ABSTRACT
Pal Joey, which premiered in 1940, met with some distinctly chilly criticism— but the musical held on tenaciously to survive an eleven-month run of 374 performances. Rodgers and Hart continued their astonishing productivity in 1938 with two more successful shows, but a 1939 effort wasn't as big a hit, and their first show of 1940, Higher and Higher, was even more disappointing. Pal Joey's frank acknowledgment of an adulterous sexual relationship and a seamy nightclub environment attached a lasting stigma to the show. In contrast, by serving as his own lyricist, Irving Berlin avoided many of the problems that had eventually severed the partnership of Rodgers and Hart. After As Thousands Cheer, he divided his time between New York and Hollywood. In the meantime, the new team of Rodgers and Hammerstein had taken Broadway by storm, and by 1946, they were ready to try the role of producers.
