Irene at the McGinn Cazale Theatre

Musicals Tonight! presents Irene, a musical comedy with music by Harry Tierney, book by James Montgomery, Hugh Wheeler and Joseph Stein, and lyrics by Joseph McCarthy, at the McGinn/Cazale Theatre from 17 - 29 Apr 2007.

Irene O'Dare is a hard-working girl from Ninth Avenue who falls in love with Donald Marshall, a Long Island swell. Donald's ne'er-do-well cousin Ozzie needs help to jump start the fashion business of a French designer, so Irene and her best friends Helen McFudd and Jane Burke are recruited to pose as society girls while modeling the gowns of Madame Lucy. Needless-to-say, Irene's mother and Donald's mother don't see eye-to-eye.

Directed by Thomas Mills, Irene features Jillian Louis (Irene O'Dare), Patrick Porter (Donald Marshal), Selby Brown (Cousin Ozzie), Jendi Tarde (Helen Mcfudd), Katherine Mcclain (Jane Burke), Justin Sayre (Madame Lucy), Janet Carroll (Mrs O'Dare / Mrs Marshall), Jody Cook, Michael Jennings Mahoney, Micah SheppardM, Richard Barth, Marnie Buckner, Laura Pavell, Kellie Drinkhahn And Jacque Carnahan.

Irene originally opened on Broadway at the Vanderbilt Theatre, where it ran for 675 performances from 18 Nov 1919 to 18 Jun 1921. It starred Edith Day as Irene O'Dare, Walter Regan as Donald Marshall and Bobbie Watson as Madame Lucy.

The musical has been revised twice on broadway:
It played at the Jolson's 59th Street Theatre from 2 - 14 Apr 1923 for 16 performances, and featured Dale Winter as Irene O'Dare, Jere Delaney as Madame Lucy with Walter Regan reviving his role as Donald Marshall.

It played at the Minskoff Theatre from 1 Mar 1973 - 8 Sep 1974 for 13 previews and 594 regular performances. It starred Debbie Reynolds as Irene O'Dare, Monte Markham as Donald Marshall and George S. Irving as Madame Lucy.