Theater: Of Thee I Sing
The show won the 1932 Pulitzer Prize for drama due to its witty political satire. Music is by George Gershwin, lyrics by brother Ira Gershwin and book by George Kaufman. Unfortunately, there is no VHS or DVD available. CBS aired a 1972 adaptation (with Carroll O’Connor and Jack Gilford, which Kurt fondly remembers watching) but has not released it for DVD. This year Ohio Light Opera added it to their repertoire.
The satire along with the music is light and breezy. Think of Trial by Jury by Gilbert and Sullivan or a Saturday Night Live skit expanded to show length. A reason the show may not be produced more often today is the politically incorrect way it portrays women. The plot device is a beauty contest. Act I starts with presidential candidate John P. Wintergreen running on a "love" platform. A Karl Rove type political operative dreams up a beauty contest reaching out to every state with Wintergreen marrying the winner. Instead, Wintergreen marries a secretary who can cook. Act II of the show involves the slighted contest winner getting her revenge. The sharpest satire is a Supreme Court ruling done in chorus upholding Wintergreen’s marriage to his secretary. A true G & S ending quickly resolves all problems with the unmarried vice president marrying the beauty queen because, per the constitution, the v.p. assumes all responsibilities when the president cannot.
The satire shows politicians incapable of addressing substantive problems with a political wonk guiding their candidate to victory on a social issue. How little politics have changed.
The satire along with the music is light and breezy. Think of Trial by Jury by Gilbert and Sullivan or a Saturday Night Live skit expanded to show length. A reason the show may not be produced more often today is the politically incorrect way it portrays women. The plot device is a beauty contest. Act I starts with presidential candidate John P. Wintergreen running on a "love" platform. A Karl Rove type political operative dreams up a beauty contest reaching out to every state with Wintergreen marrying the winner. Instead, Wintergreen marries a secretary who can cook. Act II of the show involves the slighted contest winner getting her revenge. The sharpest satire is a Supreme Court ruling done in chorus upholding Wintergreen’s marriage to his secretary. A true G & S ending quickly resolves all problems with the unmarried vice president marrying the beauty queen because, per the constitution, the v.p. assumes all responsibilities when the president cannot.
The satire shows politicians incapable of addressing substantive problems with a political wonk guiding their candidate to victory on a social issue. How little politics have changed.