“Pal Joey: History of a ‘Heel’ “

Abstract Rodgers’s retrospective on Pal Joey appeared a few days before its Broadway revival. Hart’s favorite, Pal Joey was only the second Rodgers and Hart show to receive this treatment (the first was the considerably revised 1943 return of A Connecticut Yankee [1927]). The Pal Joey revival would earn further distinction as one of the first revivals to surpass its original run. While some prefer the score-rich Babes in Arms, the ballet-rich On Your Toes, or the endlessly clever Shakespeare adaptation, The Boys from Syracuse, Pa/Joey has at least since Atkinson’s “retraction” (reprinted in Part 11) received high marks for its treatment of adult themes, including a “disreputable character” in the title role. Rodgers also discusses the recent history of the belated hit song, “Bewitched,” the successful studio album, and the summer stock performances, all of which created interest in a new production.