Book by Chip Deffaa
Music and Lyrics by George M. Cohan (and others)
(For production by Professional Groups, College/University Groups, Community Groups, High Schools, Middle Schools/Junior High Schools, Church Groups, Youth Theatres)
The story of the rise of George M. Cohan to the Broadway stage is told in this exuberant musical. Cohan rose from poverty to become a top star, playwright, songwriter and producer, also honored with the Congressional Medal of Honor. YANKEE DOODLE DANDY relates his inspiring all-American success story, filled with such immortal Cohan greats as “Give My Regards To Broadway,” “You’re A Grand Old Flag”, “Harrigan,” “Mary Is A Grand Old Name,” and “I’m A Yankee Doodle Dandy.”
You can use 33 different actors to play the 33 different characters and you can also have a chorus as big or as small as you want. 18 of the 46 musical numbers in this show feature members of the chorus, so there’s plenty for the chorus to do, and gives the show its big feel. If you’re planning a really big production — at a regional theater or community theater, or at a college, high school, or middle school — and you would like to use a big cast, this show is perfect for you, because it has lots of life, lots of color, and lots of characters! However, it is also entirely possible to do this show well with a smaller cast, of 20 or so actors, with “doubling” of roles. The score is rich with Cohan favorites, and even includes a couple of specialties by Irving Berlin, who idolized Cohan.
PLAY DETAILS:
- 33 speaking parts(20M 13F) + chorus.
- About 2 hours.
- ORDER # 3066.
Available for production by ALL producing groups.
PERUSAL MATERIALS
- The PERUSAL PAGES file is in PDF format and contains the first act of this musical: YDD PERUSAL
SONG LIST
Act One:
1. “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy” (also known as “The Yankee Doodle Boy”) — words and music by George M. Cohan — Sung by George M. Cohan and the entire company
2. “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” — words and music by Louis Lambert — (a pen name for Patrick Gilmore) — Sung by the ensemble
3. “The Dancing Master” — words and music by Jerry Cohan — Sung by Jerry Cohan, Nellie Cohan, Young George M. Cohan, and Young Josie Cohan
4. “Nellie Kelley I Love You” — words and music by George M. Cohan — Sung by Jerry Cohan, Nellie Cohan, Young George M. Cohan, and Young Josie Cohan
5. “While Strolling In the Park One Day” (also known as “The Fountain in the Park”) — words and music
by Ed Haley — Sung by Young Josie Cohan
6. “I’m Saving Up to Buy a Home for Mother” — words and music by George M. Cohan — Sung by Young George M. Cohan
7. “The Belle of the Barber’s Ball” — words and music by George M. Cohan (with lyric revisions by Chip Deffaa) — Sung by Jerry Cohan, Nellie Cohan, Teenaged George M. Cohan, and Teenaged Josie Cohan
8. Medley: “Josephine” / “Oh, You Wonderful Boy” — words and music by George M. Cohan — Sung by Teenaged George M. Cohan and Teenaged Josie Cohan
9. “The Dance of the Wooden Dolls” (“The Hinkey Dee”) — music by George M. Cohan — Danced to by Teenaged George M. Cohan and Teenaged Josie Cohan
10. “All in the Wearing” — words and music by George M. Cohan — Sung by Nellie Cohan and Teenaged Josie Cohan
11. “Stars and Stripes Forever” — words and music by John Philip Sousa — Sung by the Townspeople of North Brookfield, Massachusetts (the ensemble)
12. “The Brookfield Two Step” (instrumental music) — music by George M. Cohan Members of ensemble perform a pantomime or dance to this number
13. “The American Ragtime” — words and music by George M. Cohan — Sung by Teenaged George M. Cohan, Teenaged Josie Cohan, Jerry Cohan, Nellie Cohan, and the ensemble
14. “You Won’t Do Any Business if You Haven’t Got a Band” — words and music by George M. Cohan (with lyric revisions by Chip Deffaa) Sung by Teenaged George M. Cohan, a Theater Manager, a Hotel Clerk, and the ensemble
15. “After the Ball” — words and music by Charles K. Harris — Sung by Flo Holzman
16. “The American Ragtime”-Reprise — words and music by George M. Cohan — Sung by Flo Holzman
17. “Oh, You Wonderful Girl” — words and music by George M. Cohan — Sung by Teenaged George M. Cohan and Flo Holzman
18. “A Bird in a Gilded Cage” — words by Arthur J. Lamb, music by Harry Von Tilzer — Sung by Miss Ross
19. “The Fatal Wedding” — words by H. H. Windom, music by Gussie L. Davis — Sung by Miss Ross
20. “Harrigan” — words and music by George M. Cohan — Sung by George M. Cohan, Mr. Ciaran, Mr. O’Reilly, Mr. Moore, and the entire ensemble
21. Medley: “Under Any Old Flag at All” / “Money” — words and music by George M. Cohan — Sung by Mr. Ciaran, Mr. O’Reilly, Mr. Moore, Miss Ross, and the ensemble
22 “All Aboard for Broadway” — words and music by George M. Cohan (with lyric revisions by Chip Deffaa) — Sung by George M. Cohan, Jerry Cohan, Nellie Cohan, Josie Cohan, and the ensemble
23. “Hello Broadway” — words and music by George M. Cohan — Sung by George M. Cohan and the ensemble
Act Two:
24. “I Want to Hear a Yankee Doodle Tune” — words and music by George M. Cohan — Sung by George M. Cohan, Josie Cohan, Jerry Cohan, and Nellie Cohan
