Oh, Captain!

For the Walt Whitman poem, see O Captain! My Captain!.

Oh, Captain!
Music	Jay Livingston Ray Evans
Lyrics	Jay Livingston Ray Evans
Book	Al Morgan José Ferrer
Basis	1953 film The Captain's Paradise
Productions	1958 Broadway 1962 Ram's Head, Stanford University

Oh, Captain! is a musical comedy based on the film The Captain's Paradise, which had been written by Alec Coppel and Nicholas Phipps. The film starred Alec Guinness as a philandering ship's captain, with a wife in one port and a mistress in another. The musical starred Tony Randall, and updated the film's Gibraltar and Algiers setting to London and Paris. The score was by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, with direction by José Ferrer. The production was dismissed by the critics as a "tired businessman's show", but the cast and choreography were much praised. The highlight of the show was an extended dance sequence between Randall and prima ballerina Alexandra Danilova that has been referred to by musical theatre historians as perhaps the best number ever staged in a post-war musical.

The original cast included Abbe Lane, Susan Johnson, Jacquelyn McKeever, Edward Platt, Paul Valentine, and Stanley Carlson. Abbe Lane was under contract to a rival studio, which refused to allow her to record the original cast album. Her songs were recorded by Eileen Rodgers. Lane did record two of her numbers on one of her subsequent solo albums.

The Stanford production starred Laurence Guittard.

Songs

Act I A Very Proper Town - Captain Henry St. James and the Company Life Does a Man a Favor (When It Gives Him Simple Joys) - Mrs. Maud St. James and Captain Henry St. James A Very Proper Week - The English Townspeople Life Does a Man a Favor (When It Leads Him Down to the Sea) - Captain Henry St. James, Enrico Manzoni and the Crew Captain Henry St. James - The Crew of the S.S. Paradise The Dock Dance - The Dockworkers Three Paradises - Captain Henry St. James Surprise - Mrs. Maud St. James and the Neighbors Life Does a Man a Favor (When It Puts Him in Paree) - Captain Henry St. James Hey Madame - Captain Henry St. James and Lisa Femininity - Bobo It's Never Quite the Same - Enrico Manzoni and the Crew It's Never Quite the Same (Reprise) - Mrs. Maud St. James, Enrico Manzoni and the Crew We're Not Children - Mrs. Maud St. James and the Spaniard Give It All You Got - Mae and the Tourists Love Is Hell - Mae and the Ladies of the Ensemble Keep It Simple - Bobo and Her Dancing Companions

Act II The Morning Music of Montmartre - Mae and the People of Montmartre You Don't Know Him - Bobo and Mrs. Maud St. James I've Been There and I'm Back - Enrico Manzoni and Captain Henry St. James Double Standard - Bobo and Mrs. Maud St. James All the Time - Captain Henry St. James You're So Right for Me - Enrico Manzoni and Bobo All the Time (Reprise) - Mrs. Maud St. James Finale - The Entire Company

Awards and nominations

• Tony Award nominations
• Tony Award for Best Musical - Book by Al Morgan, José Ferrer; Music by Ray Evans; Lyrics by Jay Livingston, Ray Evans; Music by Jay Livingston; Produced by Howard Merrill, Theatre Corporation of America
• Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical - Tony Randall
• Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical - Susan Johnson, Jacquelyn McKeever
• Tony Award for Best Scenic Design - Jo Mielziner
• Tony Award for Best Costume Design - Miles White

• Theatre World Award
• Jacquelyn McKeever (WINNER)

External links

• Oh, Captain! at the Internet Broadway Database