Theatrical Gems: History

Theatrical Gems presents a one-night only benefit performance of:

Irving Berlin's

Theatrical Gems’ production of Mr. President marks the first time that the show has been seen in its original format in New York City since its Broadway closing on June 8, 1963. The original production was produced by Leland Hayward, directed by Joshua Logan and choreographed by Peter Gennaro. The cast included Robert Ryan as the President, Nanette Fabray as the First Lady and Anita Gillette as their daughter.

Prior to the Broadway opening, the show played the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy attended the premiere, though the couple had to leave the performance early. This day of Kennedy's presidency is the one featured in an exhibit at the JFK Museum and Library. The President later congratulated Berlin on what he was sure would be his next hit.

On Broadway, Mr. President played at the St. James Theatre, where it began previews on October 17, 1962, opened on October 20, 1962 and closed on June 8, 1963, for a total of 265 performances. Nanette Fabray was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical while Jay Blackton was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Conductor and Musical Director. Solly Pernick took home Mr. President's only Tony Award for Best Stage Technician.

The 1962-1963 season included hits such as Oliver!, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Stop the World - I Want to Get Off. Critics found the show to be old-fashioned and the declared that the score was missing the magic of earlier Berlin works and was a strange combination of the classic showtune and the emerging rock and roll music.

In a 1964 production at the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City, one of the few regional productions of the show, former President Harry S. Truman made an opening night cameo appearance. He had to leave the theatre by ambulance at intermission due to an appendicitis attack

In 2001, Gerard Alessandrini (Forbidden Broadway) extensively revised the book and converted the plot into a spoof of the 2000 Presidential election debacle. After thirty previews, it opened on August 2, 2001 at the off-Broadway Douglas Fairbanks Theater, where it closed after ten performances.

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