy, Grace; Starmer. Illustrator. (1914). Everybody rag with me : one step / by Grace LeBoy. Washington University in St Louis Gaylord Music Library. New York : Jerome H. Remick & Co.
  6. ^ "Everybody rag with me". York University Digital Library. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  7. ^ West, Ben (18 October 2019). "Songwriters, Suffragettes, and the Musical Stage". Library of Congress Blogs. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Jim Kershner's this day in history | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  9. ^ "Al Jolson: Ultimate Vaudeville Superstar by David Soren | The American Vaudeville Museum". Retrieved 2024-03-16.