La-La-Lucille!
Opened at the Henry Miller Theatre, New York on May 26, 1919. 104 performances. Music by George Gershwin. Lyrics by Arthur Jackson and B. G. DeSylva. Book by Fred Jackson. Directed by Herbert Gresham and Julian Alfred. Produced by Alex A. Aarons and George B. Seitz. Cast included Janet Velie, John E. Hazzard, J. Clarence Harvey, and Helen Clark.
The first George Gershwin musical to feature only his own work, LA-LA-LUCILLE! proceeds through a standard musical comedy plot involving an inheritance, disguises and a resolution that leads to a happy ending. Gershwin’s score, however, was remarkably sophisticated and rhythmic for a young man of twenty, just beginning to explore his range and develop his talent. Unfortunately, the music for a number of the songs from LA-LA-LUCILLE! has been lost to time, preventing a full evaluation of Gershwin’s work, but what remains shows him displaying a confidence far beyond his years.