Show History

History

Inspiration

Happy Hunting is a musical comedy with a book by Pulitzer Prize winners, Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse (State of the Union, Anything Goes, The Sound of Music, Call Me Madam), music by Harold Karr and lyrics by Matt Dubey. The show was created specifically as a star vehicle for Ethel Merman. It focuses around the wedding of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly and features the wealthy Philadelphia Main Line as a plot point.

Productions

Happy Hunting had a pre-Broadway tryout in Philadelphia before moving to New York City and premiering on Broadway on December 6, 1956, at the Majestic Theatre. Directed by Abe Burrows, it closed on November 30, 1957, after 413 performances. The musical returned to New York City in 2013, when the York Theatre Company's "Musical in Mufti" series put up a limited engagement on March 15.

Trivia

Outside of Ethel Merman, the Broadway production of Happy Hunting also starred Fernando Lamas (father of Lorenzo) as the Duke, as well as Virginia Gibson as Beth.