PAL JOEY

Music	Richard Rodgers
Lyrics	Lorenz Hart
Book	John O’Hara
Premiere	Broadway: 25 December 1940 (374 performances) Direction: George Abbott Choreography: Robert Alton
Adaptations	1957 Film Adaptation
Revivals	Broadway: 1952, 1976, 2008 West End: 1954 (debut), 1980 New York City Center: 1963, 1995 (Encores!), 2023

Synopsis and Musical Numbers

In the pursuit of fame, hearts may break…

Set in the seedy Chicago nightclub scene of the late 1930s, Pal Joey opens with a cocky, smooth-talking performer named Joey Evans auditioning for a job as emcee and singer at Mike’s South Side night club (“A Great Big Town (Chicago)”). In his early thirties, Joey is all swagger and self-promotion, exaggerating his credentials as he sweet-talks nightclub owner Mike into giving him a week-long trial. No sooner is he hired than Joey turns his charm on the club’s chorus girls, without much success. A rehearsal follows, giving him a chance to strut his stuff (“You Mustn’t Kick It Around”).

That evening, on the street, Joey spots a young woman, Linda English, cooing at a dog in a pet shop window. Sensing an opportunity, he spins an elaborate tale of privilege lost, claiming that his wealthy upbringing was cut short by misfortune. Linda is moved by his vulnerability, and Joey thanks her for believing in him (“I Could Write a Book”).

Back at the club, the girls take the stage (“A Great Big Town (Chicago) – Reprise”), as a glamorous patron, Mrs Vera Simpson, arrives. Vera, a wealthy, married woman of considerable influence, beckons Joey over. He is irreverent and flirtatiously rude, provocative enough to make an impression and make Vera storm off. Joey’s boldness costs him; Mike fires him. But Joey, ever the schemer, persuades Mike that Vera will return – and if she doesn’t, then he’ll go willingly. The evening closes with a number for Gladys and the chorus (“That Terrific Rainbow”).

The next afternoon, Joey phones Vera. He blames his firing on her, then tells her he’ll see her at the club. His nerve intrigues her (“What Is a Man?”). She appears at the club at closing time. After Vera ensures Joey knows she’s in charge, she tells him to get his coat. He obliges, boasting to the girls that he’s only briefly off the market (“Happy Hunting Horn”).

Vera and Joey’s affair escalates. In a tailor shop, Vera selects fabric for Joey’s new wardrobe and privately admits her growing feelings for him (“Bewitched”). But when she sees Joey speaking kindly to Linda, who works at the shop, Vera’s jealousy flares up. She manipulates Linda into believing she’s Joey’s wife. Hurt and confused, Linda lashes out at Joey, but he’s unmoved (“Pal Joey (What Do I Care for a Dame?”). Vera promises to give Joey his own nightclub, and Joey looks forward to a bright future (“Ballet (Joey Looks to the Future)”).

Vera finances Chez Joey, hiring Mike to manage the club and Mike’s old chorus girls to perform in the the venue. Rehearsals begin (“The Flower Garden of My Heart”). Melba Snyder, a sharp-tongued newspaper reporter, arrives to interview Joey. She quickly sees through his stories and tells him an anecdote about Gypsy Rose Lee, with whom Melba conducated the favourite interview of her career (“Zip”).

Joey’s next big mistake arrives in the form of Ludlow Lowell, a shady operator who offers to act as Joey’s agent, promising him $50 000 a year. Joey signs without reading the contract, with Gladys co-signing it. Joey agrees to send his pay directly to Lowell so that it can be deposited into a special account, unknowingly walking into a trap. Meanwhile, rehearsals continue with Gladys in the spotlight (“Plant You Now, Dig You Later”).

Later, in his apartment – which Vera pays for – Joey sulks over a lukewarm opening night review. Vera comforts him (“In Our Little Den”), but the cracks in their relationship are beginning to show.

At the club, Linda is delivering a package when she overhears Gladys and Lowell, who are lovers, plotting to blackmail Vera by using her affair with Joey. Alarmed, Linda rushes to warn him. When Linda phones, Vera insists on speaking with her. Joey lies, denying any contact, but Vera sees through him. As tensions boil over, Joey lashes out at her mistrust (“Do It the Hard Way”). Speaking to Linda directly, Vera challenges her feelings for Joey. Linda firmly states she’s not interested and that Vera can have him. Upon reflection, Vera agrees that he’s not worth the trouble. (“Take Him”).

Lowell and Gladys arrive to demand $20 000 in hush money to keep Vera’s affair secret from her husband. Vera coolly calls their bluff, revealing she’s close friends with the police commissioner. Commissioner Jack O’Brien arrives to escort the blackmailers out of town. Vera ends things with Joey, cutting off both their relationship and his bank account (“Bewitched – Reprise”).

Now penniless, Joey runs into Linda again at the pet store window. She offers to take him to dinner, but Joey turns her down, saying he’s heading to New York. They part ways, each walking off alone (“I Could Write a Book – Finale”).

Cast Recordings

Commentary

Pal Joey musical explores themes of ambition, love and the pursuit of success. The show earned its place in musical theatre history for its notable use of an anti-hero as its protagonist, but it is also known for its jazzy score and sharp wit. The original production was not as successful as its creators hoped it would be, but the show found greater success a decade later when it was revived. Since then, it has usually been revised in one way or another when it has returned to the stage, something that started with the film adaptation of the show, which was adapted as a star vehicle for Frank Sinatra, with little care for the integrity of the show. The most successful modern adaptation was done for the New York City Center Encores! presentation in 1995, which honoured the spirit of the original, while streamlining it for a contemporary audience.