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Irene is a musical/comedy play that first opened on Broadway at the Vanderbilt Theatre November 18, 1919, and ran for 670 performances, which was a record for a Broadway musical at that time. The show starred Edith Day as Irene O'Dare and Walter Regan as Donald Marshall. The book was written by James Montgomery, music by Harry Tierney and lyrics by Joseph McCarthy. Irene held the record for the longest-running show in Broadway history for almost two decades. It eventually had seventeen national touring companies. The 1923 revival was produced at the Jolson's 59th Street Theatre and ran for only 16 performances. The 1973 revival, starring Debbie Reynolds as Irene, with Patsy Kelly as Mrs. O'Dare, was a hit at the Minskoff Theatre, running for 594 performances. It was directed by John Gielgud, and later Gower Champion. The original book was written by Hugh Wheeler and Joseph Stein. Additional songs were provided for the updated book in the 1973 production by Charles Gaynor (Lyrics) and Otis Clements (Music). External links
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