Political Satire in Musical Comedy: Gershwin's "Of Thee I Sing"

Omar Ávalos Music 556 April 19, 2010 Political Satire in Musical Comedy: Gershwin’s Of Thee I Sing George S. Kaufman approached George Gershwin in 1927 about setting a play to music. They created Strike Up the Band, the first of a trilogy of political musical comedies created in reaction to national politics during the Great Depression. The first run of Strike Up the Band was called too dark with a very serious subtext and as a result of this, the show closed out of New York.1 Strike Up the Band was redone and made more accessible to audiences in 1930. It is worth noting that the original tone of Strike Up the Band was considered too dark because the third installment of the Kaufman and Gershwin trilogy, Let ‘Em Eat Cake, was qualified similarly. Herein lies a crucial point; what other writers call “dark with a serious subtext” translates to political incorrectness.

It is curious that the most audience-friendly and humorous musicals of the three, Of Thee I Sing, became one of Gershwin’s greatest successes and won a Pulitzer Prize for a musical play, the first of its kind to do so. The second work in the trilogy and the focus of this paper turned out to be the least politically incorrect.

Kaufman and Gershwin clearly knew that they had to make a commercial hit while keeping their intention of criticizing the politics of the time, but once they accomplished grand success with Of Thee I Sing, they returned to the original tone of Strike Up the Band with Let ‘Em Eat Cake. The team of creators of this trilogy, consisting of Kaufman, Morrie Ryskind, and George and Ira Gershwin was clearly not taking the difficulties of the time very lightly. They set out to criticize a number of issues

1

The Oxford Companion to the American Musical Online, s.v. “Strike Up the Band,” http://www.oxfordreference.com (accessed April, 20 2010) .

and institutions of their day including foreign policy, war, the public’s infatuation with the love lives of politicians, the Senate, Supreme Court, and even the Presidency and Vice Presidency. There was also a suggestive tone of favoritism of north over south in Of Thee I Sing as will be discussed further on.

An Overview of the Lives of Kaufman, Ryskind, and the Gershwins If ever there was a highly intelligent, opinionated, brilliant, genuinely funny, and combative mind it was George S. Kaufman who was the writer, director and architect of these three musicals. There may have been no better person qualified to make a social commentary on his day and age than he. Kaufman was an actor, playwright, and theater critic for the New York Times and also contributed to Life Magazine. Kaufman was anything but docile; he very readily expressed his opinions in opposition to various issues in the form of letters to different publications. His commentary went years beyond his Pulitzer Prize winning Of Thee I Sing. Such was the impact and significance of George S. Kaufman in the entertainment world that Groucho Marx referred to him as “his personal god.”2 Within the Marx Brothers and Kaufman and Gershwin collaborative groups was Morrie Ryskind, himself a playwright and lyricist for stage and film. The Brooklyn native got his start writing for revues in the early twenties, and later collaborated with the Marx Brothers and Kaufman on Animal Crackers as co-writer of the libretto in 1928. Among his parallel activities to his collaborations with the Marx Brothers, Kaufman, and the

2

Donald Oliver, ed, Preface to By George: A Kaufman Collection (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1979).

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Gershwins were the authoring of his own musical, The Gang’s All Here (1931), and the screen adaptations of The Cocoanuts (1929) and Animal Crackers (1930).3

Of Thee I Sing: An Overall Analysis in Historical Context The Kaufman and Gershwin political musical period lasted from about 1927 to 1933. It was during these years that Strike Up the Band, Of Thee I Sing, and Let ‘Em Eat Cake were produced. The first of the three was a satirical commentary on big business taking the country to war. Of Thee I Sing dealt with foreign policy and relations among other things, and the concluding work dealt with a coup d’état initiated by the vice president, who ends up being sent to the guillotine. The works were lightened up for audiences but they were influenced by real world events; Kaufman is described as someone that despised big business for instance, and this was due to the stock market crash that led to the Great Depression that lasted through the thirties.

One historian calls Of Thee I Sing an extension of Strike Up the Band.4 There are common threads in these musicals in terms of content and musical style. The Gilbertian trend first appears in Strike Up the Band and its follow up musical for instance. Of Thee I Sing opened at the Music Box Theater in New York City in 1932 and ran for 441 performances to critical praise and reviews, in comparison to the opening of Strike Up the Band, which was qualified as being too negative. This caused a resetting of it in 1930.

