Miss 1917

Miss 1917
The Musical Comedy
Music	Victor Herbert, Jerome Kern and others
Lyrics	Harry B. Smith, Otto Harbach, Henry Blossom and others
Book	Guy Bolton P. G. Wodehouse
Productions	1917 Broadway

Miss 1917 is a musical revue with a book by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, music by Victor Herbert, Jerome Kern and others, and lyrics by Harry B. Smith, Otto Harbach, Henry Blossom and others. Made up of a string of vignettes, the show features songs from such musicals as The Wizard of Oz, Three Twins, Babes in Toyland, Ziegfeld Follies and The Belle of New York.

In 1916, Charles Dillingham and Florenz Ziegfeld produced The Century Girl, with music by Irving Berlin. Despite mildly positive reviews, the show closed without recouping its investment. On their next production, which was to be called Miss 1917, they hired Jerome Kern and Victor Herbert to compose the score and Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse to collaborate on the book. Kern and Bolton had collaborated on the Princess Theatre musicals, including Very Good Eddie (1915). British humorist and playwright Wodehouse then joined them for several innovative musicals there, including Oh, Boy! (1917).

The show is mostly known today as George Gershwin's introduction to musical theatre. During rehearsals for Miss 1917, Gershwin conducted the pit orchestra and played the piano. He was hired in October 1917, being paid $35 each week. As the rehearsal period extended, Gershwin earned more money. He would later record Kern's "The Land Where the Good Songs Go", which was used in the revue, as a piano roll in January 1918.

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