Wish You Were Here (musical)

Wish You Were Here
Original Cast Recording
Music	Harold Rome
Lyrics	Harold Rome
Book	Arthur Kober Joshua Logan
Basis	Arthur Kober play, Having Wonderful Time
Productions	1952 Broadway 1953 West End

Wish You Were Here is a musical with a book by Arthur Kober and Joshua Logan and music and lyrics by Harold Rome. The musical was adapted from Kober's 1937 play, Having Wonderful Time, and revolves around a summer camp for adults.

ACT ONE

The show opens with a P.A. announcement welcoming a busload of new guests to Camp Karefree, a two-week summer camp for adults in the Catskills. Camp host Lou Kandel gives the new comers, mostly women, the rundown of the place; first, he introduces the waiters, mostly college men. Then he tells everyone the two rules - Camp Karefree cares for you, and when the lights flicker the girls go to the girls' side and the boys go to the boys'("Camp Karefree Song").

Enter Teddy Stern, a young woman soon to be wed to a stuffy, older man: Herman Fabricant. Teddy has been crying uncontrollably since her engagement, so her doctor suggested she get some rest before the wedding. Teddy's friend Fay, a screwball blonde, meets her and takes her under her wing. Herman leaves. After he's gone, Teddy confesses she is having second thoughts about her marriage, that's why the doctor said she needed a change. With that, Fay takes Teddy's wedding ring - just for the time that they're at camp - so Teddy can have a real change. Fay introduces the now "single" Teddy to her friends ("There's Nothing Nicer Than People"). Teddy then meets Itchy Flexner, the social director who does it all: imitations, singing, dancing, and telling stories. He just loves to entertain ("Social Director"). He engages the entire camp with his talent. An announcement over the loudspeaker tells everyone to change for dinner. As she heads to her cabin, Teddy meets Pinky Harris - a dashing, womanizing fellow who takes an interest in her. After Teddy has changed for dinner, she notices Fay flirting with Harry "Muscles" Green - the new athletic director. It seems that Fay has her eye on every available man at Camp Karefree. She confesses that she just loves to flirt ("Shopping Around"). The scene shifts to the locker room for the waiters listlessly wipe the water glasses and reflect on what they have to do to put themselves through school ("Bright College Days"). Kandel enters and reminds the waiters that part of their job is to entertain the ladies - all of them, not just the pretty ones - by dancing and talking with them. Chick, a law student, is tired of being a waiter by day and gigolo by night - he wants to meet a real girl, not these eager beavers, as he calls them, at Camp Karefree. But, the boys remind him it's either socialize or get fired ("Mix and Mingle"). On the Social Hall Porch, the girls want to dance, but the men are playing poker. When the waiters arrive the girls rush inside excitedly to dance with them. Teddy, however, doesn't feel like dancing. She listens to the other girls speculate that tonight could be the night they fall in love, looks at her ring finger, and starts crying ("Could Be"). Chick casually enters and stands unaware of Teddy. Schmutz, one of Itchy's assistants, enters and tells Chick that he better start dancing because word has gotten back to Kandel that Chick wouldn't dance with one of the girls. Chick quickly convinces the reluctant Teddy to dance with him just as Kandel enters. Inside the social hall, Itchy directs everyone in a get-acquainted dance ("Tripping the Light Fantastic"). At the end, ready to escort her home, Chick is still with Teddy and thanks her for getting him out of a tight spot. It's here that Pinky makes it very evident that he has designs on Teddy. In fact, he wants Itchy to help him survey the situation and see just how he can lure Teddy to him. Itchy agrees - on the condition Pinky get him a TV audition. Next, Muscles comes over and asks Itchy for advice on wooing a girl. Itchy is happy to oblige, until he finds out the girl is Fay who Itchy also wants! To Itchy's dismay, Muscles and Fay leave together. ("Social Director - Reprise"). Walking through the woods, Chick and Teddy hear the band playing the song Chick sang in the waiter's show last year. It's about a boy and a girl who met at camp, and the following season she didn't come back ("Wish You Were Here"). They run into Fay who had gone to Eagle Rock with Muscles, but was interrupted by a scheming Itchy. When she leaves, Chick explains that he can't get involved with Teddy - he's putting all his time and attention towards Law School. Teddy understands, she too can't get involved, though she doesn't tell Chick the reason why. Chick thinks this is perfect. Chick has trouble with the socializing part of his job, because all of the girls he is supposed to romance want long-term contacts. Since Teddy does not, he asks her if she will spend the next two weeks with him. She happily agrees. They dance the last dance of the evening together and go off to bed - alone ("Where Did the Night Go"). A week later, Muscles is exhausting everyone on the athletic field. Itchy has to cancel evening activities because everyone is too tired to show up. Kandel tells Itchy that if the social events don't pick up, Itchy will lose his job as social director. Meanwhile, Pinky tells Teddy he has just ordered a new formal dress in her size that is meant to be the prize for the Miss Karefree bathing beauty contest. He's one of the judges and wants her to enter. Teddy ignores this obvious pass and goes off with Chick.