Kaufman and the Gershwins learned their lesson well because the wit and tone in Of Thee

3

The Oxford Companion to the American Musical Online, s.v. “Morrie Ryskind” http://www.oxfordreference.com (accessed April, 20 2010).

4

Stanley Green, Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre, (New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1976), 314.

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I Sing was more accessible to audiences. So much more improved was this follow up musical that it was a commercial and all around success. The 1932 Pulitzer Prize for Drama was the icing on the cake for its makers.

One of the biggest reasons why Of Thee I Sing won the Pulitzer, besides its excellent libretto and musical score, is precisely because it was made in the spirit of Joseph Pulitzer, who is described as “a passionate crusader of dishonest government” and a “hawk-like competitor.”5 George S. Kaufman shared these traits and may very well have been of the Pulitzer school of thought, be it directly or indirectly. Pulitzer was passionate about journalism and Kaufman was a drama journalist for the New York Times for fifteen years before he authored Of Thee I Sing.

Elements of Form, Drama, Political Satire, and Musical Style in Of Thee I Sing Of Thee I Sing will be analyzed chronologically in this section. Each section of each act will be discussed according to the musical order as it happens in the plot. Each movement or song within each section will be described in terms of how the lyrics contribute to the development of the plot, how they are set in terms of musical style, and how political satire occurs. The macro structure of the musical will be indicated by separating both acts with the scenes within each act treated as subdivisions. The whole musical will also be analyzed on a micro-structural level, that is, the form or song form of each individual musical movement will be discussed. A subsequent section with musical examples will demonstrate in more detail what main musical themes and style points occur throughout the musical.

5 Seymour

Topping, “History of the Pulitzer Prizes,” http://www.pulitzer.org/historyofprizes, (accessed 4/28/2010).

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Outside influences on the musical will also be discussed in order to put it in historical and social context and to expose the influence of Gilbert and Sullivan that is present throughout it. Ira Gershwin applied this most important trait of lyrical and musical style not only in Of Thee I Sing, but also in Strike Up the Band five years prior.6 Act I, Scene 1: Main Street Act I in Of Thee I Sing is made of up six scenes and Act II is made up of five.

Scene one opens with a parade that takes place on any Main Street, USA with an overture followed by a song titled, “Wintergreen for President,” in the form of a march. Kaufman calls for the opening song to be “a combination of all the campaign tunes of the past.”7 The overture contains the themes of the main musical numbers in the musical beginning with “Wintergreen for president,” followed by “Because, Because,” “Who Cares,” and finally “Of Thee I Sing, Baby.” These main themes are presented here with the orchestra accompanying with a tarantella or galloping rhythm. Also included at different sections of the musical are excerpts of the tunes “Stars and Stripes Forever” by J.P. Sousa, “Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight” by Theodore Metz, “Rainbow” by Percy Weinrich, “Hail Hail all the Gang’s Here” by Sir Arthur Sullivan, “Tammany” by Gus Edwards, and “Sidewalks of New York” by Charles B. Lawler.8 The musical satire immediately begins afterwards with the first choral statement, “Wintergreen for president! He’s the man the people choose, loves the Irish and the Jews!” Kaufman and the Gershwins may very well have been interjecting themselves and

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Anonymous, “Strike Up the Band,” American Classiscs, http://www.amclass.org/sutb.html, (accessed 4/28/2010) 7 George S. Kaufman, Morrie Ryskind, and Ira Gerswhin Of Thee I Sing: A Musical Play (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1932), 4.

8 George Gershwin, Of Thee I Sing (New York: New World Music Corporation, 1932), 4.

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their political opinions into the musical with this statement. This is supported by the facts that these are the only lyrics in this song, and that the Gershwins were of Jewish descent.

Both ideas, “Wintergreen for president, and “He’s the man the people choose, loves the Irish and the Jews,” are stated twice thus creating an ABAB form.

