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No, No, Nanette is a Broadway musical first produced in 1925 by Harry Frazee, a former owner of the Boston Red Sox. (In the lore of the Curse of the Bambino, Frazee is said to have financed the production by selling baseball superstar Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees, though the sale had occurred five years earlier.) The lyrics are by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach, with music by Vincent Youmans. The songs include the well-known "Tea for Two" and "I Want to Be Happy". It was made into musical films in both 1930 and in 1940, with both film adaptations featuring actress ZaSu Pitts. In 1950, a film entitled Tea for Two, about an acting troupe mounting a production of No, No, Nanette, was released. It starred Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Eve Arden, and Billy De Wolfe. There was a notable revival on Broadway in 1971, with a book adapted by Burt Shevelove, starring Ruby Keeler, Helen Gallagher, Jack Gilford, Patsy Kelly, and Bobby Van. The production was supervised by aging Hollywood legend Busby Berkeley, although it was rumored that his name was his primary contribution to the show. At each performance, Keeler - who had been lured out of retirement - brought down the house with an energetic tap routine incorporated into the "I Want to Be Happy" sequence. The show opened to universally ecstatic reviews, and became the "hottest" ticket on Broadway for months. Plot summaryEven though Jimmy Smith has become a millionaire due to his Bible publishing business, his wife Sue remains frugal and has little desire for money. Her main concern is raising their adopted daughter, Nanette, into a respectable lady. Nevertheless, Jimmy doesn't know what to do with all his money so he decides to become the beneficiary for three beautiful women. After a while, Jimmy realizes that he is bound to get himself in trouble. He enlists the help of his lawyer friend, Billy, to try and get rid of the three women. When Sue and Billy's wife, Lucille discover this fact, they assume that Billy and Jimmy are having affairs with these women. Meanwhile, young Nanette, who has an untapped wild side, is being pursued by a suitor, Tom Trainor. Eventually, Billy and Jimmy explain the situation and are forgiven by their wives. Likewise, Nanette and Tom sort out their difficulties and decide to be married. ReferenceDunn, Don (1972). The Making of 'No, No Nanette'. Citadel Press. |