Productions
Pre-Broadway tryouts started at the Shubert Theatre, New Haven on October 3, 1940, and then at the Shubert Theatre, Boston on October 8, 1940.
The musical premiered on Broadway at the 46th Street Theatre on October 30, 1940 and closed on January 3, 1942 after 501 performances. It was directed by Edgar MacGregor, with choreography by Robert Alton and scenic design and costumes by Raoul Pène Du Bois. The cast featured Ethel Merman as Hattie, Arthur Treacher as Vivian, Betty Hutton as Florrie, James Dunn as Nick, Phyllis Brooks as Leila, Joan Carroll as Geraldine, Rags Ragland as Woozy, and Pat Harrington as Skat. Among the dancers were June Allyson, Doris Dowling and Constance Dowling, Betsy Blair, Lucille Bremer and Vera-Ellen.
The show opened in the West End at the Piccadilly Theatre on November 4, 1943 and ran for 308 performances. It was produced by William Mollison with the entire production supervised by Lee Ephraim and dances by Wendy Toye. The cast featured Bebe Daniels as Hattie, Max Wall as Eddy, Claude Hulbert as Vivian, Frances Marsden as Florrie, Ivan Brandt as Nick, Georgia MacKinnon as Leila, Richard Hearne as Loopy and Betty Blackler as Elizabeth.
The musical was revived for several performances as a staged concert at Barbican Cinema 1 in London in 1996 as part of the "Discovering Lost Musicals" series directed and produced by Ian Marshall-Fisher. Louise Gold starred as Hattie, with Jon Glover as Windy. "Musicals Tonight!" series presented a staged concert of the musical in New York City in October 2010.
Read more about this topic: Panama Hattie
Famous quotes containing the word productions:
“If you think it will only add one sprig to the wreath the country twines to bind the brows of my hero, I will run the risk of being sneered at by those who criticize female productions of all kinds. ...Though a female, I was born a patriot.”
—Annie Boudinot Stockton (1736–1801)
“Eternity is in love with the productions of time.”
—William Blake (1757–1827)
“It is well known, that the best productions of the best human intellects, are generally regarded by those intellects as mere immature freshman exercises, wholly worthless in themselves, except as initiatives for entering the great University of God after death.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)