Scene 2: A Hotel Room Kaufman does not indicate any musical cues in his libretto for all of Scene 2. This scene begins with a dialogue between two of Wintergreen’s National Campaign Committee members named Francis X. Gilhooley and Louis Lippman who are brainstorming about how to get Wintergreen elected. Kaufman gradually introduces other campaign member characters followed by Alexander Throttlebottom, who is on the ticket as the unrecognizable Vice President and who doesn’t want the position because he’s afraid of what his mother will think, and later presidential candidate John P. Wintergreen.

Here Kaufman portrays the campaign committee members, as misinformed types that cannot get important historical facts straight like the Civil War, whom one member places in 1812. It is during this scene that Wintergreen’s party comes up with the idea of holding a beauty contest in Atlantic City with a winner’s prize of marrying the president.

Scene 3: Atlantic City The following three songs, “Who Is the Lucky Girl To Be,” “The Dimple on Your Knee,” and “Because, Because,” are part of a musical dialogue between the character Diana Devereaux who is a beauty pageant contestant, other contestants, and their photographers. The satirical element here is that the winner of the beauty pageant earns the right to marry the president. Here Kaufman and the Gershwins poke fun at the idea of

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politicians attracting ambitious females that turn out to make good “trophy wives,” that offer nothing more substantial other than good looks.

The contestants ask each other through musical dialogue, “Who is the luckiest girl to be? Who will be the ruler of D.C.?” The chorus of photographers responds to the girls by singing, “More important than a photograph of Parliament, is the dimple on your knee,” which is part of the fore-mentioned title song. Here Kaufman and Gershwin through their photographer characters are trying to assure the contestants that there are more important things than winning a beauty pageant. The girls express worriment, “Does a girl who’s so ambitious have to work a washing dishes? I’m afraid that worries me!” The chorus of photographers then responds by singing “Don’t worry little girl,” all the while reassuring the contestants that winning a beauty pageant is not so important.

The photographers go on to explain to the girls why they should not worry in the next musical number, “Because, Because.”

The following song “Never Was There a Girl So Fair” is part of scene 3 consisting of The Beauty Pageant Committee, Diana, and Wintergreen. This song occurs when the committee selects Diana Devereaux as the winner. They announce her victory with a waltz reminiscent of Viennese operetta. Gershwin uses this genre at this point in the play to depict beauty. Wintergreen tells the committee that he cannot marry Diana because he loves Mary Turner. The committee tells him that he must marry Diana and she threatens to go to court. Diana’s challenge is set through a jazzy hard swinging step.

The following song in this musical dialogue is, “Some Girls Can Bake a Pie.” Wintergreen compares Mary and Diana at this point and explains that he prefers Mary because she can bake corn muffins.

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Scene 4: Madison Square Garden The following song, “Love is Sweeping the Country,” functions as Wintergeen’s campaign slogan. Irony is used here satirically to portray a united country where everyone gets along under this slogan. Competitive political ideologies, regions, lower and upper socio-economic classes, and competitors within industries are united because “Love is sweeping the country!” Examples of this nationwide reconciliation are capital and labor, Florida and Cal, where the competition between the eastern and western citrus industries is the joke, and the north and south. The lyrics, “north and south give up their hanky panky, as the Dixie mouth no longer damns the Yankee,” is used as part of the campaigning to portray an idealized country with Wintergreen as president. These ideas also make up the wishful thinking of Kaufman and Gershwin.

The next song in the play is “Of Thee I Sing, Baby.” This was the originally intended title for the musical, but Kaufman had reservations about it.9 The entire musical centers on this interplay and love story between John P. Wintergreen and Mary Turner.

This central tune is what “Old Man River” is to Show Boat. In this scene Wintergreen also manipulates the masses in order to get what he wants, instead of what he’s supposed to do by marrying Diana Devereaux. In the dialogue Wintergreen asks, “Mary, if I’m elected president, will you marry me?” She answers yes and then he says, “Citizens, it’s up to you.”

Scene 5: Election Night

9

Stanley Green, Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre (New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1976), 314.

