Background and Productions
The development of aviation and flying in the early years of the 20th century captivated the public's attention. Going Up is based on a 1910 play, The Aviator, by James Montgomery. The play took on new significance during World War I.
The musical was produced by George M. Cohan and Sam H. Harris and, after tryouts from November 15, 1917 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, it opened on Broadway at the Liberty Theatre in New York on December 25, 1917. It ran for 351 performances, directed by Edward Royce and James Montgomery, starring Edith Day and featuring the young Ed Begley. A full-size biplane was used in the production, delighting audiences. The production ran through October 1918, and three companies were sent out to tour it. In the meantime, the musical was introduced to British audiences in Manchester, England, from May 13, 1918 before transferring to the Gaiety Theatre to London, opening on May 22, 1918, and running for an even more successful 574 performances. The London cast starred Joseph Coyne and Marjorie Gordon and featured Evelyn Laye. Reviews were uniformly positive. In Australia, Cyril Ritchard and Madge Elliott starred in the piece in 1919. The piece enjoyed various tours and revivals thereafter.
A 1976 Broadway revival tried out at the Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam, Connecticut, directed by Bill Gile. The production moved to Broadway, at the John Golden Theatre, on September 19, 1976, closing on October 31, 1976 after 49 performances. The director was Gile and the choreographer was Dan Siretta (who was nominated for a for a Drama Desk Award for his work), with sets by Edward Haynes, costumes by David Toser and lighting by Peter M. Ehrhardt. The production starred Brad Blaisdell as Robert and featured Pat Lysinger (Miss Zonne), Stephen Bray (John), Kimberly Farr (Grace), Michael Tartel (Jules), Walter Bobbie (Hopkinson), Maureen Brennan (Madeleine), Noel Craig (James) and Ronn Robinson (Sam). The show was condensed into two acts and included three interpolated Hirsch songs: "Hello Frisco", from the Ziegfeld Follies of 1915, with lyrics by Gene Buck, sung by Miss Zonne and the Four Aviators; "I'll Think of You", from The Rainbow Girl, with lyrics by Rennold Wolf, sung by Grace and Robert; and "My Sumurun Girl", from The Whirl of Society, with lyrics by Al Jolson, sung by Miss Zonne and Sam.
A 1923 motion picture farce was based on the musical, with a screenplay by Raymond Griffith. It starred Douglas MacLean, Hallam Cooley, Francis McDonald, Hughie Mack and Marjorie Daw.
Read more about this topic: Going Up (musical)
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