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Blandings - the logo of www.blandings.org.uk, the Companion to the works of P G Wodehouse

Oh, Boy!

Oh, Joy!

A musical

Book:Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse
Lyrics:P. G. Wodehouse
Music:Jerome Kern

First produced 20 February 1917 at the Princess Theatre, New York, as Oh, Boy! (463 - 475 performances).
Produced in London at the Kingsway Theatre on 27 January 1919 under the title Oh, Joy! (167 performances).

Synopsis

George and Lou get married against their parents' wishes and have to part. George's Quaker aunt and guardian, a Prohibitionist, threatens to cut him off. George gives sanctuary to a college girl who's trying to avoid being arrested. She helps him and Lou by getting Lou's Prohibitionist father (and judge) drunk and blackmailing him into approving their marriage. Aunt Penelope gets drunk accidentally and is also forced to give her consent. [Compiled from several sources.]

Recordings

The Land Where the Good Songs Go - on Harbinger Records, catalogue HCD 1901, containing Rolled Into One, You Never Knew About Me and 14 songs with lyrics by Wodehouse from other shows.

Music from the New York Stage, Volume 4, 1917-20 - a Pearl triple CD, catalogue number GEMMCD90596. Three songs Till the Clouds Roll By, You Never Knew About Me and Rolled Into One by the Original Broadway Cast.

Broadway Through the Gramophone (1844-1930), Vol 3: 1914-1920 - a double CD on Pearl GMS 0084, with four songs An Old-Fashioned Wife, You Never Knew about Me, Rolled into One and Till the Clouds Roll By from early 78s. (Also features songs from Have a Heart, Leave it to Jane and Oh, Lady! Lady!)

Sure Thing - The Jerome Kern Songbook - a Phillips CD, catalogue number 4421292, featuring two songs together Till the Clouds Roll By / Look for the Silver Lining. A modern recording of voice and piano.

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Till the Clouds Roll By was used as the title of a biopic about Jerome Kern which ironically failed to mention Wodehouse even once. The film was little more than an excuse to roll out studio stars to sing a number and at that time both Wodehouse and Bolton were British.