Follow Thru

Follow Thru (1929), a musical comedy by Laurence Schwab (book), B. G. De Sylva, Lew Brown (book, lyrics), Ray Henderson (music). [46th Street Theatre, 403 perf.] Lora Moore ( Irene Delroy) and Ruth Van Horn ( Madeline Cameron) are rivals both for their country club's golf championship and for handsome Jerry Downs ( John Barker). At the same time, brash Angie Howard ( Zelma O'Neal) attempts to catch Jack Martin ( Jack Haley). Angie has no rivals, but the shy, oddball Jack proves remarkably elusive. In the end, however, Lora and Angie win their men, and Lora also gets her loving cup. Notable songs: Button Up Your Overcoat; My Lucky Star; You Wouldn't Fool Me, Would You? Called in its programs “a musical slice of country club life” (a small indication of its punning humor), the Schwab– Frank Mandel show expressed the zesty, sometimes frenetic hedonism of the 1920s in melody and comedy. Gilbert Gabriel wrote in the Sun that it seemed “dedicated to the task of making youth flame and love shout out, with crisp, crazy, lusty, ankle‐loosing, hip‐seizing songs, and lyrics that give this whole razzing, jazzing society circus its cue to get gay.”