Musical set in New York during the reign of governor Peter Stuyvesant – played by Walter Huston, who got a hit song, the charming ‘September Song’ out of this. It’s the highlight of the play, which feels full of jokes that were probably really funny to New Yorkers who first saw this on Broadway. But it has a spirit and liking for democracy and individualism which helps it leap the years. The plot is about a young man who can’t follow orders – which causes him to almost be hung until he’s saved by the arrival of the new governor, who dismisses the old government. Problem is, the new governor is a fascist dictator and soon everyone realises they were better off under a smaller government, even if incompetent. It’s a nice theme (although how small is small?), just as relevant today. The device of Washington Irving as a narrator is irritating (maybe it’s just the playing here) but Huston is good.
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A concert version of this 1938 musical was staged in New York a few weeks ago. Apparently, the original was partly a satire on FDR and the New Deal.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/arts/music/27knick.html
I subsequently found out that was the case - a little harsh on the New Deal, I think! But I believe it also works as a satire on totalitarian governments.
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