Lady, Be Good | |
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Fred and Adele Astaire perform "Swiss Miss" in the London production
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Music | George Gershwin |
Lyrics | Ira Gershwin |
Book |
Guy Bolton Fred Thompson |
Productions | 1924 Broadway 1926 West End 2015 City Center Encores! |
Lady, Be Good! (title sometimes presented with an exclamation point) is a musical written by Guy Bolton and Fred Thompson with music by George and lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was first presented on Broadway in 1924; the West End production followed in 1926. The story of the musical is about a brother and sister who are out of money; both are eager to sacrifice themselves to help the other. This was the first Broadway collaboration of the Gershwin brothers, and the Astaire siblings play a brother-sister dance team.
Lady, Be Good premiered on Broadway at the Liberty Theatre on December 1, 1924 and closed on September 12, 1925, after 330 performances. The musical was staged by Felix Edwardes with musical staging by Sammy Lee and scenic design by Norman Bel Geddes. It starred brother and sister performers Fred and Adele Astaire.
The musical opened in the West End at the Empire Theatre on April 14, 1926, again starring Fred and Adele Astaire. It played strongly there, running for 326 performances. The best-known songs from the score are "Oh, Lady be Good!" and "Fascinating Rhythm."
The Ohio Light Opera produced 11 performances of "Lady, Be Good!" as part of their 2013 Summer Festival Season.
The Encores! staged concert version of Lady, Be Good runs from February 4 to February 8, 2015. Directed by Mark Brokaw and choreographed by Randy Skinner, the cast features Tommy Tune and Douglas Sills, with Danny Gardner and Patti Murin as the brother and sister act.