A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE

The Boy Friend

Full-Length Musical, Comedy  /  8w, 7m

Book, Lyrics and Music by Sandy Wilson

Madame Dubonnet's finishing school, near Nice, could exist only in musical comedy. The charming young pupils burst into song at the least provocation, and forbidden boy friends are forever popping through the french windows to make up the numbers.

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    8w, 7m
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Period, Romantic Comedy
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for All Audiences

Details

Summary
Madame Dubonnet's finishing school, near Nice, could exist only in musical comedy. The charming young pupils burst into song at the least provocation, and forbidden boy friends are forever popping through the french windows to make up the numbers. Polly Browne is too rich to be allowed a boy friend. Tony, for whom she falls, turns out to be the Hon. Tony Brockhurst, which is very lucky, because Polly thought he was just a delivery boy. Written in the fifties as "a new musical of the twenties" this is still the most successful, tuneful and witty of the send-up musicals, which ape the style of earlier, lighter-hearted and more disarming days. The Piano-Vocal score is available separately on sale.
History
Presented at the Players' Theatre on the April 14th, 1953, and subsequently at Wyndham's Theatre on January 14th, 1954. The Boy Friend opened on Broadway at the Royale Theatre on September 30th, 1954 starring Julie Andrews in her Broadway debut as Polly. A Broadway revival opened at the Ambassador Theatre on April 14th, 1970 and the show returned to the West End for a revival in 1984.
Cast Attributes

POLLY BROWNE
MAISIE – A pupil at Mme Dubonnet's finishing school
DULCIE – A pupil at Mme Dubonnet's finishing school
FAY – A pupil at Mme Dubonnet's finishing school
NANCY – A pupil at Mme Dubonnet's finishing school
MARCEL
 – A boyfriend
PIERRE
 – A boyfriend
ALPHONSE
 – A boyfriend
MADAME DUBONNET
HORTENSE – Mme Dubonnet's French maid
BOBBY VAN HUSEN
 – A boyfriend
PERCIVAL BROWNE
– Polly's Father
TONY
 – A boyfriend
LORD BROCKHURST
 – Tony's Father
LADY BROCKHURST
 – Tony's Mother
GENDARME
A WAITER
PEPE
– Specialty Dancer
LOLITA – Specialty Dancer
GUESTS (3)

  • Time Period 1920s
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Music

Music Samples

ACT I

1. Overture – Orchestra
2. "Perfect Young Ladies" – Hortense, Maisie, Fay, Dulcie & Nancy
3. "The Boy Friend" – Polly, Maisie, Dulcie, Fay, Nancy, Marcel, Pierre & Alphonse
4. Madame Dubonnet's Entrance – Orchestra
5. "Won't You Charleston With Me?" – Bobby and Maisie
5a. "Won't You Charleston With Me? Reprise" – Bobby and Maisie
6. "Fancy Forgetting" – Mme. Dubonnet and Percival
7. Polly's Letter – Orchestra
8. "I Could Be Happy With You" – Tony & Polly
9. "The Boy Friend Reprise" – Ensemble
10. 1st Intermission – Orchestra

ACT II

11. "Sur Le Plage" – Fay, Dulcie, Nancy, Maisie, Marcel, Pierre, Alphonse & Bobby
12. "A Room in Bloomsbury" – Tony and Polly
13. "It's Nicer in Nice" – Hortense, Dulcie, Alphonse, Marcel, Fay, Nancy & Pierre
14. "The 'You-Don't-Want-to-Play-With-Me' Blues" – Mme. Dubonnet, Percival & Girls
15. "Safety in Numbers" – Maisie & Boys
16. "I Could Be Happy With You - Reprise" – Ensemble
16a. Melos – Orchestra
16b. Melos – Orchestra
16c. "I Could Be Happy With You - Reprise" – Ensemble
17. 2nd Intermission – Orchestra

ACT III

18. Opening Music – Orchestra18a. Melos – Orchestra
18b. Melos – Orchestra
18c. Melos – Orchestra
19. "The Riviera" – Bobby, Maisie, Boys & Girls
19a. "The Riviera - Encore" – Boys & Girls
20. Tony's Entrance – Orchestra
20a. Tony's Dance – Orchestra
21. "It's Never Too Late to Fall in Love" – Lord Brockhurst & Dulcie
21a. "It's Never Too Late to Fall in Love - Encore" – Lord Brockhurst & Dulcie
22. Carnival Tango – Orchestra
23. "Poor Little Pierrette" – Mme. Dubonnet & Polly
24. Pierrot's Entrance – Orchestra
25. Act III Reprises "The Boy Friend" and "I Could be Happy With You" – Ensemble
25a. Final Curtain – Orchestra
26. Play Out – Orchestra
Reed 1 (Alto Saxophone, Clarinet)
Reed 2 (Alto Saxophone, Clarinet)
Reed 3 (Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet)
Reed 4 (Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet)
Trumpet 1&2 
Trombone 1&2 
Drums/Percussion 
Guitar (dbl. Banjo)
Violin 1 
Violin 2 
Cello 
Double Bass
  • Musical Style Classic Broadway, Jazz
  • Vocal DemandsModerate
  • Orchestra Size Medium

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

    Please submit a license request to determine availability.

Music Rentals

Concord offers a full suite of resources to help you put on the show of a lifetime!
1 Reed 1
1 Reed 2
1 Reed 3
1 Reed 4
2 Trumpet 1&2
2 Trombone 1&2
1 Drums/Percussion
1 Guitar
1 Violin 1
1 Violin 2
1 Cello
1 Double Bass


The Piano-Vocal score is available separately on sale.

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Authors

Author

Sandy Wilson

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