One Touch of Venus (1943)

Musical comedy in two acts.
Book by S.J. Perelman and Ogden Nash after F. Anstey's The Tinted Venus.
Lyrics by Ogden Nash.

Synopsis
Song List
Performance Information
Principal Productions
Recordings

Photo of

Mary Martin as Venus singing "That's Him" in the Broadway production.

Synopsis

Art expert Whitelaw Savory at last finds the statue of Venus which he has been seeking for years. His barber, Rodney, comes over to shave him and idly places his fiancée's ring on the statue's finger. Venus comes to life and falls in love with the man who resurrected her. At first, the terrified Rodney is unwilling. Undaunted, Venus pursues him, temporarily immobilizing his fiancée, and finally convinces him to be her lover. Then she realizes that she will have to live a suburban existence in Ozone Heights, and reconsiders. She is taken back to Olympus, but leaves behind a facsimile of herself so Rodney will never be alone again, as she had promised.

Song list

New Art is True Art
One Touch of Venus
How Much I Love You
I'm a Stranger Here Myself
West Wind
Way Out West in Jersey
Foolish Heart
The Trouble with Women
Speak Low
Dr. Crippen
Very, Very, Very
Catch Hatch
That's Him
Wooden Wedding

Performance Information

Cast: Singing roles -- Whitelaw Savory (baritone), Molly Grant (mezzo-soprano), Rodney Hatch (tenor), Venus (mezzo-soprano), Taxi Black (tenor buffo), Stanley (baritone), Gloria Kramer (mezzo-soprano), Mrs. Kramer (mezzo-soprano), bus starter, ensemble.
Speaking roles -- Mrs. Moats, two Anatolians, Rose, Zuvetli, Dr. Rook, Sam, store manager, police lieutenant, dancers.
Orchestra: Reed 1 (cl, alto sax), Reed 2 (cl, bass cl, alto sax), Reed 3 (cl, ten. sax, fl, picc) Reed 4 (cl, alto sax, ten. sax, fl, picc); 3 tpt, tbn; piano, timp & perc; strings.
Duration: full evening, 65 minutes music
Published Editions: vocal selections, The Richmond Organization/ Hampshire House Publishing Corp.
Performance Rights and Rentals: All territories: RH
Authorized Translation: Swedish -- Lars Rudolfsson

Guide to orchestration, territory abbreviations, and publishers' symbols.

Principal productions

October 7, 1943, New York, Imperial Theater, Elia Kazan, dir., Maurice Abravanel, cond.
August 3, 1953, St. Louis, Municipal Opera, Morton Da Costa, dir., Edwin McArthur, cond.
April 22, 1987, East Haddam, Goodspeed Opera House, Ben Levit, dir., Lynn Crigler, cond.
October 21, 1994, Malmö Musikteater, Lars Rudolfsson, dir., Michael Adelson, cond. (in Swedish)
March 28, 1996, New York, Encores!, Leonard Foglia, dir., Rob Fisher, cond. (semi-staged performance)
August 16, 1997, Chicago, Light Opera Works, J.R. Sullivan, dir., Guy Victor Bordo, cond.
December 23, 1998, Freiburg, Freiburger Theater, Markus Kupferblum, dir., Patrik Ringborg, cond.
December 4, 2004, Leeds, Opera North, Tim Albery, dir., James Holmes, cond. (further performances at Sadler's Wells, London, November 2005 and the Ravenna Festival, July 2006)

Recordings

Decca DL 9122 LP reissue: AEI 1136 CD reissue: MCA MCAD 11354	Mary Martin, Kenny Baker, Maurice Abravanel, cond. [excerpts]
Pearl CD GEMM CDS 9189	Mary Martin, Kenny Baker, Maurice Abravanel, cond. [excerpts] (same numbers as MCA recording)