| Of Thee I Sing |
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It won the Pulitzer Prize for the best American play of 1932 (the first Musical Comedy to win a Pulitzer) - one of the signs that the American musical was coming of age. Brooks Atkinson 's review in the '' New York Times '' called it "a taut and lethal satire... funnier than the government, and not nearly so dangerous." The musical will be revived in May of 2006, as part of the New York City Center Encores! series. Plot When John P. Wintergreen runs successfully for President, his campaign platform is Love . The staged beauty contest for Miss White House ("sexy" is rhymed with "Mrs. Prexy") is overturned when Wintergreen falls for a simple secretary, who woos him with corn muffins. When they settle down to business in the White House at double desks, her "desk," back-to-back with his, is a fully-loaded tea-table. (See Gender Role .) However, the lovely Diana Devereau, who won the contest and was promised the position of "First Lady," comes back with a vengeance when she proclaims that she will be taking legal action. The French ambassador is brought into the scene for a slight surprise on the behalf of Mr. Wintergreen: Diana is the "illigitimate daughter of the illigitimate son of the illigitimate nephew of Napoleon." PRESIDENTIAL IRONY In a modern ironic fashion, ''Of Thee I Sing'' could be interepreted as a tongue in cheek forecast of future presidential scandals (see Lewinsky Scandal ). |
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