Just Because (musical)

Just Because was a 1922 musical. According to Cait Miller at the Library of Congress, the play "may well have been the first full-length Broadway musical authored entirely by women."[1]

Background

The original version of the musical was copyrighted in 1919, with the book written by Anna Wynne O'Ryan, the lyrics written by Annelu Burns, and the musical score composed by Madelyn Sheppard.[2][3] The title of the play was named by Burns. While the play was being readied for production in New York, O'Ryan rewrote parts of the book, and rewrote the comedy lyrics on behalf of Burns, who was staying in the Southern United States and was unable to return to New York City. During production preparation, Helen Smith Woodruff helped organize funding for the show.[3]

Still unable to return before the New York production, Burns sold her rights of the musical to Helen Smith Woodruff. Songs sold to Woodruff that were written by Burns included "Love-Just Simply Love", "It's Hard to Be A Lady All The Time", "I'll Name My Dolly for You", and "A Wedding is a Mournful Thing Unless it is Your Own." According to an article in The Montgomery Advertiser, credit about who wrote the book and lyrics to the musical were incorrectly reported on.[3] In the 1922 version of the musical, Helen Smith Woodruff was credited for writing the lyrics and collaborating on the book.[4]

The debut of the play was scheduled to be in Northampton, Massachusetts on February 24, 1922.[5] Just Because premiered on March 22, 1922, at the Earl Carroll Theatre.[6][7] It closed on April 29, 1922.[6]

Critical reception

After theater productions took place, the musical received praise.[8]

References
  1. Miller, Cait (18 October 2019). "Songwriters, Suffragettes, and the Musical Stage". Library of Congress - In The Muse: Performing Arts Blog. ISSN 2691-6525. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  2. Catalog of Copyright Entries: Musical compositions. Library of Congress, Copyright Office. 1919. p. 636. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  3. "Popular Selma Girl Sells Rights In Musical Comedy "Just Because"". The Montgomery Advertiser. 26 February 1922. p. 2. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  4. "A Pictorial Review of Recent Important News Developments: Mrs. Lewis B. Woodruff". The Spokesman-Review. January 1, 1922. p. M3. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  5. "Notes of the Stage". New York Herald. February 22, 1922. p. 10. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  6. Norton, Richard C. (2002). A Chronology of American Musical Theater. Oxford University Press. pp. 280–281. ISBN 0-19-508888-3. OCLC 48474113.
  7. "Just Because". Variety. 66 (6): 17. March 31, 1922.
  8. ""Just Because" Highly Praised". The Selma Times-Journal. 2 March 1922. p. 3. Retrieved 4 March 2021.

Further reading
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