Up in Central Park

Infobox Musical
name= Up in Central Park
subtitle=


caption= Sheet Music Cover(cropped)
music= Sigmund Romberg
lyrics=Dorothy Fields
book= Herbert Fields and Dorothy Fields
productions= 1945 Broadway
awards=

"Up in Central Park" is a Broadway musical with a book by Herbert Fields and Dorothy Fields, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and music by Sigmund Romberg.

Produced by Michael Todd, the Broadway production, staged by John Kennedy and choreographed by Helen Tamiris, opened on January 27, 1945 at the The Broadway Theatre, where it ran for 504 performances. Cast included Wilbur Evans and Betty Bruce.

The musical is set in the Boss Tweed era of New York in the 1870s. Wilbur Evans plays John Matthews, a New York Times reporter investigating the Tweed’s crooked political machine, especially the fraud connected with constructing Central Park. He falls in love with the daughter of one of the Boss’ ward healers, who marries a politician, who is killed. She laters rekindles her love for Matthews. The settings, costumes and dances evoked the lithographs of Currier and Ives.

=Songs=col-begincol-2;Act I
* Up from the Gutter
* Carrousel in the Park
* It Doesn’t Cost You Anything to Dream
* Boss Tweed
* When She Walks in the Room
* Currier and Ives
* Close as Pages in a Book
* Rip Van Winkle
* The Fireman’s Bride;Act II
* When the Party Gives a Party
* Maypole Dance
* The Big Back Yard
*April Snow
*Finaletto
*The Birds and the Bees

Film version

In 1948 the musical was made into a film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Deanna Durbin, Dick Haymes and Vincent Price. The movie version omits much of the Broadway score and changes the story considerably. The film was not a success.Fact|date=July 2008

Recordings

Decca released an album of eight songs from the show with original cast members Wilbur Evans and Betty Bruce, along with the show orchestra conducted by Max Meth. Also appearing on the album are Eileen Farrell and Celeste Holme, who were not in the show.

RCA Victor put out an album with Jeanette MacDonald and Robert Merrill singing six selections from the score.Fact|date=July 2008

External links

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