Of Thee I Sing

Of Thee I Sing was written by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, with music by George and Ira Gershwin. The musical focuses on the election and Presidency of John P. Wintergreen and his platform of love. The music in Of Thee I Sing is a landmark in the development in Musical Theatre in the use of integration between music and drama. Because of its sharp political satire, and the music, Of Thee I Sing became the first musical to win a Pulitzer Prize.

Background and History

Of Thee I Sing was written in 1931. The book was by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, both of whom contributed to Marx Brother’s career. (Of Thee I Sing can be compared to the Marx Brothers in comedic style.) The music and lyrics was by George and Ira Gershwin. The score has been considered their most complex, and was their biggest hit, in terms of Broadway run, although no songs found popular success.

Of Thee I Sing ran on Broadway from December 26, 1931 through January 14, 1933 (441 performances), and in May and June 1933 for 32 performances. Stage Design was by Joe Mielziner.

Of Thee I Sing is considered the first "integrated" musical, due to the connection between the music and plot. The show was an important step between Showboat and Oklahoma! in terms of integration. Of Thee I Sing became the first musical to win a Pulitzer Prize with the 1931-1932 award.

A less successful sequel, Let ‘Em Eat Cake, was also made.

Characters

John P. Wintergreen, President

Mary Turner Wintergreen, Secretary/First Lady

Alexander Throttlebottom, Vice-president

Diana Devereaux, Southern Belle and Pageant Winner

Politicians (Campaign Committee)

Fulton, Later Secretary of State

Lippman, Later Secretary of Agriculture

Gilhooley, Later Secretary of the Navy

Jenkins, Later Presidential Secretary

Senator Lyons, Southerner.

Senator Jones, Westerner.

French Ambassador

Supreme Court Justices

Plot Summary

Act I

An unnamed Party picks John P. Wintergreen as candidate for President, and the unassuming Alexander Throttlebottom as Vice President. Unable to run on anything else, Wintergreen decide to run on a “Love” ticket. Plans are made to hold beauty pageant for first lady.

At the pageant, Wintergreen meets Mary Turner, a secretary. Nervous about marrying the pageant winner, Wintergreen proposes to Mary, who won him over with corn muffins. Meanwhile, Diana Devereaux, a Southern beauty, wins the pageant, but Wintergreen insists he will marry Mary.

At a spectacular rally (and wrestling event), Throttlebottom almost gets to make a speech before being escorted out be police. Wintergreen and Mary make a speech and sing the campaign love song, “Of Thee I Sing, Baby”. Wintergreen goes on to win the election by a grand majority.

The Justices of the Supreme Court oversee the wedding/ inauguration, where Wintergreen simultaneous gives his wedding vows and Oath of Office. Diana Devereaux interrupts to announce she plans to sue for breach of promise. John and Mary stand by love and corn muffins, and the Justices decide to sand by them.

Act II

Throttlebottom, on a White House tour, learns he gets to lead the Senate, where he immediately runs. Meanwhile, Wintergreen and Mary have managed to keep the Devereaux issue in check until the French Ambassador reveals Diana is of French decent (illegitimate daughter of an illegitimate son of an illegitimate nephew of Napoleon himself) and demands Wintergreen marries her. John refuses.

Faced with a potential international incident, the party threatens to impeach Wintergreen. At the Impeachment, Wintergreen announces Mary is pregnant, which appeases America, (but not France).

As everyone waits for the baby (turns out to be babies; twins!) to be born, France demands the babies if John doesn’t marry Devereaux. Wintergreen realizes that since he cannot fulfill his obligation to marry Diana, the duty falls to Throttlebottom, the Vice President. This solution satisfies everyone, especially Throttlebottom.

Music

Of Thee I Sing contains approximately 28 songs, including all the reprises. These song often broke new ground for musical comedy. for example, many songs use the operatic device of musicallys reciting dialog to music, as well as full songs. Furthermore, the songs integrate seamlessly into the plot, and often contain elements of the plot, (We’ll Impeach Him) in the song. (This may explain why no songs hit the popular charts from this show.)This integration expands upon the use of music in Showboat, and allows the music to further the story, as well as provide commentary.

Analysis

Themes:

One major theme is the silliness of politics. The party cannot find a single issue to run on, so they come up with the trivial but pretty idea of love. Most events are splashy sideshows, and most of the politicians are foolish and bumbling. No one knows what the Vice President is meant to do, and the Supreme Court acts like a football team at times.

Furthermore, love is a important theme. John and Mary are determined that their love is the most important thing to them. Love triumphs over an election, pageant, law suit, impeachment, and international incident. Since love is the political message of the musical, this focus comment further on the frivolity of politics.

Stage Directions

One of the most important part of Of Thee I Sing’s style is its tone in stage directions. With a voice reminiscent of Shaw, the stage direction give biting, satirical insight into the play. Some examples are:

“A room in a hotel, and a pretty shabby room it is . . . It’s not that they couldn’t afford a better hotel, for the party is notoriously rich, but somehow this room seems thoroughly in keeping with the men who occupy it”

“In the circumstances there is only one thing to do – and they do it. They sing a reprise”

“The crowd bursts into song. And of all the songs in the world, you’d never guess what they pick out. It’s ‘Of Thee I Sing, Baby’.”

Critical Response

Brooks Atkinson: “A taut and lethal satire... funnier than the government, and not nearly so dangerous”

Unnamed Source (From The Pulitzer Plays, 1918-1934): “America’s most sophisticated and intelligent musical comedy, the first of a new genus of satires with music--- comedies of manners designed to laugh out the existence the silly practices of modern life”

Sources

http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=11468

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Of_Thee_I_Sing

The Pulitzer Plays, 1918-1934. Ed. Kathryn Coe and William Cordell. New York: Random House, 1935.