Funny Face (1927)

Funny Face (1927)

Music by George Gershwin
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Book by Fred Thompson and Paul G. Smith

Directed by Bonnie Hellman
Musical Director: Brandon Adams
Choreographer: Berle Davis

Playbill Notes

Producers Alex Aarons and Vinton Freedley, having enjoyed a smashing success with Fred and Adele Astaire singing and dancing to George and Ira Gershwin songs in 1925's Lady, Be Good!, quickly decided to go for a repeat as soon as The Astaires were finished with Lady's London production. The Astaires and the Gershwins were happy to sign on, and Robert Benchley joined Fred Thompson as the bookwriter.

The new show, titled Smarty, was not initially as felictous an experience as Lady, Be Good! had been. It was clear from the first try-out in Philadelphia that there were major problems with the book and that the score needed some reworking as well. The earliest and most obvious change was to the title: the song, "Funny Face," (derived from Astaire's nickname for his sister) had proved popular early on, and thus that title replaced Smarty.

Benchley, humiliated by the reviews that pointed out his collusion in the same kind of mindless plot that he derided in his day-job as a drama critic, promptly withdrew from the project. New collaborator Paul G. Smith set about with Thompson trimming tightening, and essentialy re-creating the piece. In the process they wrote a new part for Victor Moore, the comic actor whose off-the-wall manner had been so crucial to the success of Oh, Kay! the previous year.

The character of Frankie was built around the prankish personality of Adele Astaire, who by 1927 was thirty and had grown weary of the highly disciplined life required for the theatre. (Her brother once related a tale of one performance when Adele showed up so drunk he had to slap her onstage to sober her up.) Four years later, her frustration (combined with a marriage proposal from a titled Briton) led to her early retirement from the stage.

Fred Astaire later commented that for virtually the entire six-week-try-out period the cast was rehearsing one version of the show during the day while performing another at night. George and Ira Gershwin, working to accomodate the ever-evolving libretto, ultimately dropped eleven different songs (One on the road contribution, "He Loves and She Loves," replaced "How Long Has This Been Going On?" which found fame later in the Gershwins' Rosalie.)

The seemingly-endless revisions paid off, however; for Funny Face was a smash hit when it finally opened on Broadway just before Thanksgiving, 1927. The show repeated the patter of Lady, Be Good! playing out the season in New York before transferring to London for an even longer run.

Despite a popular film version which did away completely with the silly 1920's-era plot, the original Funny Face survived in stock and amateur productions until 1981, when Tommy Tune set about creating a "new version" of Funny Face with director Peter Sellars. Just as with the original, this production went through numerous out-of-town traumas (including the firing of director Sellars), but emerged on Broadway triumphant as My One and Only, still a civic light opera staple.

As part of the creation of My One and Only, the rights to the original Funny Face were permenantly dismantled. When 42nd Street Moon decided to take a look at the original show, permission had to be granted by the My One and Only principals as well as the descendants of the 1927 creators. We would especially like to thank Mike Strunsky and Bob Kimball, of the Ira and Lenore Gershwin trust, for facilitating this look back at a very charming relic from the Roaring Twenties!

Plot Summary

The story revolves around Jo, a shy, bookshop clerk-come-amateur philosopher, who is discovered by a famous fashion photographer and finds herself at a major fashion event in Paris, where romance blossoms.

Press Release

San Francisc's award-winning "lost musical" company, 42nd Street Moon, kicks off its eighth annual season with a concert staging of George and Ira Gershwin's Funny Face, a beautiful romantic gem from 1927. The rights to this spectacular show, which introduced breathtaking Gershwin hits such as "S'Wonderful," "Funny Face," "My One & Only," and "He Loves and She Loves," have not been released for more than 20 years, and 42nd Street Moon will be performing with special permission from the Gershwin estate. 42nd Street Moon's production will be performed for one week only, May 17 - 21 with a small orchestra. Funny Face, directed by Bonnie Hellman with music direction by Brandon Adams and choreography by Berle Davis, plays at San Francisco's Gershwin Theatre. For tickets ($22 - $35), call 415-441-3687.