25. “Columbia the Gem of the Ocean” — words and music by David T. Shaw — Sung by the Chorus, plus George M. Cohan, Josie Cohan, Jerry Cohan, and Nellie Cohan
26. “I Want to Hear a Yankee Doodle Tune”–Reprise — words and music by George M. Cohan — Sung by George M. Cohan, Josie Cohan, Jerry Cohan, and Nellie Cohan, and the ensemble
27. “You’re a Grand Old Flag” — words and music by George M. Cohan — Sung by George M. Cohan and the ensemble
28. “Give My Regards to Broadway” — words and music by George M. Cohan — Sung by George M. Cohan
29. “The Warmest Baby in the Bunch” — words and music by George M. Cohan (with lyric revisions by Chip Deffaa) — Sung by Mae Irwin
30. “You Can Tell that I’m Irish” — words and music by George M. Cohan (with an introduction
featuring words and music by Chip Deffaa) — Sung by Eddie Foy & the Seven Little Foys
31. “Push Me Along in My Pushcart” — words and music by George M. Cohan — Sung by Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth
32. “An Ode to Popularity” — words by Chip Deffaa, music by George M. Cohan — Sung by George M. Cohan
33. “Yankee Love” — words and music by E. Ray Goetz and Irving Berlin — Sung by Irving Berlin
34. “Down by the Erie Canal” — words and music by George M. Cohan — Sung by George M. Cohan, Sam Harris, and Tate
35. “Blow Your Horn” — words and music by Irving Berlin — Sung by George M. Cohan, Sam Harris, Tate, Jerry Cohan, Nellie Cohan, Josie Cohan, and the ensemble
36. “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy”–Reprise — words and music by George M. Cohan — Sung by Agnes Mary Nolan
37. “I Want You” — words and music by George M. Cohan — Sung by Alice Nolan
38. “45 Minutes from Broadway” — words and music by George M. Cohan — Sung by Eddie Foy & the Seven Little Foys, and George M. Cohan
32. “Mary’s a Grand Old Name” — words and music by George M. Cohan — Sung by Mary Cohan
40. “Bring on the Pepper” — words and music by Irving Berlin — Sung by Irving Berlin and the ensemble
41. “Over There” — words and music by George M. Cohan — Sung by George M. Cohan, Nora Bayes, Tate, and the ensemble.…
42. Finale Medley: “All Aboard for Broadway” / “Give My Regards to Broadway” —
words and music by George M. Cohan (with lyric revisions by Chip Deffaa) — Sung by George M. Cohan and the ensemble
43. Bows: “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy” (instrumental music for curtain call) — music by George M. Cohan
44. Exit Music: “Down by the Erie Canal” — music by George M. Cohan
DEMO SAMPLES in mp3 are taken from the Finale files of the Piano-Vocal Score and are non-vocal demos with the melody being played. Lyric sheets are also uploaded so you can follow along. There are 7 of the 44 songs of the score available here. We have not put up demos the familiar standards, but the less familiar gems:
PURCHASE REHEARSAL MATERIALS:
(Any PDF purchased will be emailed to your email address — if you need to provide that to us (not the one on your PayPal account?), email us. CDs will be mailed to a snail mail address. Do not purchase rehearsal materials or pay for royalties until you have performance clearance.)
- Performance License Application: No production rights can be granted until this application is filled out and sent to us. This is a filler form that after you click “SUBMIT” will send directly to our email address. Response averages 2-3 business days.
- Script in PDF format — Order #3066a : $25.00 (from which you will be authorized to copy for your production)
- Vocal Book in PDF format — Order #3066b : $15.00 (from which you will be authorized to copy for your production)
- Piano-Vocal Score in PDF format– Order #3066c : $30.00 (from which you will be authorized to copy for your production)
- First Performance Amateur/Educational Royalty — Order #3066d : Royalty terms quoted on application.
- Second Performance Amateur/Educational Royalty — Order #3066e : Royalty terms quoted on application.
- Professional Royalties will be quoted upon application.
PRODUCTIONS:
- Actor’s Theatre of Indiana — July 3, 2024 (1 hour/small cast version)
- Chisago Lakes Area Schools Summer Youth Programs — July 28, 2017
- Crystal Sea Drama Company — Texas
PHOTO from the Premiere Production:
BILLING CREDITS
The following is how the credits should read in all programs, posters, fliers, handbills and other promotional advertising for the show:
YANKEE DOODLE DANDY
A Rousing Musical Comedy in Two Acts
Based on the life of George M. Cohan
Written and Arranged by
CHIP DEFFAA
Lyrics and Music by
GEORGE M. COHAN (and others)
NOTE: The names of the Playwright(s), Composer, Lyricist, and Bookwriter shall be equal in size, type, coloring, boldness, and prominence. No billing shall appear in type larger or more prominent than the billing to the Authors except for the title of the play. (In a press release all type, will of course, be the same size.)
ALSO:
THIS NOTICE MUST APPEAR IN ALL PROGRAMS, ON ALL POSTERS AND PUBLICITY MATERIALS AND INTERNET ADVERTISING/WEBPAGES FOR THE PLAY:
“Yankee Doodle Dandy is presented through special arrangement with Leicester Bay Theatricals. All authorized materials are also supplied by LBT, www.leicesterbaytheatricals.com”
Available exclusively from
