SUNNY
a Musical Comedy in 2 Acts, 12 Scenes. Book and Lyrics by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein 2nd: Music by Jerome Kern
New Amsterdam Theatre, Broadway - 23 September, 1925 (517 perfs)
London Hippodrome, 7 October, 1926
THE STORY (USA and England in the early 1900s)
This romantic "twenties" musical embodies all the light-heartedness and gaiety associated with the period.
It is essentially a love story, centring around three couples, and, as with all the best romances, ends happily.
In love with Tim, and seeking escape from a forced marriage to Mr Wendell-Wendell, Sunny stows away on a liner leaving for New York, on which Tom is travelling with his fiancée Marcia. On realising that she will be refused entry to America, Sunny arranges to marry Tom's friend, Jim, with the understanding that they will divorce as soon as she has her entry permit. Jim agrees, but is worried about the effect on his English girl friend, Weenie.
After many problems, Sunny and Jim realise that they love each other, and in the final scene at the Hunt Ball, Weenie and Mr Wendell-Wendell agree to marry, and Tom and Marcia announce their engagement.
Notes
It is simple to stage and dress, modest in its demands, and can be played with a large or small company. Dancing is uncomplicated and the melodious Vocal Score will not scare a good singer of average range; therefore, the period of rehearsal time required for this production may reasonably be anticipated as less than normal.
Three light baritones are required for the parts of Tom, Jim and Harold, and four sopranos for Weenie, Marcia, Sue and Sunny, all of whom should be fairly young people. There is a very funny part for a vacant-faced comedian and half a dozen good, small and non-singing parts of any age group.
The songs from this show are played as often now as when they were first written, and include WHO; D'YE LOVE ME and TWO LITTLE BLUEBIRDS. The Vocal Score also includes the very famous knockabout comedy quartet, THE FOX HAS LEFT ITS LAIR.
If played at a good speed by a high spirited cast with a sense of fun, SUNNY can still effervesce with the same sparkle that made it the unforgettable hit show that it was.
Musical Numbers
- Opening ("Here We Are Together Again") - Ensemble
- (Dance) The Cocktails
- "Sunny" - Tom Warren, Boys
- "Who?" - 'Sunny' Peters, Tom Warren
Interlude - "So's Your Old Man" - Wendell, The Cocktails
- "Let's Say Good Night Till It's Morning" - Jim Deering, 'Weenie' Winters
- "Do You Love Me?" (D'ye Love Me) - 'Sunny' Peters
Dance: Jim Deering - "The Wedding Knell" 'Sunny' Peters, Boys
- "Two Little Blue Birds" - Wendell, 'Weenie' Winters
- Finale - (Company)
- Opening Act 2 ("We're Gymnastic") - Ensemble
- "When We Get Our Divorce" - 'Sunny' Peters, Jim Deering
- "Sunshine" - Marcia Manners, Boys
Dance: Linda - "Who?" (reprise) - 'Sunny' Peters, Tom Warren
Dance: 'Sunny' Peters, Jim Deering, Wendell, 'Weenie' Winters
Dance: Ensemble - (Specialty):
"Paddlin' Madelin' Home" - Sam
(Music and Lyrics by Harry Woods.)
Other songs interpolated during the run:
"I'll Say to You and You Say to Me" - Sam (Music by Eddie Ward. Lyrics by Chick Endor.)
"I'm Moving Away" - Sam (Music and Lyrics by Cliff Edwards and Irving Caesar.)
- "Just a Little Thing Called Rhythm" - Sam (Music by Eddie Ward. Lyrics by Chick Endor.)
- The Chase (Ensemble)
- "Strolling, or What Have You? - Wendell, 'Weenie' Winters
- "Magnolia in the Woods" - Magnolia (Music and Lyrics by Pert Kelton.)
- The Hunt Dance - 'Sunny' Peters
- Finale - 'Sunny' Peters, Entire Company
Libretto and Vocal Score on Sale
Cast:
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Specialty Dancers
Scenes and settings
Act 1
Scene 1: Outside a Circus Tent, Southampton, England.
Scene 2: Back of the Circus. Interlude: A Street in Southampton.
Scene 3: In Front of `Weenie's' House. Interlude: The Gangplank.
Scene 4: S. S. Triumphant.
Scene 5: S. S. Triumphant. Noon, two days later.
Scene 6: A Park in Southampton. Next day.
Interlude: Jim's Cabin. Evening before landing.
Scene 7: Grand Salon, S. S. Triumphant.
Act 2
Scene 1: Conservatory adjoining Jim's Gymnasium at a fashionable Southern resort.
Scene 2: The Grove. That afternoon.
Scene 3: A Poppy Field.
Scene 4: The Woods.
Scene 5: Ball Room of the Hotel.
Instrumentation:
(Total number of books = 19)
Flute, Oboe, 2 Bb Clarinets, Bassoon; 2 Horns, 2 Bb Trumpets, Trombone; Percussion; Strings.