Very Good Eddie

Very Good Eddie (1915), a musical comedy by Philip Bartholomae, Guy Bolton (book), Jerome Kern (music), Schuyler Greene (lyrics). [Princess Theatre, 341 perf.] Little Eddie Kettle ( Ernest Truex) and his battle‐ax bride, Georgina ( Helen Raymond), are about to leave on their honeymoon aboard a Hudson River steamer, as are two other newlyweds, Percy ( John Willard) and Elsie Darling ( Alice Dovey). For different reasons, Percy and Georgina have to go ashore briefly, and the boat sails without them. Eddie is left to look after Elsie not only on board but at an inn where they are to lodge for the night. When a storm arises, Eddie has to comfort Elsie. By the time Percy and Georgina rejoin them the next day, Eddie is a changed man and not about to take orders from anyone. Notable songs: Babes in the Wood; Some Sort of Somebody; Thirteen Collar; Nodding Roses. The first of the Princess Theatre musicals to become a smash hit, it was successfully revived, first at the Goodspeed Opera House and then on Broadway in 1975, where it ran for 304 performances. The Goodspeed revived it again in 2003 with success.