Gershwin Funny Face Sheet Music, Program Notes and recordings

Funny Face

'S Wonderful, 'S Marvelous, 'S a Broadway Smash

The road to Broadway for Funny Face was a legendary theatrical nightmare. During its initial tryout in Philadelphia, the show was a complete disaster. The plot was convoluted, the jokes fell flat, and despite the star power of the Astaires and a brilliant Gershwin score, the production was sinking fast. The producer, Alex A. Aarons, took drastic measures. He fired the original book writer, hired another, and then, in a stroke of genius, brought in the famed humorist Robert Benchley to perform emergency surgery. The rewrite process was frantic; at one point, the writers were supposedly locked in a hotel room until they fixed the script. Benchley’s greatest contribution was as a live comedy editor, watching from the wings and passing new, funny lines to the comedians on scraps of paper just before they made their entrances. This chaotic, on-the-fly renovation worked. By the time the show arrived in New York, the flimsy plot had been polished into a diamond-hard setting for its true jewels: its stars and its songs.

The 1920s Musical Comedy A Vehicle for Stars and Songs

To appreciate Funny Face, one must understand the conventions of the era. Unlike the later, more integrated "book musicals" of Rodgers and Hammerstein, where song and dance are deeply woven into the plot, the musical comedies of the 1920s were primarily revues built around star personalities, spectacular dance numbers, and vaudeville-style comedy. The plot was often a light, nonsensical framework designed to get from one song or comedy routine to the next. Funny Face is a perfect example of this model. The story about a stolen diary is merely an excuse to strand its charming characters in a variety of glamorous and comical situations, allowing them to sing, dance, and sparkle.

The Plot: A Stolen Diary and Bumbling Thieves A Gem of an Idea

The story centers on Jimmy Reeve (Fred Astaire) and his ward, Frankie (Adele Astaire). A pearl necklace belonging to Frankie goes missing, and Jimmy, in order to protect her, forbids her from attending a party. In a fit of pique, Frankie threatens to publish her diary, which contains embarrassing secrets about all of her high-society friends. When the diary is subsequently stolen by a pair of bumbling burglars, Dugsie Gibbs and Herbert (Victor Moore), who mistake it for a diamond-filled jewel case, Jimmy must track them down to retrieve it. The chase leads everyone to Atlantic City, resulting in romantic complications with other characters, near-misses with the thieves, and plenty of excuses for lavish song-and-dance numbers.

Broadway's Royal Family: The Astaires Fred and Adele

The undeniable heart of Funny Face was the brother-sister duo of Fred and Adele Astaire. By 1927, they were the undisputed king and queen of musical comedy. Their dynamic was perfection: Adele was the bubbly, mischievous comedienne with a unique, reedy voice, while Fred was the elegant, impossibly graceful dancer and charming romantic lead. The show was constructed around their specific talents. Adele led the comedy numbers and charmed with her playful energy in the title song. Fred introduced his signature top hat and tails and performed "High Hat," a dazzling tap specialty. Together, their dancing was a magical blend of elegance and seemingly effortless charm. Funny Face was one of their last great collaborations before Adele retired in 1932 to marry into the British aristocracy, breaking up one of Broadway's most beloved partnerships.

The Score: A Parade of Gershwin Genius An Immortal Songbook

While the book was a work of frantic renovation, the score was a work of pure, unadulterated genius. George Gershwin’s music is a brilliant fusion of Broadway pizzazz and sophisticated harmony, while Ira Gershwin’s lyrics are witty, clever, and conversationally modern. "’S Wonderful" is a masterclass in elegant simplicity, its melody gently rising and falling while the lyrics capture the breathless, telegram-like patter of new love. The title song, "Funny Face," is a charming ballad that celebrates unconventional beauty. "He Loves and She Loves" is a moment of pure, sincere romance, a simple and beautiful waltz that provided a quiet counterpoint to the show’s manic energy. Up-tempo numbers like "My One and Only" and "The Babbitt and the Bromide" (a witty satire of mindless small talk) provided spectacular dance opportunities for Fred Astaire and the energetic chorus.

The Film That Wasn't A Note on the 1957 Movie

It is a common point of confusion, but the beloved 1957 film Funny Face, starring Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn, bears almost no resemblance to the 1927 stage musical. The film discards the original plot entirely, replacing it with a new story about fashion models and photographers in Paris. While it brilliantly uses four songs from the original stage score ("Funny Face," "’S Wonderful," "He Loves and She Loves," and "Let's Kiss and Make Up"), the rest of its musical numbers are drawn from other sources. The film is a classic in its own right, but it is a completely separate entity from the Broadway show that shares its name.

A Jazz Age Masterpiece The Legacy of Funny Face

Funny Face represents the Roaring Twenties musical comedy at its most polished and sophisticated. It was a smash hit, running for 244 performances in New York before a triumphant run in London. It solidified the Astaires as the greatest musical stars of their generation and added a half-dozen immortal songs to the Great American Songbook. While the original book is a charming period piece rarely seen today, the glorious Gershwin score ensures that Funny Face will forever be remembered as one of Broadway's most 'S Wonderful creations.