The Night Boat


The Night Boat is a musical in three acts, based on a farce by Alexandre Bisson, with a book and lyrics by Anne Caldwell and music by Jerome Kern. The story lampoons the notorious New York City-to-Albany night boat, on which clandestine romances were common.
After out-of-town tryouts, the musical was produced on Broadway by Charles Dillingham, where it opened on February 2, 1920, at the Liberty Theatre under the direction of Fred G. Latham and Ned Wayburn, with music direction by Victor Baravalle. The Night Boat had a successful initial run of 313 performances, closing on October 30, 1920 and opening for a new run in Boston soon afterwards, followed by successful tours.

Background

The team that created the famous Princess Theatre musicals broke apart acrimoniously in 1918, and Kern was eager to work with the affable Caldwell. The Night Boat was an immediate hit in New York, and her role in the musical made Louise Groody a Broadway star, going on to play, among others, the title role in No, No, Nanette in 1925. Kern and Caldwell collaborated a few more times in the 1920s before each turned to other collaborators. Since the original run and tours, the show has never been revived in a full production. The New Amsterdam Theatre Company revived the show in concert in 1983 in New York, as did 42nd Street Moon in 1996 in San Francisco.

Synopsis

  • Act I. At the White's.
  • Act II. The Night Boat.
  • Act III. At the De Costa's.
In order to enjoy romantic evenings or weekends away from home, Bob White has convinced his wife, Hazel, and his mother-in-law that he is the captain of an Albany night boat. Becoming suspicious, the mother-in-law directs an investigation which brings Bob's relatives down upon him during one of his trips. Bob borrows the real captain's uniform, but he must soon explain away two love triangles.

Musical numbers

;Act 1
  • Some Fine Day – Barbara and Ensemble
  • Whose Baby Are You? – Barbara and Freddie
  • Left All Alone Again Blues – Hazel and Ensemble
  • Good Night Boat – Bob, Hazel, Barbara, Freddie, Mrs. Maxim and Ensemble
  • I'd Like a Lighthouse – Barbara and Freddie
;Act 2
  • Catskills, Hello – Ensemble
  • Don't You Want to Take Me? – Barbara and Freddie
  • I Love the Lassies – Captain White and Ensemble
  • The Quadalquiver – Dance
  • * Saskatchewan
  • *On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away
  • *Congo Love Song
  • *Row, Row, Row
  • *Down by the Erie
  • *M-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i
  • Good Night Boat – Company
;Act 3
  • A Heart for Sale – Barbara and Boys
  • Girls Are Like a Rainbow – Freddie Ides, Betty, Susan, Molly, Jane and Chorus

    Roles and original principal cast

  • Bob White: John E. Hazzard
  • Mrs. Hazel White: Stella Hoban
  • Barbara Maxim : Louise Groody
  • Mrs. Maxim : Ada Lewis
  • Freddie Ides : Hal Skelly
  • Captain Robert White: Ernest Torrence
  • The Steward: Hansford Wilson
  • Dora de Costa: Lillian Kemble Cooper
  • Minnie: Marie Reagen
  • Inspector Dempsey: John Scannell
  • Florence de Costa: Betty Hale
  • Mrs. de Costa: Mrs. John Findlay
  • A Workman: Irving Carpenter
  • Little Miss Jazz: Isabel Falconer

    Critical reaction

The Forum, January, 1920, wrote:
The New York Times noted the audience's enthusiasm for the new piece and praised Dillingham's showmanship, predicting that several of the songs would become popular.