Dearest Enemy
Encyclopedia
Dearest Enemy is a musical
with a book by Herbert Fields
, lyrics by Lorenz Hart
, and music by Richard Rodgers
. This was the first of eight book musicals written by the songwriting team of Rodgers and Hart
and writer Herbert Field. The musical takes place in 1776, during the American Revolutionary War
.
The Broadway
production opened on September 18, 1925 at the Knickerbocker Theatre
, and closed on May 22, 1926, after 286 performances. Directed by John Murray Anderson
, the cast included Flavia Arcaro as Mary, Helen Spring as Jane, John Seymour as Harry, Helen Ford as Betsy, Charles Purcell as Sir John, and H. E. Eldridge as Washington.
A television musical special featuring Cyril Ritchard
, Anne Jeffreys
, Robert Sterling
, and Cornelia Otis Skinner
as Mrs. Murray was broadcast on November 26, 1955.A cast recording of that broadcast was released on compact disc
in 1997.
incident, its heroine is Mary Lindley Murray
who, under orders from General Washington
, detained British
troops by serving them cake and wine in her Kips Bay, Manhattan home long enough for some 4,000 American
soldier
s to reassemble in Washington Heights
in September 1776. Reality gives way to fanciful fiction
alization with the addition of a pair of love stories, one involving Mary's daughter Jane and British General Tyron's son Harry, the other focusing on the on-again, off-again relationship between Mary's Irish
niece Betsy Burke and British Capt. Sir John Copeland. Also playing a role in the plot is a houseful of beautiful young ladies eager to engage the enemy in more than just conversation, and a group of handsome young men happy to forget their patriotic duty for refreshments, music, and flirtations at the Murray mansion.
Act II
Act III
The Telegram reviewer wrote that "We have a glimmering notion that someday they will form the American counterpart of the once great triumvirate of Bolton, Wodehouse, and Kern."
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
with a book by Herbert Fields
Herbert Fields
Herbert Fields was an American librettist and screenwriter.Born in New York City, Fields began his career as an actor, then graduated to choreography and stage direction before turning to writing. From 1925 until his death, he contributed to the libretti of many Broadway musicals...
, lyrics by Lorenz Hart
Lorenz Hart
Lorenz "Larry" Milton Hart was the lyricist half of the famed Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart...
, and music by Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers
Richard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
. This was the first of eight book musicals written by the songwriting team of Rodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart were an American songwriting partnership of composer Richard Rodgers and the lyricist Lorenz Hart...
and writer Herbert Field. The musical takes place in 1776, during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
Production and background
Herbert Fields, Rodgers and Hart first took their musical to Herbert's father, Lew Fields, to produce, but he declined, thinking the Revolutionary War story would not be commercial. Ultimately George Ford, husband of Helen Ford, the star of the show, agreed to produce it. The musical had been variously described as an operetta and a genuine comic opera in the press.The Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production opened on September 18, 1925 at the Knickerbocker Theatre
Knickerbocker Theatre (Broadway)
The Knickerbocker Theatre — previously known as Abbey's Theatre and Henry Abbey's Theatre — was a Broadway theatre located at 1396 Broadway in New York City. It operated from 1893 to 1930...
, and closed on May 22, 1926, after 286 performances. Directed by John Murray Anderson
John Murray Anderson
John Murray Anderson was a theatre director and producer, songwriter, actor, screenwriter, and lighting designer. He worked almost every genre of show business, including vaudeville, Broadway, and film....
, the cast included Flavia Arcaro as Mary, Helen Spring as Jane, John Seymour as Harry, Helen Ford as Betsy, Charles Purcell as Sir John, and H. E. Eldridge as Washington.
A television musical special featuring Cyril Ritchard
Cyril Ritchard
Cyril Ritchard was an Australian stage, screen and television actor, and director. He is probably best remembered today for his performance as Captain Hook in the Mary Martin musical production of Peter Pan....
, Anne Jeffreys
Anne Jeffreys
Anne Jeffreys is an American actress and singer.- Career :Born Anne Carmichael in Goldsboro, North Carolina, Jeffreys entered the entertainment field at a young age; her initial training was in voice , but she decided as a teenager to sign with the John Robert Powers agency as a junior model.Her...
, Robert Sterling
Robert Sterling
Robert Sterling, born William Sterling Hart was an American film and television actor.-Early life:...
, and Cornelia Otis Skinner
Cornelia Otis Skinner
Cornelia Otis Skinner was an American author and actress.-Biography:Skinner was the daughter of the actor Otis Skinner and his wife Maud Skinner. After attending the all-girls' Baldwin School and Bryn Mawr College and studying theatre at the Sorbonne in Paris, she began her career on the stage...
as Mrs. Murray was broadcast on November 26, 1955.A cast recording of that broadcast was released on compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
in 1997.
Plot
Based on a true American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
incident, its heroine is Mary Lindley Murray
Mary Lindley Murray
Mary Lindley Murray is known in American Revolutionary folklore as the Quaker woman who held up British General William Howe after the British victory against American forces at Kips Bay...
who, under orders from General Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, detained British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
troops by serving them cake and wine in her Kips Bay, Manhattan home long enough for some 4,000 American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
s to reassemble in Washington Heights
Washington Heights, Manhattan
Washington Heights is a New York City neighborhood in the northern reaches of the borough of Manhattan. It is named for Fort Washington, a fortification constructed at the highest point on Manhattan island by Continental Army troops during the American Revolutionary War, to defend the area from the...
in September 1776. Reality gives way to fanciful fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
alization with the addition of a pair of love stories, one involving Mary's daughter Jane and British General Tyron's son Harry, the other focusing on the on-again, off-again relationship between Mary's Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
niece Betsy Burke and British Capt. Sir John Copeland. Also playing a role in the plot is a houseful of beautiful young ladies eager to engage the enemy in more than just conversation, and a group of handsome young men happy to forget their patriotic duty for refreshments, music, and flirtations at the Murray mansion.
Songs
Act I- Heigh-Ho, Lackaday!
- War is War
- I Beg Your Pardon
- Cheerio
- Full Blown Roses
- The Hermits
- Here in My ArmsHere in My Arms"Here in My Arms" is a popular song.The music was written by Richard Rodgers, the lyrics by Lorenz Hart. The song was published in 1925.The song was introduced in the Broadway musical Dearest Enemy, and has become a standard recorded by many artists....
- Tho' We've No Authentic Reason
Act II
- Gavotte
- I'd Like To Hide It
- Where the Hudson River Flows
- Bye and Bye
- Old Enough to Love
- Sweet Peter
- Here's a Kiss
Act III
- Here in My ArmsHere in My Arms"Here in My Arms" is a popular song.The music was written by Richard Rodgers, the lyrics by Lorenz Hart. The song was published in 1925.The song was introduced in the Broadway musical Dearest Enemy, and has become a standard recorded by many artists....
(Reprise)
Critical response
There was a "well-sustained attempt" to match the music to the plot and period. The ballads were "dainty, charming pieces."The Telegram reviewer wrote that "We have a glimmering notion that someday they will form the American counterpart of the once great triumvirate of Bolton, Wodehouse, and Kern."