Destry Rides Again

12 pages, plus covers. Illustrations (some color inside). This production was staged and directed by Jerome Eskow. A rare item of either of Monique van Vooren and Jimmy Dean stage and musical careers. This may be their only joint appearance. Destry Rides Again is a 1959 musical comedy with music and lyrics by Harold Rome and a book by Leonard Gershe. Leonard Gershe (June 10, 1922 – March 9, 2002) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and lyricist. Gershe made his Broadway debut as a lyricist for the 1950 revue Alive and Kicking. He wrote the book for Harold Rome's musical stage adaptation of Destry Rides Again in 1959 and the play Butterflies Are Free in 1969. In the 1950s, Gershe wrote 10 scripts for the Ann Sothern sitcom Private Secretary. He also wrote episodes of The Lucy Show. His movie credits include Funny Face, 40 Carats, and Butterflies Are Free. The play is based on the 1939 film of the same name. This program includes a narrative on Monique van Vooren, The History of the Show. With narratives on key cast members, authors, the producers, director, choreographer, musical director, and scenic designer, and there is a synopsis of the show. The last page and inside the back cover are photographs of the General Manager, Lighting Director, and a large ensemble cast. This production toured: Valley Forge Music Fair, Devon, Pa; Camden County Music Fair, Haddonfield, NJ; Westbury Music Fair, Westbury, L.I.; Storrowton Music Fair, West Springfield, Mass.; and Painters Mill Music Fair, Owings Mills, Md. Monique van Vooren (March 25, 1927 – January 25, 2020) was a Belgian-American actress and dancer. Born in Brussels to George Bronz (or Bronze) and Louise van Vooren, Monique was a champion skater and a beauty queen in Belgium. Her first visit to the United States apparently took place in 1946 at age 19, with the married name "Jakobson" and listed as a "housewife". Her second husband was Kurt (or Curt) Henry Pfenniger. Her third husband was New York businessman Gerard Walter Purcell. The couple were married from 1958 until Purcell's death in 2002. On Broadway, Van Vooren played in John Murray Anderson's Almanac (1953–54) and Man on the Moon (1975). In the 1960s, Van Vooren starred in summer stock theatre productions in the United States. Van Vooren recorded an album, Mink for RCA Victor. In 1956, she signed a contract with Request Records. In 1983, Signet published Night Sanctuary, written by Van Vooren. She described the book as being about "the dark side of people. Jimmy Ray Dean (August 10, 1928 – June 13, 2010) was an American country music singer, television host, actor and businessman. He was the creator of the Jimmy Dean sausage brand as well as the spokesman for its TV commercials. He was a distant cousin of actor James Dean. He became a national television personality starting on CBS in 1957. He rose to fame for his 1961 country music crossover hit into rock and roll with "Big Bad John" and his 1963 television series The Jimmy Dean Show, which gave puppeteer Jim Henson his first national media exposure. His acting career included appearing in the Daniel Boone TV series as the sidekick of the famous frontiersman played by star Fess Parker. Later he was on the big screen in a supporting role as billionaire Willard Whyte in the James Bond movie Diamonds Are Forever starring Sean Connery. He was nominated for the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010, though died before his induction that year. Erwin Saul Hamburger (June 16, 1921 – May 19, 2002), known professionally as Earl Hammond, was an American actor, who has appeared in several films and television series. Eulabelle Moore (1903 - 1964) was an American actress who had roles in Broadway productions and had a role in the film The Horror of Party Beach. Moore had roles in 15 Broadway productions including A Streetcar Named Desire, The Male Animal, and Great Day in the Morning. Moore has received other positive reception from her Broadway roles. Presumed First Edition, Fir.