Sally is amusical comedy with music byJerome Kern, lyrics byClifford Grey and book byGuy Bolton (inspired by the 19th century show,Sally in our Alley), with additional lyrics byBuddy De Sylva,Anne Caldwell andP. G. Wodehouse. The plot hinges on a mistaken identity: Sally, a waif, is a dishwasher at the Alley Inn in New York City. She poses as a famous foreign ballerina and rises to fame (and finds love) through joining the Ziegfeld Follies. There is a rags to riches story, a ballet as a centrepiece, and a wedding as a finale. "Look for the Silver Lining" continues to be one of Kern's most familiar songs. The song is lampooned by another song, "Look for a Sky of Blue," inRick Besoyan's satirical 1959 musicalLittle Mary Sunshine.

Sally
Sheet music cover
Music	Jerome Kern Victor Herbert
Lyrics	Clifford Grey Buddy De Sylva P. G. Wodehouse Anne Caldwell
Book	Guy Bolton
Productions	1920Broadway 1921West End 1923Australia 1923 Broadway revival 1942 West End revival 1948 Broadway revival

The piece was first produced in 1920 onBroadway byFlorenz Ziegfeld, and ran for 570 performances, one of the longest runs on Broadway up to that time. The show was designed as a debut star vehicle forMarilyn Miller. It had a successful London run and was revived several times on Broadway and in theWest End, although it has had few productions since the 1950s. The musical was adapted intoa 1925 silent film and a1929 musical film.

Kern, Bolton, and Wodehouse had collaborated on a number of musical comedies at thePrincess Theatre. The story combined the innocence of these earlier "Princess musicals" with the lavishness of the "Ziegfeld Follies" formula. The score recycles some material from previous Kern shows, including "Look for the Silver Lining" and "Whip-poor-will" (with lyrics by De Sylva, from the flop "Zip Goes a Million"); "The Lorelei" (lyrics by Anne Caldwell); and "You Can't Keep a Good Girl Down" and "The Church 'Round the Corner" (lyrics by Wodehouse). Grey supplied the lyrics for the few new songs in the score. At the request of Ziegfeld,Victor Herbert was engaged to write the music to "The Butterfly Ballet" in Act Three.

The musical was originally produced byFlorenz Ziegfeld, opening on December 21, 1920 at theNew Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway. It ran for 570 performances, which was one of the longest runs on Broadway up to that time. By the time it closed in 1924 (including revivals), it would prove to be among the top five money makers of the 1920s. The show was designed as the musical comedy debut ofMarilyn Miller, a 22-year-oldZiegfeld Follies girl. Miller would continue to be a star on Broadway until her death in 1936.^[1]

• "Pops",proprietor of the Alley Inn, New York – Alfred P. James
• Rosalind Rafferty,a manicurist –Mary Hay
• Madame Nookerova's maid – Mary Hay
• Sascha,Violinist at the Alley Inn – Jacques Rebiroff
• Otis Hooper,a theatrical agent –Walter Catlett
• Mrs. Ten Broek,a settlement worker –Dolores
• Sally of the Alley,a foundling –Marilyn Miller
• Madame Nookerova,a Wild Rose – Marilyn Miller
• Premier Star of the Follies – Marilyn Miller
• Connie,a waiter at the Alley Inn –Leon Errol
• Duke of Czechogovinia – Leon Errol
• Miss New York,a niece – Agatha Dehussey
• Admiral Travers,a gay one – Phil Ryley
• Blair Farquar,an only son – Irving Fisher
• Jimmie Spelvin –Stanley Ridges
• Billy Porter – Wade Boothe
• Harry Burton – Jack Barker

Act I

• Opening and Violin Solo
• The Night Time – Jimmie Spelvin and Ensemble (lyrics by Grey)
• On with the Dance – Otis Hooper, Rosalind, Betty and Harry Burton (lyrics by Grey)
• On with the Dance (Encore) – Otis Hooper, Rosalind, Betty and Harry Burton
• Joan of Arc ("You Can't Keep a Good Girl Down") – Sally of the Alley and Foundlings (lyrics by Grey & Wodehouse)
• Look for the Silver Lining – Sally and Blair Farquar (lyrics by De Sylva)
• Look for the Silver Lining (reprise) – Sally, Duke of Czechogovinio, Boys and Girls
• Sally – Blair and Ensemble (lyrics by Grey)
• Dance – Sally
• Finale Act One – Sally, Duke of Czechogovinio, Otis Hooper, Rosalind and Company

Act II

• Opening Act II: The Social Game – Jimmie and Ensemble
• Wild Rose – Sally and Diplomats (lyrics by Grey)
• (On the Banks of) The Schnitza Komisski – Duke of Czechogovinio and Ensemble (lyrics by Grey)
• Schnitza Komisski Dance (Pzcherkatrotsky) – Duke of Czechogovinio
• Whip-poor-will – Sally and Blair (lyrics by De Sylva)
• The Lorelei – Otis Hooper, Rosalind and Jimmie (lyrics by Anne Caldwell)
• The Church Around the Corner – Rosalind and Otis (lyrics by Grey & Wodehouse)
• Finale Act II: – Entire Company

Act III

• Land of Butterflies (ballet) (music By Victor Herbert)
• Wild Rose (reprise) – Sally and Boys
• Finale – Dear Little Church 'Round the Corner

The musical enjoyed a successful production in 1921 in London at theWinter Garden Theatre, starring British musical comedy veteransGeorge Grossmith Jr. andLeslie Henson, which ran for 387 performances.

It also played well in 1923 in Australia, produced by theJ. C. Williamson company. There were Broadway revivals in 1923 (at theNew Amsterdam Theatre) and 1948 and London revivals in 1942 (at Prince's Theatre) and 1952 (Oxford New Theatre).^[2] Other productions included a 1944 LACLO Production inLos Angeles, California and a 1988 concert productionOff-Broadway at the Academy Theatre.^[3]

A1925 silentromantic comedy film of the same name starredColleen Moore and was directed byAlfred E. Green, produced by Moore's husbandJohn McCormick. The screenplay was adapted byJune Mathis.^[4]

The1929 musical film version was only the thirdall talking all-color feature movie ever made. It retains three of Kern's songs ("Look for the Silver Lining", "Sally", and "Wild Rose"). The rest of the music newly written for the film byAl Dubin and Joe Burke.^[5] Miller was hired by the Warner Brothers to reprise her role at an extravagant sum (reportedly $1,000 an hour for a total of $100,000).^[6] The film was nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Art Direction byJack Okey in 1930.^[7][8]

Sally was presented onThe Railroad Hour April 6, 1953. The 30-minute radio adaptation starredGordon MacRae andLucille Norman.^[9]

References

Sources

• Description of the musical
• Synopsis and other information about the musical

• Midi files and links
• Vocal score
• ​Sally​ at theInternet Broadway Database
• NY Times review of a 1988 staged concert
• Information about the Australian production
• Site gives length of long-running shows