It’s sure to be a patriotic evening later this month when the Renaissance Youth Opera Theatre, under the direction of Lori Turner, perform George M. Cohan’s classic musical, Little Johnny Jones.
The show was Cohan’s first full-length musical, and was first produced on Broadway in 1904. It tells the tale of a brash American jockey named Johnny Jones who travels to England to ride his horse, Yankee Doodle, in the English Derby. It is perhaps best known for introducing the songs “Give My Regards to Broadway” and “Yankee Doodle Dandy.”
Some also consider Little Johnny Jones to be the first true musical in American history, in that songs are woven together by a single plot.0
The local performance will take place on Saturday, May 27 at 7:00 PM, and Sunday, May 28 at 3:00 PM. Tickets may be purchased online at this location.
Photo: George M. Cohan statue in Times Square/Creative Commons License