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No music is used for scene 5. Election results come in and Wintergreen wins in a number of regions across the country, including Hollywood, where he edges out Mickey Mouse and Gloria Swanson’s First Husband by a margin of 160,000 to 159,000 to 84,638 votes respectively.10 He is handed a heavy loss, however, in Lexington Kentucky where the results are Wintergreen 27, 637 and Straight Whiskey 1,850,827 and another in Rome, Italy where he gets zero votes to Mussolini’s 828,638. Kaufman throws in for a victory for Wintergreen in Manchester, England where he wins 14,653 votes to King George’s three votes, and Queen Mary’s one vote.

Scene 6: Washington The nine Supreme Court Justices are introduced in the Finalletto to Act I, who describe themselves as “The super Solomons of this great nation, with powers that are absolutely regal.” These characters are also used to narrate the story by announcing that they will preside over the Wintergreen’s inauguration and wedding, which will occur on the same day. Wintergreen is the more popular candidate at this point in the story.

The new president then gives his inauguration speech addressing matters of importance to the nation at the time; he also uses the occasion to announce that he is giving up the bachelor’s life and says goodbye to a number of women individually to the tune of “Here’s a Kiss for Cinderella,” a fox trot. Gershwin introduces a melody here that is reprised by Mary Turner later on. The Supreme Court then marry Wintergreen and Mary who then celebrate their inauguration and wedding day and are suddenly interrupted by Diana Devereaux who then calls Wintergreen something to the effect of a damn Yankee traitor and states that her “hot southern blood is boiling.” Here is an

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George S. Kaufman, Morrie Ryskind, and Ira Gerswhin Of Thee I Sing: A Musical Play (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1932)

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implied northern and southern rivalry; Kaufman uses the character Diana as a composite of southern attitudes towards northerners. He also throws a verbal jab and overgeneralization, one still used nowadays to defame and slander certain groups of people, at southerners in describing Diana as “hot-blooded.”

A musical dialogue in an operetta style unfolds in the following scene. Diana challenges Wintergreen and demands that she should be First Lady. She threatens to sue and garners sympathy for her cause from the chorus of public opinion who voice their criticism and opposition to Wintergreen’s new marriage. This section has elements of operetta with the chorus responding to Diana’s complaints and Wintergreen defending himself in a sung recitativo style on the words, “Please understand, it isn’t that I would jilt or spurn her, it’s just that there was someone else, Mary Turner.“11 Mary then sings in a quasi recitativo style the words, “John, no psychoanalyst need tell us, miss Devereaux is simply jealous.” Diana tells of her plans to go to court and Act I is brought to a close.

Act II, Scene 1: The White House The next song in the musical is “Hello Good Morning.” Here Ira Gershwin pokes fun at the bureaucracy of D.C., more specifically at secretaries, with the lyrics “It’s great to be a wife, and work from nine to five.” The everyday niceties of “hello good morning, how are you this very lovely day, I feel very well sir, and I’m feeling swell,” are exposed for the empty, meaningless, automatic exchanges that they are. Especially when done day in and day out. Hilariously, Ira throws in the lyric, “And we only have one minute more to say good morning, hello.” A chorus of secretaries then sings, “It’s great to be a secretary in the White House, D.C.”

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George Gershwin, Of Thee I Sing (New York: New World Music Corporation, 1932), 11.

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The song “Who Cares” is part of a musical dialogue between Wintergreen, Mary, and a chorus of reporters who ask him on behalf of the general public questions about Diana Devereaux. The reporters state that the general public is much more interested with what goes on with Wintergreen and Devereaux instead of with foreign policy, or party smears, or the seventeen vacations that he’s had while being an elected politician in Washington. Here Kaufman pokes fun at and criticizes the public in general for being more interested in the personal matters of elected politicians than the political issues that truly matter the most, an ongoing problem even in modern times.

Musicologists and Broadway musical historians describe Of Thee I Sing as having influences of Gilbert and Sullivan.12 “Who Cares,” is an example of a patter song in the Gilbertian style. The patter portion of the song is stated by the reporters who sing, “We don’t want to know about your foreign policy, or the latest party smear.” The rhythmic motive and melodic idea for this line are done in a quasi-recitativo style, and are repeated for the line, “Here’s the one thing that people of America, are besides themselves to know.” Ira Gershwin sets these lines with equivalent syllabic patterns, setting them up for George to use reciting tone for most of syllables in the line.

