Blue Eyes (musical) facts for kids
Blue Eyes is a fun musical that tells a historical story with lots of romance and comedy! It was created by famous composer Jerome Kern, with the story and lyrics written by Guy Bolton and Graham John. The music was arranged by Robert Russell Bennett.
This musical takes you back to a time when Charles Edward Stuart, also known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, was trying to bring his family, the House of Stuart, back to the British throne. This period in history is called the Jacobite era.
The story of Blue Eyes follows a brave London actress. She dresses up as a soldier to help her brother. Her brother has been put in prison by the Duke of Cumberland after a big battle called the Battle of Culloden. The musical starred Evelyn Laye, and W. H. Berry provided lots of laughs. He played funny characters like a silly Scotsman and a French dancing teacher!
About the Musical Blue Eyes
Blue Eyes was the very first show to open at London's new Piccadilly Theatre. It premiered on April 27, 1928. Later, in July, it moved to Daly's Theatre. The show was quite popular and ran for eight months, with a total of 327 performances.
A special recording of the songs, featuring the Piccadilly Theatre Orchestra, was released by Columbia Records. This allowed people to enjoy the music even after seeing the show!
The Music and Songs
Music expert Thomas Hischak said that Blue Eyes had some "entrancing songs." He especially liked "Back to the Heather," "Charlie Is the Darling of My Heart," and the funny song "In Vodeodo." He felt that the music sounded more like an operetta (a lighter kind of opera) than a typical musical comedy.
One song called "Do I Do Wrong" was actually removed before the musical officially opened. But its melody was later used by Jerome Kern for another song. This new song was "You're Devastating" from his 1933 musical Roberta.
Meet the Original Cast
The talented actors who first brought Blue Eyes to life in London in 1928 included:
- Evelyn Laye as Nancy Anne Bellamy
- George Vollaire as Jamie
- Bertram Wallis as the Duke of Cumberland
- Geoffrey Gwyther as Sir George
- Sylvia Cecil as Flora Campbell
- W. H. Berry as Pilbeam
