MUSIC BY JEROME KERN • LYRICS BY P. G. WODEHOUSE • BOOK BY GUY BOLTON Sitting P retty William Pennington . ........Richard Woods Bill Pennington ......... Davis Gaines Judson Waters . ...... Paul V.Ames Babe LaMarr ......... Beverly Lambert May Tolliver ......... Paige O’Hara Dixie Tolliver . ........ Judy Blazer Horace Peabody . ........ Jason Graae Uncle Jo ......... Merwin Goldsmith Mrs.Wagstaff . ....... Paula Laurence Empress Eugenie ......... Roberta Peters and the Princess Theatre Ensemble Ladies and Gentlemen of the Ensemble: Keith Bernardo, Deborah Colet, Margery Daley,Brian Gow,Mike Harmon, Bryan Landrine, James Mahady,Linda Milani, Beverly Myers, Robert Vincent Smith, Sally Ann Swarm, Carrie Wilder. conducted by John McGlinn 80387-2 (2 CDS) NEW WORLD RECORDS 1 Sitting Pretty OVERTURE (7:16) ACT ONE IS THIS NOT A LOVELY SPOT? (4:40) Richard Woods, Davis Gaines, Paul V. Ames, Beverly Lambert, Chorus YOU ALONE WOULD DO (3:16) Davis Gaines, Beverly Lambert WORRIES (3:53) Paige O’Hara, Judy Blazer, Davis Gaines BONGO ON THE CONGO (5:21) Jason Graae, Paul V. Ames, Merwin Goldsmith MR.AND MRS. RORER (3:07) Judy Blazer, Jason Graae THERE ISN’T ONE GIRL (5:30) Davis Gaines A YEAR FROM TODAY (4:26) Davis Gaines, Paige O’Hara SHUFFLIN’ SAM (4:33) Judy Blazer, Chorus ACT ONE FINALE (7:40) Company ENTR’ACTE (3:14) ACT TWO OPENING ACT TWO (5:11) Chorus DAYS GONE BY (3:01) Roberta Peters ALL YOU NEED IS A GIRL (3:43) Davis Gaines, Paige O’Hara, Chorus TULIP TIME IN SING SING (3:35) Merwin Goldsmith ON A DESERT ISLAND WITH YOU (5:28) Paige O’Hara, Judy Blazer THE ENCHANTED TRAIN (5:03) Paige O’Hara, Davis Gaines SHADOW OF THE MOON (4:48) Judy Blazer, Male Chorus SITTING PRETTY (3:25) Jason Graae, Judy Blazer FINALE ULTIMO (2:05) Company APPENDIX OPENING ACT ONE (original version) (3:46) Chorus ALL THE WORLD IS DANCING MAD (4:14) I’M WISE (3:33) JUST WAIT (3:09) Davis Gaines, Paul V. Ames, Merwin Goldsmith, Jason Graae 2 JUDY BLAZER has per- PAIGE O’HARA sang DAVIS GAINES recent- JASON GRAAE has MERWIN GOLDSMITH PAUL V. AMES por- formed at Carnegie, the role of Ellie May ly appeared on Broad- appeared on Broad- has performed many trayed Evelyn Oakleigh Avery Fisher, and Alice on the EMI recording way as Raoul in The way in starring roles in times on Broadway, on the national tour of Tully Halls as well as of Show Boat. She por- Phantom of the Op- Stardust, Snoopy and most recently as Lord Anything Goes, and throughout Italy, and trayed Diana era. He performed in Do Black Patent Battersby in Me and Teddy Egbert in the was a vocal soloist in Devereaux on Of Thee the New York revival Leather Shoes Really My Girl Other New York revival of the American Ballet I Sing and Let ‘Em Eat of Camelot with Rich- Reflect Up? He was a Broadway credits Cole Porter’s The Gay Theatre’s production Cake (CBS Mas- ard Burton, and toured soloist in Twyla include Minnie’s Boys, Divorce. Off-Broadway of Everlast at the terworks), and Mabel with Carol Channing Tharp’s ballet Everlast, Chemin de Fer, Rex, he has had leading Metropolitan Opera on the London con- in Hello Dolly! as Cor- with the American The Visit, Slab Boys, roles in The Mikado, House. Among her cert version of Mack nelius Hackl. Gaines Ballet Theatre at the and Dirty Linen. Off- Annie Get Your Gun, numerous credits, and Mabel (First made his New York Metropolitan Opera Broadway he was and Damn Yankees. Blazer has corded the Night label). O’Hara City Opera debut as House. Graae had a nominated for the Ames’s wide range of role of Billie in Babes recreated the role of Robert Mission in The lead role in Babes in Variety Critics Poll for credits includes H.M.S. In Arms New World Ellie May in the revival New Moon, and por- Arms, both in concert the role of Jacob Pinafore, Two Gen- Records), appeared on of Show Boat, and trayed Gaylord Ravenal at Avery Fisher Hall Hooper in Wanted, tlemen of Verona, The “In Performance at the appeared as Edwin in Show Boat with the and on the recent and played Alcindoro Music Man, Blithe White House” (PBS), Drood in The Mystery Minnesota Opera and New World Records in La Bohème at the Spirit, and Man and and portrayed Ariel on of Edwin Drood. Her Opera Omaha. His recording. His Off- Public Theater. Gold- Superman. He recent- CBS’ As the World credits include con- credits include appear- Broadway credits smith’s extensive cred- ly performed in Jer- Turns. Most recently, cert performances of ances in The Cat and include Olympus On its include numerous ome Kern’s The Cat she starred on Jerome Kern’s The Cat the Fiddle at Carnegie My Mind, Showing appearances on radio, and