Irish Gumdrops!

 When first asked to star in

Yankee Doodle Dandy,

the almost-biographical story of George M. Cohan,

Jimmy Cagney (pictured above with Joan Leslie)

didn't want to do it.

 George M. had sided with producers in the Actors' Equity Strike 

back in 1919, and Jimmy had a long memory.

But we're all glad he changed his mind!

He walked, talked, sang and danced like Cohan

(tho he DID sprain his ankle a couple of times trying to do just that).

George had at first hoped for Fred Astaire to portray him

(Fred said no!),

but had to admit that Jimmy did a fine job. 

Once, the winner of the Best Musical Tony Award

in 2012...

11 nominations, 8 wins.

Based on the movie of the same name, released in 2007.

All the actors are musicians

(or the musicians are actors),

in this simple yet poignant show.

Predictable in its "busker strives for success (and love)" plot, but...

"a merciful reversal occurs when Once breaks into music, which is often. Characters become less adorably overwrought and more 

genuinely conflicted, with distinctive personalities."

So saith Ben Brantley of the Times, and yes, I agree with his assessment! 

Marc Blitzstein, pictured above with Leonard Bernstein,

wrote the score for Juno,

which was based on a Sean O'Casey play,

Juno And The Paycock.

Critics enjoyed the score,

but the audiences found the context

(the Irish War of Independence)

too dark, despite nice turns by Melvyn Douglas and Shirley Booth.

During the opening number, "We're Alive", 

an IRA member is shot and killed; it was hardly a "1-2-3 kick" show.

16 performances and it evaporated.

Below, Ms. Booth as Juno.

Subsequent revivals 

(one at Encores! with Victoria Clark and John Schuck, below) 

have been met with a bit more success,

but still the story belongs in an opera...which this show almost is.

 The original Irene

hit Broadway in 1919

(wow, over 100 years ago),

with music by Harry Tierney, lyrics Joseph McCarthy.

Come 1973, and thanks to the popularity of 

No, No, Nanette's revival,

it was resusitated with Debbie Reynolds (above left),

Patsy Kelly, Ruth Warrick, Monte Markham and George S. Irving.

The plot: Winsome Irish shop assistant,

hired by Long Island grande dame...now what? 

The production had its share of problems,

with actors leaving, directors changing, rewrites, restagings,

you name it. 

Below, Debbie and Monte, chasing those rainbows.

 

After the first 8 months of the run,

Debbie was replace with Jane Powell, who got her own take on the Irene poster. 

The New Yorks Times critic of the moment, Mel Gussow, said

 "even though Miss Reynolds is gone, Irene survives. 

The two stars are an equal match for peppiness. 

Miss Reynolds may score a point for clowning, 

but Miss Powell wins two for softness.

Love this pic of  Judy,

from the set of Little Nellie Kelly,done in 1940, 

based on George M. Cohan's Broadway musical of 1922.

Judy starred along with George Murphy and Charles Winninger.

 Little Nellie gave Judy the chance to perform

"Singin' In The Rain"

10 years before Gene Kelly's rendition in the movie of the same name.

Annnnd Roger Edens wrote an additional song, 

"It's A Great Day For The Irish",

for Judy to march down 5th Avenue to. 

A big production number, and a huge hit for La Garland.

And below, Judy's one and only death scene

occured in this movie, too.

Don't worry...she comes back to life as her daughter.

(And don't ask, it's a long story!)

This movie was supposedly a bit of a test

by MGM

to see if Judy could sustain her popularity post-Oz.

She was 18 at the time.

Well, I guess she passed this "test" with flying colors,

as critics noted "she gets prettier with each picture!"