 ON YOUR TOES
a musical comedy in 2 acts and 14 scenes by Richard
Rodgers, Lorenz Hart and George Abbott : Lyrics by Lorenz Hart.
Music by Richard Rodgers. Produced at the Imperial Theatre, New York,
11th April 1936 with Ray Bolger, Tamara Geva, Doris Carson and Luella
Gear, at the 46th Street Theatre, 11th October 1954 with Bobby Van,
Vera Zorina, Kay Coulter and Elaine Stritch and at the Virginia Theatre,
6th March 1983 with Lara Teeter, Natalia Makarova, Christine Andreas,
Dina Merrill and George S. Irving
Produced at the Palace Theatre, London, 5th February 1937 with Jack
Whiting, Vera Zorina, Gina Malo and Olive Blakeney. Revived at the Palace
Theatre, 12th June 1984 with Tim Flavin, Natalia Makarova, Siobhan McCarthy,
Honor Blackman and John Bennett. |
Synopsis
Act I
On a vaudeville stage, Phil Dolan II his wife
Lili and his son Junior perform their nightly routine, - but afterwards
in the dressing-room, Ma and Pa tell Junior he has to go to school. And
fifteen years later, as predicted, Junior is a music teacher at Knickerbocker
University. He has two talented students: Sidney Cohn and Frankie Frayne.
Sidney has written a promising jazz ballet which Frankie catches Junior
dancing to alone in the classroom (uncovering his 'secret past') and she
trades an introduction to the Russian Ballet's manager in return for his
listening to her song.
In the apartment of Vera Baranova, star of the Russian
Ballet, Peggy, the manager, enthusiastically tells Sergei, the company's
director, about the new jazz ballet. He is not interested in anything
new - he doesn't even recognise that the Revolution has happened! Junior
arrives as Vera and co-star/unfaithful lover Morrisone are having a
Russian screaming match. The others leave, so that Vera and Junior
can discuss the new ballet - but that's not at all how the scene ends…
Back in the classroom: Frankie is jealous of Junior's
stories about Vera and the Russians (Peggy has promised him a chance
to dance in the corps de ballet) and they both wish they were away
from it all. At the opening of the ballet 'La Princesse Zenobia', Junior
is told that one of the dancers is in jail and he has to take his place,
but onstage he gets all his steps, rhythms and positions cock-eyed
and makes a laughing-stock of the ballet. But the audience loves it!
Act II
Sergei, Peggy, Vera, Morrosine and Junior have listened to the jazz ballet.
Opinions are mixed, and Vera and Morrosine are still bitching at each
other, as he becomes increasingly jealous of Junior. Poor Junior has got
love problems, too: he upsets Frankie by going to lunch with Vera (for
business reasons) instead of her, but she is 'Glad to be Unhappy'.
Next: Peggy, Sergei and some of the company visit Junior's school: Sergei
has come to break the bad news that he will not be doing the jazz ballet,
but Peggy persuades him oh-so-gently by threatening to pull out the million
dollars she has put into the company. After Sergei's announcement that
the next production will be Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, the class
put on the title number 'On Your Toes', in which the students' jazz and
the company's classical routines are deftly combined.
At a rehearsal, Morrosine's jealousy of Junior gets
out of control, there is a fight in which he is knocked out by Sergei,
and suddenly Junior is the new star! The humiliated Morrosine plots
with his gangster friend Louie to shoot Junior at the end of the performance,
Joe, the stage doorman, overhears and warns Frankie. On-stage, Junior
is tipped off. he signals to the conductor to avoid the final loud
climax which would cover the shot, and two cops seize Louie as he is
about to shoot. After the curtain call, Junior is embraced by Frankie,
and is startled to see his Ma and Pa waiting to congratulate him! The
music-teacher has made it back to his home-ground - the stage.
Characters
- PHIL DOLAN II - Junior's father, whose life has been one vaudeville show after another.
He is proud of the family tradition and sceptical about the value of schooling.
- LIL -
Junior's mother. She wants Junior to go to school to follow her family
tradition of teaching music.
- PHIL DOLAN III -
The younger Junior. A boy who has experienced little else except stage
shows.
- LOLA -
The younger Junior's girlfriend in vaudeville.
- PHIL DOLAN III (JUNIOR) - A complex character. He is easily
impressed by flamboyant glamour like Vera's and is vulnerable. But
he is also headstrong and confident about his musical and theatrical
ability. He has a happy-go-lucky nature, although inexperienced about
human relationships.
- FRANKIE - In love with Junior from the start, she is supportive of him and gets
jealous over his brief infatuation with Vera.
- SIDNEY COHN - A talented youngster who thinks everything he composes is a masterpiece,
but he does not over-assert himself.
- VERA BARONOVA -
A prototype prima ballerina - all her emotions are over-life-size
and very "Russian", but she is generous in appreciating the new style
of ballet and has a well-developed sense of humour.
- KONSTANTINE MORROSINE - A real male ballet star - another great over-lifesize bundle of
emotions, but his can slip out of control, as the attempted assassination
of his rival shows.
- ANUSFIKA -
Vera's quiet, downtrodden maid.
- PEGGY PORTERFIELD
- A sensible, likeable woman who tolerates temperamental people as
they are endemic to the profession. She is a good listener, open-hearted
and has time for anyone. She is also a practical and open-minded businesswomen,
but quite ready to twist arms to get her own way.
- SERGEI ALEXANDROVITCH
- A stubborn Russian autocrat, he is a man of principle and tradition.
He has an appealing human side to his character (e.g. he is endearingly
conceited) and is close to Peggy
- JOE, STAGE DOORMAN - A contented, loyal man with a comfortable easy job.
- LOUIE CAPITALETTI
- A shady gangster, typical of the era.
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Musical Numbers
- Two A Day for Keith - Phil Dolan II, Lil Dolan, Phil Dolan III
- The Three Bs -
Phil Dolan III, Ensemble
- It's Got To Be Love -
Frankie Frayne, Phil Dolan III
- Too Good for the Average Man -
Peggy Porterfield, Sergei Alexandrovitch
- There's a Small Hotel -
Frankie Frayne, Phil Dolan III
- The Heart Is Quicker Than the Eye -
Peggy Porterfield, Phil Dolan III
- La Princesse Zenobia Ballet -
Princess Zenobia (Vera Baranova), Beggar, Old Prince, Young Prince
- Quiet Night - A Singer, Ensemble
- Glad To Be Unhappy -
Frankie Frayne, Sidney Cohn
- On Your Toes -
Frankie Frayne, Phil Dolan III, Sidney Cohn, Ensemble
- Slaughter on Tenth Avenue Ballet -
Hoofer: Phil Dolan III. Strip Tease Girl: Vera Baranova. Big Boss:
Featured Dancer
- Finale - Entire Company
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