the Fiddle at Broadway in Me and and the Fiddle and Recital Hall and, Off- Off, Just So, television, and in films, Carnegie Recital Hall, My Girl and A Change Sitting Pretty at Broadway,in She Loves Promenade, and Fea- most recently in and has made numer- in the Heir. Carnegie Recital Hall. Me and Forbidden thertop. Making Mr.Right ous appearances in Broadway. television commercials. BEVERLY LAMBERT is RICHARD WOODS has PAULA LAURENCE is ROBERTA PETERS has JOHN McGLINN is noted for her work in performed in numer- well known for her been a star of the one of America’s lead- opera companies ous Broadway produc- work on stage and American musical ing authorities on the worldwide. Recently tions over the past screen. Cole Porter scene since her sur- music of Jerome Kern, she played Magnolia in forty years, from A wrote her first musical prise debut at the Cole Porter, George Show Boat at the Midsummer Night’s role for her, Metropolitan Opera as Gershwin, Richard Houston Grand Opera Dream to the musical Something For the Zerlina in Mozart’s Rodgers, and Vincent and at the Cairo Opera Coco; from You Can’t Boys, and she per- Don Giovanni. A lead- Youmans. As a per- in performances for Take It With You and formed on Broadway ing soprano at the Met forming artist, scholar, Egyptian President Deathtrap to War and with Orson Welles in for 35 consecutive sea- writer, and director, he Mubarak. She has per- Peace. He has ap- Horse Eats Hat and sons, a record un- is dedicated to the formed leading roles peared in the films Mr. Dr. Faustus. Laurence equalled in that the- restoration of Amer- with the New York North, Miller’s appeared with the ater’s annals, she has ican musical theater, City and Canadian Crossing, and To New York City Opera performed extensively often using original operas, and was fea- Forget Palermo. in Orpheus in the on concert and recital scores and texts. tured in Broadway Woods performed in Underworld, and in stages across the Among his critically Applauds Lincoln the concert produc- the film Crossing Del- American continent, as acclaimed recordings Center, at Avery Fisher tion of Sitting Pretty ancey. The recent well as in musical are the world pre- Hall. On Broadway at Carnegie Recital revival of vintage comedy, film, and on mieres of the original Lambert has appeared Hall, and his numerous musicals has led to television. Peters has versions of Show in Nine and Show television credits many starring roles for also performed at the Boat, Anything Goes, Boat, and on televi- include Sherlock her in shows at Salzburg Festival, the and eight Jerome Kern sion in The Guiding Holmes, The Guiding Carnegie Recital Hall, Bolshoi Theater in overtures, as well as Light and One Life to Light, and Let Me Town Hall, and the Moscow, and, more two Gershwin albums. Live. Hear You Whisper. Goodspeed Opera recently, in the House. People’s Republic of China 3 Finding the Bliss Sitting Pretty was the sixth (and last) collaboration of search. The world that had produced his great Princess Jerome Kern, P. G. Wodehouse, and Guy Bolton. Between Theatre hits was changing, and he was too sensitive a musi- 1917 and 1920 the triumvirate had created five musicals cian not to change with it. (Have a Heart, Oh, Boy! Leave it to Jane, Oh, Lady! Lady!!, From a compositional point of view, Sitting Pretty repre- and Sally) that not only introduced many song hits, but also sents an important advance for Kern, one that would culmi- did much to lay a foundation for modern musical comedy. nate in the quasi-operatic Show Boat of 1927. That claim has been made for many composers and writers, Although he was certainly no stranger to the romantic and each great author in his time has expanded the musi- ballad, the greater part of Kern’s work up to this point had cal’s field of vision; Kern and his collaborators were the first, focused on sprightly dance rhythms—polkas, fox trots, however, to take the musical comedy firmly out of the loose- waltzes, and two-steps. Dance orchestras in the teens and ly structured revue format while avoiding the trappings of twenties devoured such tunes and spread their popularity, European operetta. Ruritania was replaced with Long Island, and composers knew the value of writing a danceable and Balkan princes became elevator boys and stockbrokers. melody. The books were funny and consistent, and the scores were With the score of Sitting Pretty (and his other great small-scale wonders, full of charm and delicacy. score of 1924, Dear Sir) Kern’s adherence to those stan- These shows have become known as the “Princess dards began to change.