The Garrick Gaieties
The Garrick Gaieties is a 1925 Broadway revue with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart. It was the first big success for this songwriting team and helped them gain wide recognition. The show opened at the Garrick Theatre on May 17, 1925, first as a two-performance benefit for the Theatre Guild. After good reviews, it reopened on June 8, 1925 and ran through November 28 for 211 performances. It was the first of three Garrick Gaiety revues, with follow-ups in 1926 and 1930.
The production poked fun at current topics, including the New York City Subway and the Theatre Guild itself. The catchy song “Manhattan” was introduced in this revue. The show’s material came from several writers, and it was directed by Philip Loeb with musical staging by Herbert Fields. The cast included Romney Brent, June Cochrane, Sterling Holloway, Libby Holman, Philip Loeb, Edith Meiser, Sanford Meisner, Betty Starbuck and Lee Strasberg.
Two sequels followed on Broadway, produced by the Theatre Guild and directed by Loeb. Sterling Holloway appeared in all three Garrick Gaieties, and Edith Meiser appeared in all but the last. Notable later performers included Imogene Coca and Rosalind Russell. The 1926 edition introduced the famous song “Mountain Greenery.” The 1930 edition featured music and lyrics by many writers, including Marc Blitzstein, Vernon Duke, Ira Gershwin, E. Y. Harburg, and Johnny Mercer.
The show opened with spoofs like “Soliciting Subscriptions” and “Gilding the Guild,” mocking the Guild’s pretensions. Skits also satirized Calvin Coolidge and the Scopes Trial, though the latter was dropped after William Jennings Bryan’s death in 1925. Libby Holman’s solo “Black and White” was later cut. The tune “Manhattan” became a standout, with its easygoing melody and playful lyrics linking city pleasures to everyday life. The Garrick Gaieties helped Launch Rodgers and Hart’s long collaboration and their rise to fame.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 14:43 (CET).