After two previews, the Broadway production, directed by Abbott and choreographed by Herbert Ross, opened on April 19, 1951, at the Alvin Theatre, where it ran for 267 performances. In addition to Booth, the cast included Johnny Johnston as Johnny, Marcia Van Dyke as Katie, and Nomi Mitty as Francie. Van Dyke was honored with a Theatre World Award. The musical director was Max Goberman. Booth's performance proved to be both an asset and detriment to the production, since it was an audience pleaser but detracted from what should have been the story's primary focus, the struggles faced by Johnny and Katie as their marriage slowly crumbles. Frank Rizzo, in Variety, gave his opinion about the failure of the original production: "The musical’s failure was largely blamed on a script too tailored to accommodate the comic talents of Shirley Booth, in what was essentially a supporting role. But the show... made other missteps. The arrival of the book’s most appealing character — young Francie Nolan — was unnecessarily delayed, and an elaborate nightmare Halloween ballet in the second act, depicting the final descent of her goodhearted but alcoholic father Johnny Nolan, was a mistake." Goodspeed Opera House mounted a revised production relegating Aunt Cissy to a supporting role in 2003. An Encores! staged concert production at New York City Center in 2005 starred Emily Skinner as Cissy, Jason Danieley as Johnny and Sally Murphy as Katie. A cast recording of the original production is available on a compact disc released by Sony.
Synopsis
Act One
The musical opens on a Saturday morning when the community is getting the week's pay.. Johnny Nolan, who works as singing waiter happily sings about his watch, which he has retrieved from a pawnshop.. He accidentally kisses Katie, an impressionable young girl, whom he has mistaken for someone else. A flame of love sparks when Johnny calls at Katie's home, where hence he meets her sister Cissy who collects "husbands" all naming them Harry after her first, who was unfortunately married to another woman. Katie expresses her love to Johnny, and they become engaged. Johnny swears to his friends he will take good care of the innocent Katie.. Johnny however spends his money entertaining his friends at bars so Katie must buy their first piece of furniture: a bed. She still believes in Johnny's love and is extremely excited for her upcoming wedding.. Cissy leading her current Harry in a "hilariously complicated deception about the birth of a baby" explains to her friends what makes the world keep turning, and provides Harry with a son. In a brief pause from the action the pawnshop owner Alyouis sings about his future possession of Johnny's watch.. Johnny begins to deeply indulge in alcohol, and Katie, to support their future child takes a job as a janitress in their tenement. One night while she is working the rest of the building have a rooftop party.. Johnny, who Katie hasn't seen in two days, reassures her things will be better.
Act Two - 12 Years Later
As the curtain rises on Act Two an old clothes man passes through an alley. Cissy appears and awaits her former sweetheart, Harry the first.. Francie Nolan, Johnny and Katie's child, asks Johnny why she doesn't believe in childhood games anymore.. When Harry does appear Cissy is shocked by his appearance.. Things get worse when her current Harry leaves her who she has come to love. Johnny who is still drinking, is fired from the waiter's union and goes to work as a piano-playing professor. Trying to claim a piano for Francie, loses that job too, and is tormented by nightmarish delusions on Halloween.. Johnny decides to leave his family to go findwork in Manhattan and sings goodbye to Francie.. Cissy meanwhile is fortunately reunited with her previous Harry. Johnny is killed at work and the money he leaves behind is enough money to buy roses for Francie's graduation. Katie happily sees her daughter receive the first diploma in the family and also dance..
