{{Short description|1928 two-act musical}} {{italic title}} '''''Here's Howe!''''' is a [[musical theatre|musical]] in two acts with music by [[Roger Wolfe Kahn]] and [[Joseph Meyer (songwriter)|Joseph Meyer]] and lyrics by [[Irving Caesar]].<ref name="nyt">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1928/05/02/archives/the-play-saluting-the-summer.html|title=THE PLAY; Saluting the Summer|author-link=J. Brooks Atkinson|first= J. Brooks|last=Anderson|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 2, 1928}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Here's Howe (Broadway, Broadhurst Theatre, 1928) |url=https://playbill.com/production/heres-howe-broadhurst-theatre-vault-0000002151 |access-date=23 January 2023 |website=[[Playbill (magazine)|Playbill]]}}</ref> The [[swing music]] standard "[[Crazy Rhythm]]" was written for this show.<ref name="redhot">{{cite web|url=http://www.redhotjazz.com/rwkahno.html|title=Roger Wolfe Kahn & His Orchestra|work=The Red Hot Jazz Archive}}</ref> The work's [[Musical theatre#Book musicals|musical book]] was written by [[Fred Thompson (writer)|Fred Thompson]] and [[Paul Gerard Smith]].<ref name="nyt"/> The musical is set mainly in [[Boston, Massachusetts]] at the Tredwell Motor Company where the play's central characters work; but with additional scenes in Havana, Cuba when the characters take a trip abroad.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YiBaRas9jTwC&dq=Here%27s+Howe+motor+1928+musical&pg=PA489|page=489|title=American Musical Theater: A Chronicle|author=Gerald Bordman|year= 2001|isbn=9780195130744|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref>
== Productions == The musical premiered at the [[Shubert Theatre (Boston)|Shubert Theatre]] in Boston on April 23, 1928, for a week of [[Tryout (theatre)|tryout]] performances.<ref name="Boston">{{cite magazine|title=Musical Comedy: "Here's Howe" for Boston|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|volume=40|issue=15|date=April 14, 1928|page=8}}</ref>
The work opened on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] at the [[Broadhurst Theatre]] on May 1, 1928, and was produced by Alex. A. Aarons and [[Vinton Freedley]] with [[Paul Lannin]] serving as musical director; [[Sammy Lee (choreographer)|Sammy Lee]] as choreographer; costumes designed by Kiviette; and scenic designs by John Wenger.<ref name="Variety">{{cite magazine|title=Legitimate: Plays on Broadway - HERE'S HOWE!|author=Abel|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|volume=91|issue=4|date=May 9, 1928|page= 69}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> It closed after 71 performances on June 30, 1928.<ref name=":0" />
''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine called the Broadway production one "for fun-loving rovers".<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=1928-05-28 |title=Theatre: Best Plays in Manhattan: May 28, 1928 |language=en-US |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,786011,00.html |access-date=2023-01-24 |issn=0040-781X}}</ref>
== Cast == The production marked the American debut of French soprano and actress [[Colette D'Arville]] as Claudette Pernier.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Keller and Shannon Join Hands To Produce|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|volume=40|issue=7|date=February 18, 1928|page= 13}}</ref><ref name="Boston" /> Other leading performers in the show included [[William Frawley]] as Toplis, [[Ben Bernie]] as Dan Dabney, [[Eric Blore]] as Sir Basil Carraway, [[Irene Delroy]] as Joyce Baxter, Peggy Chamberlain as Cora Bibby, [[Allen Kearns]] as Billy Howe, Helen Carrington as Toni Treadwell, Ross Himes as Mr. Petrie, and Dillon Ober as Wilbur.<ref name="Variety" />
== Musical numbers ==
=== Act l ===
* "Dismissal Whistle" (Cora and Employees) * "Beauty in the Movies" (Edwin, Mary, and Girls) * "Life as a Twosome" (Joyce, Billy, and Ensemble) * "[[Crazy Rhythm]]" (Dan, Cora, Mary, and Ensemble) * "Imagination" (Joyce and Billy) * "Specialty (a)" (Dan Danny and Orchestra) * "Dance (b)" (Cora and Petrie) * "Dance (c)" (Joyce) * "Finale"<ref name=":0" />
=== Act ll ===
* "Opening" (Ensemble) * "I'd Rather Dance Here Than Hereafter" (Cora, Petrie, and Ensemble) * "Here's Howe" (Billy and Girls) * "A New Love" (Joyce and Girls) * "Finaletto" * "Specialty" (Pelham) * "Boston Post Road" (Billy and Helpers) * "Finale" (company)<ref name=":0" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{musical-theat-stub}} [[Category:1928 musicals]] [[Category:Broadway musicals]] [[Category:Musicals by Fred Thompson (writer)]] [[Category:Musicals by Irving Caesar]] [[Category:Musicals by Joseph Meyer (songwriter)]] [[Category:Musicals by Roger Wolfe Kahn]] [[Category:Musicals set in Boston]] [[Category:Musicals set in Cuba]]