Louisiana Purchase is a musical with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin and book by Morrie Ryskind based on a story by B. G. DeSylva. Set in New Orleans, the musical lightly satirises Louisiana Governor Huey Long and his control over Louisiana politics.[1] An honest U.S. senator travels to Louisiana to investigate corruption in the Louisiana Purchase Company; the company's lawyer attempts to divert him via the attentions of two beautiful women, but the senator maintains his integrity and ends up marrying one of them. In 1941 it was adapted for the film Louisiana Purchase directed by Irving Cummings.
| Louisiana Purchase | |
|---|---|
 1996 Cast Recording | |
| Music | Irving Berlin |
| Lyrics | Irving Berlin |
| Book | Morrie Ryskind |
| Basis | A story Buddy De Sylva |
| Productions | 1940 Broadway 1941 Film 1996 Broadway |
The show opened at the Shubert Brothers' Imperial Theatre, New York City on May 28, 1940 and ran for 444 performances. It was produced by Buddy De Sylva, who also wrote the story, and staged by Edgar MacGregor. The musical orchestrations were by Robert Emmett Dolan and N. Lang Van Cleve, with the ballets by George Balanchine and the musical staging and dances by Carl Randall. On June 19, 1996, a concert version with the complete score was recorded at Carnegie Hall (during four performances), including three additional songs cut from the original album.
Songs
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Casts
edit| Original Broadway (1940) | Film Adaptation (1941) | New York Concert (1996) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Taylor | William Gaxton | Bob Hope | Michael McGrath |
| Marina van Linden | Vera Zorina | Judy Blazer | |
| Senator Oliver P. Loganberry | Victor Moore | George S. Irving | |
| Madame Yvonne Bordelaise | Irène Bordoni | Taina Elg | |
| Emmy-Lou | April Ames | Phyllis Ruth | Alet Oury |
| Beatrice | Carol Bruce | Dona Drake | Debbie Gravitte |
| Alphonse | Charles La Torre | Keith Byron Kirk | |
| Colonel Davis D. Davis Sr. | Robert Pitkin | Raymond Walburn | John Wylie |
| Colonel Davis D. Davis Jr. | Ray Mayer | Michael Morotta | |
| Lee Davis | Nick Long Jr. | James Ludwig | |
| Dean Joseph T. Manning | Ralph Riggs | Andrew Tombes | Merwin Goldsmith |
| Police Captain Whitfield | Edward H. Robins | Donald MacBride | Rick Crom |
| Sam Liebowitz | John Eliot | Emory Parnell | Merwin Goldsmith |
| Secretary | Georgia Carroll | Iris Meredith | Erin Dilly |
References
edit- ^ Bordman, Gerald (2001). American Musical Theater: A Chronicle. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-513074-X, pg. 573
Sources
edit- Suskin, Steven (2000) "Showtunes", 3rd ed. Oxford University Press; ISBN 0-19-512599-1
External links
edit- Louisiana Purchase at the Internet Broadway Database, ibdb.com. Accessed March 25, 2024.