I'd Rather Be Right (musical)
"I'd Rather Be Right" is a Broadway musical created during the politically charged climate of the 1930s, reflecting the social and economic challenges of the Great Depression. The musical features music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart, with a book written by renowned playwrights George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. The plot centers around two young lovers, Peggy Jones and Phil Barker, who are unable to marry until their salaries are increased, which hinges on President Roosevelt balancing the national budget. In a whimsical dream sequence, Roosevelt intervenes and devises humorous plans to rectify the financial situation, ultimately advising the couple to marry despite the unresolved budget issues. The show premiered at the Alvin Theater in 1937 and enjoyed a successful run of 290 performances, in part due to the casting of the iconic entertainer George M. Cohan as Roosevelt. "I'd Rather Be Right" stands out as one of the most notable political musicals of its time, second only to "Of Thee I Sing," showcasing the era's blend of satire and social commentary in musical theatre. The musical's legacy was further cemented when portions of it were included in the Cohan biopic "Yankee Doodle Dandy" released in 1942.
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I'd Rather Be Right (musical)
Identification Broadway musical satirizing 1930’s politics
Creators Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart
Date November 2, 1937
I’d Rather Be Right was a Depression-era musical satire in the mold of George Gershwin’s Of Thee I Sing(1931), which was premiered six years earlier. I’d Rather Be Right featured fifty-nine-year-old George M. Cohan playing the role of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
During the 1930’s, popular entertainment made many allusions to politics, and the Great Depression in particular. Many Broadway musicals were fashioned as political satires, and the greatest Broadway composers and lyricists of the era all produced socially relevant musicals: George and Ira Gershwin created Strike Up the Band (1930), Of Thee I Sing (1931), and Let ’Em Eat Cake (1933). Irving Berlin wrote Face the Music (1932). I’d Rather Be Right was Richard Rodgers’s and Lorenz Hart’s contribution to the genre. The book of I’d Rather Be Right was written by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart.
I’d Rather Be Right concerns the story of two young lovers—Peggy Jones and Phil Barker—who cannot marry until they secure pay raises. Their salaries cannot be raised, however, until President Roosevelt balances the budget. During a dream sequence, the president enters the characters’ lives and concocts many farcical strategies in an attempt to balance the budget. Although he never succeeds in balancing the budget, Roosevelt ultimately encourages the couple to marry anyway.
I’d Rather Be Right opened at the Alvin Theater in 1937 and ran for 290 performances. One of the major factors in the show’s success was the casting of an aging Cohan in the role of Roosevelt. Substantial portions of I’d Rather Be Right are featured in the Cohan biopic Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942).
Impact
I’d Rather Be Right was representative of the political edge taken by many Broadway musicals of the 1930’s. With a nine-month run, it was the second most successful political musical of the decade, next to Of Thee I Sing, and remains one of the most memorable shows written by Rodgers and Hart.
Bibliography
Everett, William A., and Paul R. Laird. Historical Dictionary of Broadway Musicals. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2008.
Green, Stanley, and Kay Green. Broadway Musicals: Show by Show. 6th ed. New York: Hal Leonard, 2007.
Mordden, Ethan. Sing for Your Supper: The Broadway Musical in the 1930’s. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005.