| Barefoot Boy With Cheek | |
| Music: | Sidney Lippman |
| Lyrics: | Sylvia Dee |
| Premiere Date: | April 3, 1947 |
| Premiere Location: | Martin Beck Theatre |
| Setting: | University of Minnesota |
| Basis: | Barefoot Boy With Cheek by Max Shulman |
Barefoot Boy with Cheek is a 1947 comedic Broadway musical written by Max Shulman, with music by Sidney Lippman and lyrics by Sylvia Dee.[1] The show, which satirizes college life at the "fictitious" University of Minnesota, is based on Shulman's 1943 novel of the same name.[2] It premiered at the Martin Beck Theatre on April 3, 1947, and closed on July 5 of that year after 108 performances.
Prior to its staging on Broadway, the show saw out-of-town tryouts in March in New Haven and Boston.[3] The show's original act one finale, "Don't Spoil the Party", was cut before its Broadway premiere.[4]
For the Broadway production, George Abbott directed and produced, Milton Rosenstock was the music director, Richard Barstow provided choreography, and Jo Mielziner provided set and lighting design.[5]
In 2011 a reading of the show was done at Manhattan Theatre Club's Creative Center as part of UnsungMusicalsCo. Inc's Archival Project. Jenn Colella, Randy Donaldson, Jenny Fellner, Nick Gaswirth, Drew Gehling, Anne Horak, Robert Lenzi, Sarah Litzsinger, Nora Mae Lyng, Rye Mullis, Greg Reuter, and Max von Essen participated in the reading. The libretto remained almost entirely original, and included "Don't Spoil the Party" in its original placement at the end of act one.
| Roger Hailfellow | Jack Williams | |
| Shyster Fiscal | Red Buttons | |
| Van Varsity | Ben Murphy | |
| Charlie Convertible | Loren Welch | |
| Freshman | Patrick Kingdon | |
| Asa Hearthrug | Billy Redfield | |
| Eino Fflliikkiinnenn | Benjamin Miller | |
| Noblese Oblige | Billie Lou Watt | |
| Clothilde Pfefferkorn | Ellen Hanley | |
| Yetta Samovar | Nancy Walker | |
| Professor Schultz | Philip Coolidge | |
| Peggy Hepp | Shirley Van | |
| Kermit McDermott | Jerry Austen | |
| Boris Fiveyearplan | Solen Burry |
The show received positive reviews before its transfer to Broadway, but New York theater critics were less enamored with the show.[6] [7] Audiences, however, seemed to enjoy the production. The show's first full week of performances resulted in a $34,232 box office gross, the highest in the theater's history.