Meet Me in St. Louis
A Musical in 2 Acts, 14 Scenes. Based on The Kensington Stories by Sally Benson and the MGM motion picture Meet Me in St. Louis. Book by Hugh Wheeler. Music and lyrics by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane.
Music copyrighted and published by EMI Music Publishing
Gershwin Theatre, Broadway - Opened 2nd November, 1989; closed 10th June, 1990 (253 perfs)
Synopsis
A rare treasure, a show that sparkles with optimism and good tunes, featuring the famous "Trolley Song" and "Meet Me In St. Louis". The magic begins at the site of what is to be the St. Louis World's Fair of 1904, The Smith family are gathered at Shrinker Swamp to watch the ground breaking ceremony for the Fair, the "greatest show that ever showed".
Ester has design's on her neighbour John Truitt to whom she has never spoken. The two youngest Smith sisters complicate things by getting into trouble and annoying everyone. Lon, the eldest Smith child invites his friend, Douglas Moore, a West Point cadet, to dinner and Rose falls for the handsome newcomer. He is off to Princeton and everyone is there to say good-bye. That evening Ester and John fall in love as they snuff out the candles in the Smith's house.
Mr. Smith is worried about his finances and announces that they will all have to move to New York. Their whole lives will change,, the girls will lose the only home they have ever known and Katie will only have a small kitchen to cook in. Worst of all, they will miss the World's Fair!
It is finally time to leave and the family gather in the living room with boxes of their belongings. Mr. Smith arrives home and tries to cheer the family up with a box of bon-bons. He suddenly realises how much the family is dreading the move. In a sudden flash of clarity he realises that they must stay in St. Louis. He announces to the family "We're not moving to New York And l don't want to hear another word about it!". Only in St. Louis in 1904 can such miracles occur!
Musical Numbers
- Meet Me in St. Louis (Music by Kerry Mills. New Lyrics by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane.) - Ensemble
- Meet Me in St. Louis (reprise) - Grandpa Prophater, Tootie Smith
The Boy Next Door - Esther Smith
Be Anything But a Girl - Grandpa Prophater, Agnes Smith, Tootie Smith - Skip to My Lou (Traditional; New Lyrics by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane.) -
Rose Smith, Esther Smith, Lon Smith, Douglas Moore, John Truitt, Warren Sheffield, Company - Under the Bamboo Tree (If You Lak-a Me Like I Lak-a You) (Music and Lyrics by Bob Cole and J. Rosamund Johnson.) (from Sally In Our Alley) - Esther Smith, Tootie Smith
- Banjos - Lon Smith, Company
- Ghosties and Ghoulies and Things That Go Bump in the Night- Katie, Agnes Smith, Tootie Smith, Neighbourhood Children
- Halloween Ballet - Company
- Wasn't It Fun? - Mr Alonso Smith, Mrs Smith
- The Trolley Song - Esther Smith, Company
- Ice - Rose Smith, Warren Sheffield, Douglas Moore, Company, Featured Skaters
- Raving Beauty (from Best Foot Forward, 1963 revival) - Warren Sheffield, Douglas Moore, Rose Smith
- A Touch of the Irish - Katie, Esther Smith, Rose Smith
- You Are For Loving (fromBest Foot Forward, 1963 revival) - John Truitt, Esther Smith
- A Day in New York - Mr Alonso Smith, Family
- The Ball - Grandpa Prophater, Company
- Diamonds in the Starlight - John Truitt, Esther Smith
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Esther Smith
- Paging Mr. Sousa - Mr Alonso Smith, Company
NEW NUMBERS:
A Touch Of The Irish,
Wasn't lt. Fun,
Under The Bamboo Tree,
Banjos,
A Day In New York,
Bows.
Reprises of:
Trolley Song,
Skip To My Lou,
Banjos,
You Are For Loving,
A Touch Of The Irish,
Be Anything But A Girl.
CAST
Male - 9 Female - 12: Boys and girls, chorus and dancers
(in order of appearance):
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Scenes & Settings
The action takes place in and around the Smith family home, 5135 Kensington Avenue, St. Louis—from summer 1903 to the spring of 1904 and the opening of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.
Act 1
- Scene 1: Street outside the Smith Family Home—Summer 1903.
- Scene 2: Interior of the Smith House.
- Scene 3: Lon's Princeton Party.
- Scene 4: Preparing for Hollywood.
- Scene 5: The Girls' Bedroom and the Smith Home.
- Scene 6: Esther's Dream.
- Scene 7: The Bedroom again—the next morning.
Act 2
- Scene 1: The Frozen Pond—before Thanskgiving.
- Scene 2: The Smith Home—preparing for Thanksgiving.
- Scene 3: Tree-Trimming Time.
- Scene 4: Snowy Men—Christmas Eve.
- Scene 5: The Ball and Portico Outside.
- Scene 6: Back Home—later that evening.
- Scene 7: The Louisiana Purchase Exposition—Spring 1904.
Orchestration
Violin 1 & 2: Viola: Cello: Bass: Reed 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5: Horn 1 &2: Trumpet 1,2 & 3: Trombone 1 & 2: Percussion (1 or 2): Harp (optional)