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Overview

Synopsis

Roberta is a 1933 musical comedy with music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics and book by Otto Harbach. It is based on the novel Gowns by Roberta by Alice Duer Miller. The plot revolves around an American football player, John Kent, who inherits a Parisian fashion house and falls in love with the chief designer, Stephanie. The musical features a blend of romance, comedy, and music, with memorable songs such as "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" and "Yesterdays." It explores themes of love, ambition, and cultural differences, while also showcasing the vibrant atmosphere of Paris in the 1930s.

Show Information

Book
Otto Harbach
Music
Jerome Kern
Lyrics
Otto Harbach
Category
Musical
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
1933
Genres
Romance
Settings
Period, Multiple Settings
Time & Place
Paris, 1930s
Cast Size
medium
Orchestra Size
Medium
Dancing
Some Dance
Licensor
Ideal For
College/University, Community Theatre, High School, Regional Theatre, Professional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Young Adult, Mature Adult Characters, Medium Cast

Context


Plot


Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

John Kent

Lead

Male

Tenor, Baritone, Bass

Aunt Minnie

Lead

Female

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto

Stephanie

Lead

Female

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto

Mme Nunez, Clementina Scharwenks

Lead

Female

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto

Billy Boyden

Supporting

Male

Tenor, Baritone, Bass

Sophie Teale

Supporting

Female

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto

Huckleberry Haines

Supporting

Male

Tenor, Baritone, Bass

Lord Henry Delves

Supporting

Male

Tenor, Baritone, Bass

Ladislaw

Supporting

Male

Tenor, Baritone, Bass

Ensemble

Ensemble

Either Gender

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass

Songs

Act I

  • 1. "Let's Begin" - Billy & Ensemble
  • 2. Incidental - Orchestra
  • 3. Madrigal: "Alpha, Beta, Pi" - Huck, Billy, John & Ensemble
  • 4. Madrigal Exit - Orchestra
  • 5. Refrain: "You're Devastating" - Orchestra
  • 6. "You're Devastating" - Huck & John
  • 6a. Finaletto Prologue ("Let's Begin") - Billy & Ensemble
  • 6b. "You're Devastating" (Reprise) - Stephanie
  • 7. "Yesterdays" - Minnie
  • 7a. Devastating Underscore - Orchestra
  • 8. "Something Had To Happen" - Scharwenka with Huck & John
  • 9. Rhapsody in Prose - Orchestra
  • 9a. "You're Devastating" (2nd Reprise) - Stephanie
  • 10. Touch of Your Hand Intro - Orchestra
  • 11. "The Touch of Your Hand" - Stephanie and Ladislaw
  • 12. Opening Scene 3 - Orchestra
  • 13. Opening Scene 4 - Orchestra
  • 14. "The Touch of Your Hand" (Reprise) - Sidonie
  • 14a. Scene Change - Orchestra
  • 15. Fashion Show - Orchestra
  • 16. "I'll Be Hard To Handle" - Scharwenka
  • 17. Yesterday's Dance - Orchestra
  • 18. Finale Act I ("She'll Be Hard To Handle") - Scharwenka & Huck

Act II

  • 19. Entr'acte - Orchestra
  • 20. Opening Act II - Orchestra
  • 21. "Hot Spot (Hold 'Em High)" - Scharwenka
  • 22. "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" - Stephanie
  • 23. "Let's Begin" (Reprise) - Huck & Stephanie
  • 24. End of Scene 2 - Orchestra
  • 25. Armful Incidental - Orchestra
  • 26. "Something Had To Happen" (Reprise) - Scharwenka & John
  • 27. "Let's Begin" (Reprise) - Huck, John, Lord Henry & Scharwenka
  • 28. Opening Party Scene - Orchestra
  • 29. "Don't Ask Me Not To Sing" - Huck & Ensemble
  • 30. "The Touch of Your Hand" (Reprise) - Stephanie & Ladislaw
  • 31. Change of Scene - Orchestra
  • 32. Wardrobe Scene, Part 1 - Orchestra
  • 33. Wardrobe Scene, Part 2 - Orchestra
  • 34. Finale: "Hard To Handle"/"You're Devastating" - Company

A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

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Scenes

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Key Terms

    A genre of music developed especially from ragtime and blues and characterized by syncopated rhythms, complex chords, elements of improvisation, and distortions of pitch and timbre.

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