Where's Charley? (play)
"Where's Charley?" is a musical adaptation of the classic farce "Charley's Aunt," which originally premiered in 1892. The musical debuted on Broadway in October 1948 and enjoyed a successful run, totaling 792 performances over nearly two years. Set in the same year as the original play, the story follows two Oxford students, Charley Wykeham and Jack Chesney, who need a chaperone for their romantic interests. When Charley's aunt is delayed, Charley impersonates her, leading to a series of humorous misunderstandings.
The musical features music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, marking his first Broadway venture, and was directed by George Abbott. Ray Bolger starred as Charley Wykeham, delivering a memorable performance that helped revitalize his career. The show's standout song, "Once in Love with Amy," became particularly popular, engaging audiences in sing-alongs during performances. Despite its initial success, "Where's Charley?" has seen limited revivals over the years, attributed in part to the unavailability of an original cast album and the film version. Nevertheless, it remains a notable part of musical theatre history, showcasing the talents of its cast and composer.
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Where's Charley? (play)
Identification Musical comedy
Creators Music and lyrics by Frank Loesser (1910-1969); book by George Abbott (1887-1995)
Date Premiered on October 11, 1948
Along with South Pacific (1949) and Kiss Me, Kate (1948), Where’s Charley? was among the most memorable musicals of the late 1940’s. It was one of the few hit musicals to successfully utilize farce as the basis of its plotline.
Based on the hugely popular farce play Charley’s Aunt, a mélange of multiple misunderstandings, Where’s Charley? was a major hit on Broadway. Following its premiere in October, 1948, it ran almost two years for a total of 792 performances. The original play, penned by Englishman Brandon Thomas, was first performed in London in 1892 and on Broadway the following year. Wherever it was staged, it broke the record for longest-running play, and it was revived countless times. Charley’s Aunt was adapted to film several times, including at least two American silent versions, one with Sydney Chaplin, the half brother of Charles Chaplin. Charles Ruggles and comedian Jack Benny appeared in sound productions. Given the play’s widespread popularity, it was almost inevitable that it would be turned into a musical.
The musical was set in the same year as the play, 1892. Two Oxford students, Charley Wykeham and Jack Chesney, need a chaperon so that their sweethearts, Amy Spettigue and Kitty Verdun, can visit them. Although Charley’s aunt is to serve that role, her visit is delayed, and Jack persuades Charley to impersonate her. When the real aunt shows up, the farcical action ensues. Cast in the leading roles of Charley Wykeham and Amy Spettigue were actor-dancer Ray Bolger and Allyn McLerie, respectively. The music and lyrics were written by the composer Frank Loesser, whose first Broadway musical this was; the director was powerhouse veteran George Abbott. Some critics felt that the forty-five-year-old Bolger was miscast as a callow university student. His costar was more than twenty years his junior. However, Bolger overcame all such objections with his peppy winning performance in the title role.
The major hit of Where’s Charley? was the song “Once in Love with Amy,” which Bolger turned into somewhat of a phenomenon by leading the audience in a sing-a-long at every performance. Another popular number to emerge from the musical was “My Darling, My Darling.”
Although the musical was revived on Broadway as early as 1951, and again in 1974, it has not been frequently revived. Its relative obscurity has been attributed to the lack of an original cast album and the unavailability of the film version due to the refusal of the rights holder (Loesser’s widow) to rerelease it for home viewing. The show had a successful run of more than 400 performances in London beginning in 1958.
Impact
The show brought renewed life to the career of Bolger, who had been best known for his portrayal of the scarecrow in the classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Costar Byron Palmer, who played Jack Chesney in Where’s Charley?, won a Tony Award for best actor in 1949 for his portrayal. Bolger and McLerie reprised their roles in the 1952 motion-picture version. The musical also launched the career of Loesser, who went on to compose hit musicals such as Guys and Dolls (1950) and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1961).
Bibliography
Abbott, George. Mr. Abbott. New York: Random House, 1963.
Riis, Thomas L. Frank Loesser. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2008.