Porteriana: "SEE AMERICA FIRST: A PATRIOTIC COMIC *OPERA*"

Speranza

Songs by Cole Porter include:

Slow sinks the sun.

Porter's first complete Broadway show was for his vanity production produced by Marbury and her "Princess Theatre Show" partner.

Following a highly successful society preview, SEE AMERICA FIRST -- made up mostly of material written for fraternity musicals -- was viewed as a mediocre college show (with surprisingly adept lyrics) and quickly closed.

Of interest in the cast was dancer Clifton Webb, who was to be a feature of Broadway's sophisticated Thirties revues before leaving for Hollywood.

For the record, Yale man Riggs as Porter's room-mate during the latter's brief visit to Harvard's Law School (by other of grandfather Cole, who controlled the millions).

Following SEE AMERICA FIRST, Riggs became a priest.