This is the climactic
number in the show, a ballet. The ballet itself concerns a dancer (Ray
Bolger) and a stripper (Tamara Geva) who are threatened by the boss of
the sleazy dive in which they work. The boss accidentally shoots the
woman, the dancer shoots the boss, and dances around the bodies. However,
as part of the plot of the show as a whole, the dancer notices two gunmen
waiting to shoot him; so he has to keep dancing until the police arrive,
which he does until he faints from exhaustion. Yet another example of
Rodgers & Hart seeking new ways of putting on musicals.
Notes by Frank Behrens |