Scene 2: The Capitol Gershwin begins this section with musical material brought back from his work, An American in Paris. The scene opens with the same musical material that An American in Paris begins with. The following song, “Garçon,” is part of the scene where the Ambassador of France comes to Washington to complain about the treatment of Diana

12

Stanley Green, Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre (New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1976), 314.

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Devereaux, whom he discovers is the illegitimate daughter, of an illegitimate son, of an illegitimate nephew of Napoleon. The chorus of the Senate contributes to the plot by asking the ambassador a set of questions, thus driving the story forward. The Senate questions Wintergreen as to why he doesn’t marry Devereaux and she answers by singing a reprise of “Because, Because.” The lyrics are changed here for her character to sing, “Because, because I won the competition but I got no recognition and because he broke my heart.” The Senate and Wintergreen’s party ask him to resign after hearing Devereaux complain. The party says that he must marry Diana in order to win political points and save the party from negative public opinion. Wintergreen refuses and the Senators decide to impeach him.

Wintergreen sings a reprise of “Who Cares” at this point, this time in a much more melancholy manner. Gershwin sets the music this way in order to fit the mood of Wintergreen’s character that is disheartened because his political party and the Senate have turned against him. The lyrics remain unchanged however, holding to the idea that Wintergreen has an unwavering love and that he stands by his bride. Gershwin creates a dramatic effect by using a violino obbligato to accompany Wintergreen, thus creating the cliché sad mood associated with melancholy violin solos.

Scene 3: The Senate The following takes place with the senators preparing an impeachment trial of Wintergreen. The senators are portrayed satirically as heartless and inept. After they do the Senate roll call they have a dialogue among themselves where one senator asks, “This country thinks it’s got depression? Just wait till further legislation!” The other senators laugh in response to this question. This line was adapted for the original cast recording

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done in 1952 to “This country thinks it’s got taxation?” The adaptation of the lyrics proves that Of Thee I Sing is adaptable to different time periods, perhaps even modern times, in contrast to what other writers have stated about Of Thee I Sing not being adaptable or relevant to modern times, therefore not being worth a revival.

The impeachment trial of Wintergreen is announced before the Senate in a reciting tone on the words, “The next business before the Senate is the resolution on the impeachment of the President.” The trial comes to a conclusion and the judgment is delivered in recitativo on a reciting tone and with musical dialogue between a chorus of senators and one senator delivers the sentencing. An excerpt from this scene follows: Chorus: “Whereas” Senator (In recitatvo): “John P. Wintergreen is undertaken to marry the winner of a beauty contest held in Atlantic City.”

Chorus: “Whereas” Senator: “His refusal to marry the winner Miss Diana Devereaux will lead to dire international complications.”

Chorus: “Whereas” Senator: “Now therefore be it resolved that John P. Wintergreen is impeachment from the said office of President of these United States!”13 The Senate then invites the French ambassador to explain why not marrying Devereaux is an international incident. He explains once again that Diana is the illegitimate daughter, of an illegitimate son, of an illegitimate nephew of Napoleon.

Kaufman pokes fun at history with this dialogue, at a time when the monarchies of two

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The Brooklyn Academy of Music Presents George & Ira Gershwin: Of Thee I Sing & Let ‘Em Eat Cake.

Maureen McGovern, Larry Kert, Jack Gilford, The Orchestra of St. Luke’s, New York Choral Artists, and Michael Tilson Thomas, dir. CBS Record SM 42638 & 42639, 33 rpm, 1987.

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nations made political and strategic alliances through arranged marriages of kings, princesses, and the like.

Diana Devereaux takes her case to the Senate and sings, “Jilted, jilted, I’m a flower that’s wilted.” Gershwin sets this song as a slow waltz, a genre that he uses for the feminine characters in the play. A chorus supports her on the words, “He done her wrong,” the song ends with the chorus singing, “Jilted, jilted, jilted is she.” The triple repetition of the word jilted implies a triple rhythm; therefore a waltz is chosen to capture the mood of this character in this part of the play.

