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Of Thee I Sing
Music by George Gershwin. Lyrics by Ira Gershwin.
117 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1932
141 people want to read
About the author
George S. Kaufman
76 books32 followersPeople note American playwright George Simon Kaufman for many collaborations, including
Dinner at Eight
(1932) with Edna Ferber and
You Can't Take It with You
(1936) with Moss Hart.
This theatre director, theatre producer, humorist, and drama critic, known as "the great collaborator," wrote very few plays alone.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_...
This theatre director, theatre producer, humorist, and drama critic, known as "the great collaborator," wrote very few plays alone.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_...
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 27, 2023
If there has been a more apropos time to read this play and absorb what it really is saying – well, that time is now in the year 2022. Of Thee I Sing is relevant to the shenanigans of our politicians of today. Yes, Of Thee I Sing is a satire of questionable devilries and tomfooleries of politicians. It was first produced in 1933 on Broadway. Written by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin.
John P. Wintergreen runs for President on a “love platform”, promising to marry the winner of a beauty contest in Atlantic City and to woo her through all of the forty-eight states of the Union. It turns out that ol’ Wintergreen cannot make good on his promise, for he falls for Mary Turner, the pageant coordinator, all because of her mouthwatering corn muffins. But Diana Devereaux has other plans, because she was the “winner” of the beauty contest and well – a woman scorned.
Interestingly, Of Thee I Sing is the first musical to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and was televised by CBS in 1972 with Carroll O’Connor and Cloris Leachman. It was never filmed as a movie for the Silver Screen, either.
I like the premise of this story. It is so eerie that so much of it mirrors today’s perverse political monkeyshines, but then – this sort of tomfoolery has been going on since time immemorial.
⚪️Internet Archive.
John P. Wintergreen runs for President on a “love platform”, promising to marry the winner of a beauty contest in Atlantic City and to woo her through all of the forty-eight states of the Union. It turns out that ol’ Wintergreen cannot make good on his promise, for he falls for Mary Turner, the pageant coordinator, all because of her mouthwatering corn muffins. But Diana Devereaux has other plans, because she was the “winner” of the beauty contest and well – a woman scorned.
Interestingly, Of Thee I Sing is the first musical to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and was televised by CBS in 1972 with Carroll O’Connor and Cloris Leachman. It was never filmed as a movie for the Silver Screen, either.
I like the premise of this story. It is so eerie that so much of it mirrors today’s perverse political monkeyshines, but then – this sort of tomfoolery has been going on since time immemorial.
⚪️Internet Archive.
December 31, 2021
The Vice President jokes don't stop coming and I'm here for them.
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August 23, 202416th play I read in my quest to conquer the Pulitzer.
Plus points for the first musical winner, and some genuinely funny (and subtle) satire. But at the end of the day, there are two complete songs about corn muffins.
Enlightening to me about pre-golden age musicals. Most useful for the notes on how the Pulitzer considered this play, the new ground being broken by a musicals as cogent, music and plot cohesive pieces of drama
Plus points for the first musical winner, and some genuinely funny (and subtle) satire. But at the end of the day, there are two complete songs about corn muffins.
Enlightening to me about pre-golden age musicals. Most useful for the notes on how the Pulitzer considered this play, the new ground being broken by a musicals as cogent, music and plot cohesive pieces of drama
January 21, 2023
I enjoyed this musical. It’s a hilarious satire on politics and there are unfortunately some very outdated jokes in there but I love the music and the operatic motif used in the show.
January 12, 2015
How has no one made a film version of this musical?!
Part satire, part political comedy and pure over-the-top musical extravaganza, Of Thee I Sing is hilarious. It won the Pulitzer, and if nothing else, it’s an excellent reminder of why award committees need to abandon their weird obsession with only giving prestigious awards to dramas. Frankly, most dramas fail to make such astute and accurate observations on American society as Of Thee I Sing manages in song.
A handsome and charismatic presidential candidate, in order to give his campaign a boost and avoid discussing real issues, agrees to participate in a nationwide beauty pageant with the winner becoming his wife. It’s The Bachelor meets politics, and in some ways, it might be more relevant now than it was in the 1930s.
A problem arises, however, when instead of the beautiful Southern belle who wins the contest, the candidate falls for an average-looking woman. His campaign spins the switch, but the public jilting leads to lawsuits and a possible international incident.
I need to see a staged (or filmed) version of this play. Of Thee I Sing is a wonderful commentary on modern America, which just goes to show: the more things change, the more they stay the same. Or Kaufman, Ryskind, and the Gershwins were psychic. Highly recommended.
Part satire, part political comedy and pure over-the-top musical extravaganza, Of Thee I Sing is hilarious. It won the Pulitzer, and if nothing else, it’s an excellent reminder of why award committees need to abandon their weird obsession with only giving prestigious awards to dramas. Frankly, most dramas fail to make such astute and accurate observations on American society as Of Thee I Sing manages in song.
A handsome and charismatic presidential candidate, in order to give his campaign a boost and avoid discussing real issues, agrees to participate in a nationwide beauty pageant with the winner becoming his wife. It’s The Bachelor meets politics, and in some ways, it might be more relevant now than it was in the 1930s.
A problem arises, however, when instead of the beautiful Southern belle who wins the contest, the candidate falls for an average-looking woman. His campaign spins the switch, but the public jilting leads to lawsuits and a possible international incident.
I need to see a staged (or filmed) version of this play. Of Thee I Sing is a wonderful commentary on modern America, which just goes to show: the more things change, the more they stay the same. Or Kaufman, Ryskind, and the Gershwins were psychic. Highly recommended.
August 11, 2017
Uproarious and never out of date. Even the stage directions parody every American political situations since the dawn of our democracy. A must read for musical theatre history fans. The Fifty Million Frenchmen gag gets funnier with every line.
July 26, 2016
Ridiculous. If this turd won the Pulitzer in 1931, what on earth did the other nominees look like???
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews