Follow the Girls
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Follow the Girls: A Wartime West End Sensation
"Follow the Girls" premiered in London’s West End at His Majesty’s Theatre on October 25, 1945, delivering a frothy musical comedy that ran for 572 performances into 1947. With a book by Guy Bolton, Eddie Davis, and Fred Thompson, and music and lyrics by Dan Shapiro, Milton Pascal, and Phil Charig, the show, presented by Jack Hylton, offered a light escape amid post-war recovery. Conceived and directed by Harry Delmar, it starred Gertrude Niesen as Bubbles LaMarr, a burlesque queen turned star attraction at the Spotlight, a servicemen’s club in Great Neck, Long Island. A Broadway transfer that thrived in wartime London, its blend of songs, dance, and comedy including standout numbers like "You're Perf" and "I Wanna Get Married" captivated audiences, marking it as a spirited footnote in West End history.
Origins and Broadway Beginnings
The musical debuted on Broadway at the New Century Theatre on April 8, 1944, running for 888 performances across multiple venues, including the 44th Street and Broadhurst Theatres. Inspired by the era’s servicemen’s clubs, Bolton, Davis, and Thompson crafted a slim plot around Bubbles’ rise, buoyed by Shapiro, Pascal, and Charig’s lively score. Produced by Albert Borde and choreographed by Catherine Littlefield, it featured Jackie Gleason, Danny Aiello, and Niesen, whose vocal prowess drove its success. Its stateside hit status spanning over two years prompted Hylton to bring it to London, where its wartime cheer and burlesque nods found fresh resonance, opening just months after VE Day to a city eager for levity.
The West End Production
At His Majesty’s Theatre, "Follow the Girls" leaned on Niesen’s charisma as Bubbles, a stripper who ditches her fiancé for the Spotlight gig, sparking chaos and romance with Captain Danny (Irving Davies). The cast included Wendy Toye as Goofy, Patricia Burke as Mitzi, and Val Valere as J.C., under Delmar’s direction. The plot a whirlwind of Bubbles juggling suitors and club antics served as a scaffold for musical numbers and comedy sketches, like Gleason’s pre-fame sailor turn on Broadway, though London swapped some roles for local flavor. Its 572-performance run, while shorter than its US counterpart, thrived on post-war optimism, offering a dazzling distraction with Niesen’s powerhouse presence and Hylton’s polished staging.
Musical and Theatrical Highlights
The score sparkles with Shapiro, Pascal, and Charig’s tunes: "You’re Perf" delivers Bubbles’ sultry charm, "I Wanna Get Married" lands as a comedic plea, and "Wherever There’s a Will" adds peppy ensemble flair. "A Tree That Grows in Brooklyn" offers a softer note, while wartime ditties like "Today’s the Day" and "Twelve O’Clock and All’s Well" nod to the era’s spirit. Littlefield’s choreography revived in London brought burlesque sparkle, with dance breaks amplifying the club vibe. Niesen’s vocal heft and Toye’s eccentric Goofy stole scenes, though no full West End cast recording survives, leaving sheet music and Broadway echoes to hint at its infectious sound.
Beyond the West End
After its London run, "Follow the Girls" faded from major stages, lacking the revivals of peers like "Annie Get Your Gun." Its Broadway cast album, cut in 1944 with Niesen and Gleason, remains a rare artifact, while London’s version left no audio trace. Regional US productions popped up post-war, and its wartime zest inspired later jukebox-style shows, though it never returned to the West End. The musical’s transatlantic journey 888 US shows to 572 in London reflects its moment-specific appeal, a product of 1940s morale-boosting theater that didn’t outlast its era’s cultural shift, yet retains a nostalgic glow in theater annals.
Legacy and Wartime Echoes
"Follow the Girls" carved a niche in West End history, its 572 performances a wartime triumph that outpaced many contemporaries in spirit if not duration. Grossing applause over substance, it drew thousands with its escapist joy Niesen’s star turn a beacon amid London’s recovery. Critics found it slight but spirited, a “sheer tonic” per period reviews, influencing lighthearted musicals that followed. Its legacy, tied to 1940s exuberance, lives in Broadway’s longer run and London’s warm reception, a fleeting but vivid snapshot of a West End lifting spirits through song and sass. As of March 2025, it lingers as a charming relic, its burlesque bounce a whisper of a bygone stage.