The senators are asked if Wintergreen is guilty and the votes are unanimously against him. One by one each senator says “guilty.” Close attention should be put on the way that the senator from Louisiana says guilty. This gives insight into a singling out of that southern region and its French heritage. The other senators then deliver guilty verdicts individually until Mary Turner stops the process with an entrance sung in an operatic recitativo, “Stop, stop, stop! Before you go any further, with your permission I must tell you of my husband’s delicate condition.” A compositional technique is revealed at this point. Gershwin uses recitativo when important announcements are made thus creating effective breaks and transitions into new scenes. He pushes the story forward in this manner.

A musical dialogue ensues next between Mary and the chorus. The chorus asks, “Delicate condition? What do you mean?” This last question sets up Mary’s song, “I’m About to be a Mother.” Gershwin sets this song in a lively, pulsating waltz, one reminiscent of the days of Viennese operetta. He indicates A la viennoise in the score.14

14

George Gershwin, Of Thee I Sing (New York: New World Music Corporation, 1932), 161.

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Another musico-dramatic technique is revealed here where Gershwin associates the announcement of motherhood with operetta and an elevated musical ideal. He translates good news and high spirits into a Viennese operetta style waltz.

Scenes 4 and 5 The Senate then decides not to impeach Wintergreen when they remind themselves that they have never impeached an expectant father. The news of the stork visiting the White House causes celebration nationwide and Wintergreen’s popularity and ratings soar. The musical then starts to come to an end with the tune “Trumpeter Blow Your Horn,” sung by the entire company. The happy ending entails Wintergreen and Mary saving their marriage, the birth of a son then a daughter, and the severing of diplomatic relations with France. The main theme song, Of Thee I Sing, Baby is then brought back to bring the musical to a close.

Main Musical Characteristics in Of Thee I Sing

Some of the more memorable and significant musical material in Of Thee I Sing will be presented in this section. Examples of the various musical styles ranging from operetta to genres of popular musical comedy are found throughout the musical.

Gershwin applies the operatic techniques of recitativo and musical dialogue at certain scenes. These scenes typically set up a tune, which mainly have the popular or common musical comedy traits of the time, depending on where it is placed in the plot. Some musical material is brought back in order to reinforce various dramatic elements as will be demonstrated with the following examples.

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The opening of Act I begins with a stately march due to the setting that takes place on any Main Street USA where a parade is taking place (See Ex. 1). Gershwin follows Kaufman’s libretto indications and adds the cue “crowd enters” in the musical score. The statement “Wintergreen for President! He’s the man the people choose; loves the Irish and the Jews,” is reinforced through a march because of this musical genre’s association with stateliness and civic matters. Gershwin cites a well-known march a bit further on and purposely distinguishes it through modulation (See Ex. 2).

Musical examples three and four occur in Acts I and II respectively. These demonstrate the patter song influence of Gilbert and Sullivan. Example 3 occurs halfway through the song “Who Is the Luckiest Girl to Be?” Gershwin sets this in a fox trot and uses a jazzy swing feel for the melodic line and accompanying rhythms. Example 4 occurs as setup material for the song “Who Cares?” in Act II. This time the jazz feel is removed and instead a delivery reminiscent of something out of H.M.S. Pinafore takes place. The context in which these two examples happen determines what musical style applies to setting them. Example 3 is part of a dialogue that takes place between beauty pageant contestants and a group of photographers. Example 4 is set differently because a chorus of reporters is setting up the president’s delivery in the song “Who Cares?” He addresses the reporters and the nation in this song.

Of Thee I Sing is described and categorized as an operetta by some reviewers because of the numerous musical dialogues done in recitativo throughout it. This is a defining characteristic of the work; the main plot developments are done through musical dialogue and recitatives. A recitative is used to introduce a new development or break in

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the plot; it functions as a transitional device. Example 5 demonstrates the French ambassador’s entrance.

Examples six and seven demonstrate musical dialogues set in recitatives. The Senate delivers the impeachment verdict of Wintergreen in example six. The chorus of senators sings “Whereas” and Senator Lyons delivers the verdict in recitativo. Gershwin sets this on one single pitch in order to create a humorous effect. Gershwin demonstrates his musical sense of humor by poking fun at the verbiage delivered in this fictional resolution, a satire on real-world senatorial proceedings, through a silly, extensive, and repetitive recitative. Example seven demonstrates another musical dialogue between the vice president, who poses a question to the president, and president Wintergreen who responds in recitativo.

