Set in England during the late Victorian
era, the play's humor derives in part from characters maintaining fictitious
identities to escape unwelcome social obligations. It is replete with witty
dialogue and satirizes some of the foibles and hypocrisy of late Victorian
society. It has proved Wilde's most enduringly popular play.
The Jazz Age lives on in this light, romantic spoof of 1920's musical
comedy.
The setting is – where else? – the French Riviera. Polly, an English heiress
attending Mme. Dubonnet's Finishing School, falls in love with Tony, a delivery
boy. Recalling her father's warning to beware fortune seekers, she posses as a
working girl, unaware Tony is in fact the missing son of the wealthy Lord
Brockhurst. Things get complicated with the unexpected arrival in Nice of
Polly's parents and Lord and Lady Brockhurst – but not to worry, a happy ending
is in store for all.
The show turned Julie Andrews (in
the role of Polly) into an overnight sensation. With its catchy tunes, period
dances (including the inevitable Charleston) and winning sense of humor, “The
Boy Friend” is a sparkling, tongue-in-cheek 1920's romp in the spirit of “No,
No, Nanette.”
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The Boy Friend pened 9/30/1954 and ran for 485 performances. Here are some of the headlines from
the reviews:
Just the right combination of parody,
nostalgia and candid paraphrase of a period... a constant pleasure."
- The New York Post
"Charming... positive and disarming... companionable and sympathetic. A
delightful burlesque."
- The New York Times
Jukebox IV
