 BLOOMER GIRL
Book by Sig Herzig & Fred Saidy; Music by Harold
Arlen; Lyrics by E.Y. Harburg
Shubert Theatre, Broadway - October 5, 1944 (657 perfs)
Story
The setting is the small southern town of Cicero Falls at the time
of the American Civil War. Evelina is the only unmarried daughter of the
principal manufacturer of hoop skirts for crinolines. Unfortunately she
has fallen under the influence of her Aunt Dolly Bloomer, passionate suffragette
and the originator of bloomers. Her father, Horatio Applegate has decided
the best way to straighten out Evelina is to pick out a nice suitor from
a good southern family, Jefferson Lightfoot Calhoun a member of the Kentucky
sales team. Evelina is interested in Jeff but is suspicious of any hoop-skirt
salesman. To test his resolve she gets him to free his personal slave,
Pompey. Jeff agrees and helps Pompey to escape to freedom in the North
through a secret underground railway.
This actually gets Jeff into trouble but the trouble is compounded when
Evelina. modelling a new super skirt at a garden party organised by her
father, lifts her skirt to show that she is clad in bloomers. This she
does in support of her Aunt and her causes. Jeff's brother, a committed
slave owner, causes trouble and Evelina, Dolly and the slaves are all
thrown into jail. On release the group organise a performance of Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Whilst this is taking place news comes that there has been firing
of rifles on Fort Sumpter. The American Civil War has begun! This puts
on hold the romance between Jeff and Evelina. Jeff enlists in the Confederate
Army. Meanwhile, Evelina's brothers-in-law have enlisted in the Zuoave
regiment of the Union Army - the regiment that wears trousers that look
like bloomers!
The Applegate factory, under the joint direction of Horace and Dolly
is turned over to the manufacture of bloomers.
After Jeff hears Lincoln speak he changes allegiance. He returns to Evelina
as the curtain falls.
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