Treasure Girl
Opened at the Alvin Theatre, New York on November 8, 1928. 68 performances. Music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin. Book by Fred Thompson and Vincent Lawrence. Book staged by Bertram Harrison. Dances staged by Bobby Connelly. Produced by Alex A. Aarons and Vinton Freedley. Cast included Gertrude Lawrence, Clifton Webb, Mary Hay, Walter Catlett, Paul Frawley, and Ferris Hartman.
An attempt to recreate the magic of OH, KAY!, the Gershwins’ 1926 smash hit with Gertrude Lawrence, TREASURE GIRL suffered by comparison. Lawrence’s role as Ann Wainwright, a spoiled young woman participating in a treasure hunt, didn’t give her many moments to display the sparkling personality that had made her a Broadway star. But the show has one of the most underrated Gershwin scores, including the classic “I’ve Got a Crush on You” and the appealing duet “I Don’t Think I’ll Fall in Love Today.” One obscure song cut from TREASURE GIRL, “What Causes That?,” was plucked from the Gershwin catalog and became a showstopper for Harry Groener and Bruce Adler in 1983’s MY ONE AND ONLY.