Yet another example of operetta style is found at example eight. Here Mary Turner” interrupts the Senate’s impeachment of Wintergreen through a statement done in recitativo. Immediately following is a waltz in the Viennese style, another characteristic of operetta. Note the words, a là viennoise in the score. This genre is used to announce the “good news” of motherhood. She saves her husband Wintergreen’s presidency by doing so.

In conclusion, Of Thee I Sing contains elements of musical comedy and operetta.

It is classified by some as an operetta because of the many musical dialogues that occur throughout and that are set in recitativo. Gershwin associates the theme of beauty, specifically when Diana Devereaux is announced as the beauty pageant winner, and the announcement of the coming of a baby with the Viennese waltz. He scores Mary Turner’s character for an operatic voice in contrast to Devereaux’s character that is more

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comedic. There are musical dialogues between characters and groups of characters that are set in recitativo, and this function as transitional material to the more comedic tunes of the musical, set in the vein of Gilbert and Sullivan.

Of Thee I Sing has an anti-Southern and anti-French slant; much of the humor in the play comes from ridiculing these two types of people. There is a giveaway in the plot during the Senate roll call when the senator from Louisiana is called on. The way in which he answers in the script is clearly an indication of a singling out of that southern region, with its French heritage. This helps to understand why Kaufman & Gershwin’s candidate Wintergreen is elected, because he likes the Irish and the Jews. The characters are used as composites for regional peoples of the United States, such as in the obvious favoritism of north over south. Mary’s character is associated with operetta and the north, or things Bostonian and New Englander, whereas Devereaux is treated as a secondary thing, has an annoying voice with a drawl, and is associated with the south. Not only is she southern, she’s an illegitimate daughter, which is suggestive of a characteristic of Southerners even if it’s done jokingly.

Of Thee I Sing can be redone but it will have to be updated and adapted for modern issues. But what ethnic groups will bear the brunt of the slander and mockery of the persons who attempt to remake it this time around? Contrarily, a revival may be suitable in modern times in order to comment on and criticize the poor economic policies and lack of regulation that led to the latest economic meltdown.

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Appendix I. Musical Examples Ex. 1: The opening statement, “Wintergreen for president! He’s the man the people choose; loves the Irish and the Jews,” is set to a stately march tempo.

Ex. 2: The use of pre-existing musical material taken from a popular American march occurs after the words, “Loves the Irish and the Jews.” A modulation is used to distinguish the borrowed material.

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Ex. 3: One of the most memorable melodies and an example of the patter song influence of Gilbert and Sullivan in Of Thee I Sing. Gershwin uses this melodic material again later.

 

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Ex. 4: The reuse of the melody in example 3. The melody stays the same only this time Ira Gershwin resets the lyrics to fit what is happening in the plot at this point. Example 3 occurs in Act I and this example is used to set up the song “Who Cares?” in Act II.

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Ex. 5: This is part of a scene where the “French ambassador” visits the US Senate. Gershwin sets this in recitative.

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Ex. 6: A musical dialogue between the US Senate where the chorus sings, “Whereas” and one senator delivers the explanation in recitativo of the Senate’s resolution concerning the impeachment of Wintergreen.

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Ex. 7: Another example of musical dialogue, this time in response to the Vice President’s question (in the score), after the Senate’s resolution. Wintergreen responds in recitativo.

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Ex. 8: “Mary Turner” interrupts the Senate’s impeachment of Wintergreen through a statement done in recitativo. Immediately following is a waltz in the Viennese style, a characteristic of operetta. Note the words, a là viennoise in the score. This genre is used to announce the “good news” of motherhood. She saves her husband Wintergreen’s presidency by doing so.

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Books

Appendix II. Bibliography

Ewen, David. George Gershwin: His Journey to Greatness. Englewood Cliffs: PrenticeHall Inc., 1970.

Fisk, Josiah Ed. Composers on Music: Eight Centuries of Writings. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1997.

Furia, Philip. Ira Gershwin: The Art of the Lyricist. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.

Gänzl, Kurt. The Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre. New York: Schirmer Books, 2001, 2nd ed., 3 vols.

