The City Chap (musical)

The City Chap premiered on Broadway on October 26, 1925, at Liberty Theatre, and closed on December 26, 1925, after 72 performances. It was produced by Charles Dillingham, directed by R. H. Burnside, designed by James Reynold, choreographed by David Bennett, orchestrated by Robert Russell Bennett and conducted by Victor Baravalle. The Cast featured Richard Gallagher as Nat Duncan, Phyllis Cleveland as Betty, Ina Williams as Josie, Irene Dunne as Grace, and George Raft as George.[1]

In 1986 the show was given a concert production featuring the entire original score.[2]

Nat Duncan, the City Chap, decides to forsake the hedonistic city lifestyle and become an upstanding citizen in a small, dull, town. He moves to Radford, NY, where he takes a job at Sam Graham's dilapidated drugstore, eventually transforming it through hard work into a successful, modern, tea-room, which features jazz and liquor. Nat intends to marry the rich Josie Lockwood, but realizes that he is really in love with Betty, Graham's daughter, and he proposes to her after all complications have been sorted out a party, thrown by his friend Grace, at Saratoga. [3]

Act I

Scene One: Stephen Kellogg's Apartment; New York City

• Like the Nymphs of Spring - Chorus
• The Go-Getter - Steve, Grace, and Girls
• The Journey's End - Nat
• Finaletto Scene I - Ensemble

Scene Two: On a Train

Scene Three: Graham's Drugstore, Radford

• Sympathetic Someone - Betty and Nat
• The City Chap - Pete, Watty, Roland and Josie
• He is the Type - Josie, Betty and Girls
• Journey's End (Reprise) - Nat, Betty, Josie and Angie
• If You Are As Good As You Look - Nat, Josie and Angie
• Finale Act I - Company

Act II

Scene One: Graham's New Drugstore, Radford

• The Fountain of Youth - Company
• A Pill a Day - Roland and Josie
• Walking Home with Josie - Company
• No One Knows - Betty, Steve, Nat and Grace

Scene Two: Grace's Private Car

Scene Three: Ballroom of Grace's House, Saratoga

• Saratoga - Chorus
• Dances - Marjorie Moss and Georges Fontana
• Finale - Company