Good News!

Nostalgic Musical ComedyGood News (1927) was not the first musical about collegelife, but it was such a hit that it established its own setof theatrical cliches.  The plot about a football hero whohas to pass an exam so he can play in the big game and winthe girl he loves, inspired a slew of imitations on stageand screen, but none could match the infectious scorecomposed by Ray Henderson, with lyrics by Buddy DeSylva andLew Brown.  Their dance-happy songs included "The BestThings in Life are Free" and "The Varsity Drag," aCharleston-style dance number that became an internationalcraze.Good News remained popular for decades, with a film versionin 1932, and a hit Technicolor remake in 1947.  A stagerevival toured with Alice Faye in the 1970's.  Depictingthe "roaring 20's" as people would like to remember them,this show remains one of the definitive theatrical events ofthe 1920's.Thursday, April 08, 2010 at 7:30 PM