Gershwin, Ira. Lyrics on Several Occasions. New York: The Viking Press, 1973.

Gershwin, Ira. The Complete Lyrics of Ira Gershwin. New York: A. Knopf, 1993.

Goldstein, Malcom. George S. Kaufman: His Life, His Theater. New York: Oxford University Press, 1979.

Grant, Mark. N. The Rise and Fall of the Broadway Musical. Boston: NortheasternUniversity Press, 2004.

Green, Stanley. Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1976.

Hischak, Thomas. The Oxford Companion to the American Musical: Theatre, Film, and Television. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.

Jones, John Bush. Our Musicals, Ourselves: A Social History of the American Musical Theater. Hanover: Brandeis University Press, 2003.

Kaufman, George S., and Donald Oliver, eds. By George: A Kaufman Collection. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1979.

Kaufman, George S., Morrie Ryskind, and Ira Gerswhin. Of Thee I Sing: A Musical Play.

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1932.

Kaufman, George S., Morrie Ryskind, and Ira Gerswhin. Let ‘Em Eat Cake: A Sequel to Of Thee I Sing. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1933.

Kimball, Robert, and Alfred Simon. The Gershwins. New York: Atheneum, 1973.

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Kirle, Bruce. Unfinished Show Business: Broadway Musicals as Works-in-Process.

Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2005.

McMillin, Scott. The Musical as Drama. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2006.

Meredith, Scott. George S. Kaufman and His Friends. Garden City: Doubleday & Company Inc., 1974.

Norton, Richard C. A Chronology of American Musical Theater. 3 vols. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Patinkin, Sheldon. No Legs, No Jokes, No Chance: A History of the American Musical Theater. Evanston: Northwestern University Press, 2008.

Pollack, Howard. George Gershwin: His Life and Work. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006.

Pollack, Rhoda-Gale. George S. Kaufman. Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1988.

Rosenberg, Deena. Fascinating Rhythm: The Collaboration of George and Ira Gershwin.

Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1997.

Rushmore, Robert. The Life of George Gershwin. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1966.

Schneider, Wayne. The Gershwin Style: New Looks at the Music of George Gershwin.

New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.

Schwartz, Charles. Gershwin: His Life and Music. New York: Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc. 1973.

Suriano, Gregory R. Gershwin in His Time: A Biographical Scrapbook, 1919-1937. New York: Random House Value Publishing, Inc., 1998.

Swain, Joseph Peter. The Broadway Musical: A Critical and Musical Survey. 2nd ed.

Lanham: Scarecrow, 2002.

Articles

Cadigan, Robert J. “The Drama and Social Problems.” The English Journal 28, No. 7 (September 1939): 557-68.

Branham, Robert James. “Of Thee I Sing Contesting ‘America’.” American Quarterly 48, No. 4 (December 1996.) 623-52.

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Boskin, Joseph. “Political Humor: Touchables and Taboos.” International Political Science Review 11, No. 4 (October 1990): 473-82.

Weales, Gerald. “Popular Theater of the Thirties.” The Tulane Drama Review 11, No. 4 (Summer 1967): 51-69.

Dissertation

Schneider, Wayne. “George Gershwin's Political Operettas: Of Thee I Sing (1931) and Let 'Em Eat Cake (1933) and Their Role in Gershwin's Musical and Emotional Maturing.” PhD. diss., Cornell University, 1985.

Score Gershwin, George. Sam H. Harris Presents Of Thee I Sing: Music by George Gerswhin, Lyrics by Ira Gershwin, Book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. New York: New World Music Corporation, 1932.

Recording

Gershwin, George and Ira. The Brooklyn Academy of Music Presents George & Ira Gershwin: Of Thee I Sing & Let ‘Em Eat Cake. Maureen McGovern, Larry Kert, Jack Gilford, The Orchestra of St. Luke’s, New York Choral Artists, and Michael Tilson Thomas, dir. CBS Record SM 42638 & 42639, 33 rpm, 1987.

Online Sources

Bordman, Gerald and Thomas S. Hischak. “Gershwin, Ira.” In Grove Music Online.

Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com Crawford, Richard, et al. “Gershwin, George.” In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com Topping, Seymour. http://www.pulitzer.org/historyofprizes.

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