Simple Simon is a 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...

 musical with book by Guy Bolton

Guy Bolton

Guy Reginald Bolton was a British-American playwright and writer of musical comedies. Born in England and educated in France and the U.S., he trained as an architect but turned to writing. Bolton preferred working in collaboration with others, principally the English writers P. G...

, and Ed Wynn

Ed Wynn

Ed Wynn was a popular American comedian and actor noted for his Perfect Fool comedy character, his pioneering radio show of the 1930s, and his later career as a dramatic actor....

, lyrics by Lorenz Hart

Lorenz Hart

Lorenz "Larry" Milton Hart was the lyricist half of the famed Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart...

, 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...

, produced by Florenz Ziegfeld

Florenz Ziegfeld

Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. , , was an American Broadway impresario, notable for his series of theatrical revues, the Ziegfeld Follies , inspired by the Folies Bergère of Paris. He also produced the musical Show Boat...

, and starring Ed Wynn.

It originally played from February 18, 1930 to June 14, 1930 at the Ziegfeld Theatre

Ziegfeld Theatre

The Ziegfeld Theatre was a Broadway theater located at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and 54th Street in Manhattan, New York City. It was built in 1927 and, despite public protests, was razed in 1966....

, then reopened on March 9, 1931 at the Majestic Theatre.

The play, a loose plot designed to show off Ed Wynn's fumbling, clowning, punning style, cast him as a newspaper vendor who spends his time in a fairy-tale land where bad news does not exist. The song "Ten Cents A Dance

Ten Cents a Dance

"Ten Cents a Dance" is a popular song in which a taxi dancer laments the hardships of her job. The music was written by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart...

" was introduced by Ruth Etting in this show. "Love Me Or Leave Me

Love Me or Leave Me (song)

"Love Me or Leave Me" is a U.S. popular song from the 1920s.The music was written by Walter Donaldson and the lyrics by Gus Kahn. The song was introduced in the Broadway play, Whoopee!, which opened in December 1928...

" by Gus Kahn

Gus Kahn

Gustav Gerson Kahn was a musician, songwriter and lyricist.-Biography:Kahn was born in Koblenz, Germany in 1886. The family emigrated from there to the United States and moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1890...

 and Walter Donaldson

Walter Donaldson

Walter Donaldson was a prolific United States popular songwriter, composing many hit songs of the 1910s and 1920s.-History:...

 was interpolated into the show about two months after it opened.

"Dancing on the Ceiling

Dancing on the Ceiling (song)

"Dancing on the Ceiling" is a 1930 popular song composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart for the 1930 musical Ever Green.-Notable recordings:*June Christy - A Friendly Session, Vol...

", cut during the Broadway previews, was eventually sung by Jessie Matthews

Jessie Matthews

Jessie Matthews, OBE was an English actress, dancer and singer of the 1930s, whose career continued into the post-war period.-Early life:...

 in the London production of Ever Green

Ever Green

Ever Green is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and a book by Benn Levy, based on an idea by Rodgers and Hart. This was the last of three musicals written by Rodgers and Hart in London....

, and became a standard.

The musical numbers written for the show included:

• "Coney Island"
• "Don't Tell Your Folks"
• "Magic Music"
• "I Still Believe in You"
• "Send for Me"
• "Dull and Gay"
• "Sweetenheart"
• "Hunting the Fox"
• "Come On, Men"
• "Ten Cents a Dance
  Ten Cents a Dance
  "Ten Cents a Dance" is a popular song in which a taxi dancer laments the hardships of her job. The music was written by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart...
  
  "
• "Rags and Tatters"
• "Dancing on the Ceiling" (Dropped before the New York opening)
• "He Was Too Good to Me
  He Was Too Good to Me
  "He Was Too Good to Me" is a song with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart. It was introduced in the tryouts of their 1930 Broadway musical Simple Simon, but was dropped before the show's New York opening...
  
  " (Dropped before the New York opening)
• "Oh, So Lovely" (Unused)
• "Peter Pan"
• "The Simple Simon Instep" (Unused)
• "Prayers of Tears And Laughter" (Dropped before the New York opening)
• "Hunting Song" (Unused)
• "Come Out Of The Nursery" (Dropped before the pre-Broadway tryout)
• "Sing Glory Hallelujah" (Dropped before the pre-Broadway tryout)

The song "I Can Do Wonders With You", from a previous show, was interpolated.

External links

• Article on Simple Simon in Ruth Etting site