America’s Sweetheart

America’s Sweetheart has music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by Herbert Fields. It opened on February 10, 1931 and was directed by Monty Woolley. The cast of 95 starred Jack Whiting and Ann Sothern. After a run of 135 performances, the show vanished and has not been staged in New York in 83 years. It’s about Hollywood when the silent movie era ended. Two young lovers hitchhike to Tinseltown where she hits it big and he doesn’t – until talkies appear and the tables are reversed. It all ends happily, however. Songs include “I’ve Got Five Dollars”, “A Lady Must Live”, “I Want a Man”, “Innocent Chorus Girls of Yesterday”, “You Ain’t Got No Savoir Faire”.