 ONE TOUCH OF VENUS
a musical by S. J. Perelman and Ogden Nash based on 'The
Tinted Venus' by F. Anstey.Lyrics by Ogden Nash. Music
by Kurt Weill.
Produced at the Imperial Theatre, New York, 7th October 1943 with
John Boles (Savory), Kenny Baker (Rodney), Mary Martin (Venus)
and Paula Laurence (Molly). A film version was produced by Universal
in 1948 with Tom Conway, Robert Walker, Ava Gardner, Eve Arden
and Dick Haymes (Joe).
THE STORY
ACT I
Whitelaw Savory, a wealthy art collector, is just installing in
his museum a priceless 3000-year-old statue of Venus from Anatolia,
which he has acquired partly because it reminds him of the girl
in his life who got away. As his assistant Molly sings, 'One Touch
Of Venus' can do things to a man. Savory is amazed that his barber
Rodney Hatch prefers the charms of his fiancée and when
Rodney is alone, he tries to prove that Gloria's fingers are more
delicate than the statue by placing on its hand the engagement
ring he has bought. A flash of light, a roll of thunder and Venus
comes to life, released by the ring. She pursues Rodney, madly
in love with her rescuer: he hides in his flat and sings 'How Much
I Love You' to Gloria's photograph, but in vain - Venus arrives
and continues her pursuit of him, flattening his inquisitive landlady
in the process. She then wanders into the city to see whether people
are still in love. Office workers stream out for their lunch break
and in the 40 minutes for lunch she pairs off a boy and a girl
for fun, then wanders through a shop window to try on a dress she
fancies. Savory, seeing in her his lost love, rescues her, but
she leaves him unhappy and alone to return to Rodney.
He, however, is having trouble with his suspicious Gloria and
her nagging mother Mrs. Kramer, who have returned from a shopping
expedition). Where is the ring? And who was the girl in his flat?
Eventually he tells Gloria bluntly that he has given the ring to
Venus.
Savory still believes that Rodney has stolen the statue and Mrs.
Kramer confirms his suspicions, but before he can raid the barbershop,
Venus arrives at his flat to tell him her woes. He advises her
to eliminate her rival, then goes to Rodney's shop to find the
statue. First he chats with Rodney then he and his detective trick
Rodney and lock him in the cellar, and tie up Gloria who comes
in, but they take flight when they hear another visitor, and dash
off. It is of course Venus; she releases Gloria, but gets sworn
at for her pains, so she spirits her off to the North Pole. After
a tender reunion between Venus and Rodney, he inevitably gets arrested
on suspicion of murdering the missing Gloria, but Venus accompanies
him to jail!
ACT II
Venus uses her powers to help Rodney escape from prison, while
he helps protect her from a fierce Anatolian, who has come to get
her back for 'her own people'. The two lovers spend a blissful
night in a hotel. He is still worried that he is under suspicion
of murder, so Venus brings Gloria back from the North Pole - but
when Gloria sees them together, she swears at them and walks out
of their lives forever. Now he is free, Rodney dreams of his future
happiness with Venus, in the suburbs of Ozone Heights, but she
realises that this is not the life for a goddess and transforms
herself back to the statue, on her museum pedestal.
Poor Rodney - all seems lost. But, as he stands gazing at Venus
and softly singing 'Speak Low', a young girl comes in, to enrol
for an art class at the museum. And she comes from Ozone Heights
and she looks exactly like Venus - so The Goddess of Love has not
forgotten Rodney and it is natural that he and the girl walk off
together as the curtain falls.
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ORCHESTRATION
Reed 1: Clarinet, Alto Sax
Reed 2: Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Alto Sax,
Tenor Sax, Flute, Piccolo
Reed 3: Clarinet, Alto Say, Tenor Sax, Flute,
Piccolo
Reed 4: Clarinet, Tenor Sax, Flute, Piccolo
3 Trumpets, Trombone
Piano, Guitar
Timpani & Percussion
Strings
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