Pal Joey is a musical with a book by John O'Hara and music and lyrics by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart based on a character and situations O'Hara created in a series of short stories published in The New Yorker. It includes two songs that have become standards: "I Could Write a Book" and "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered".
In Chicago in the late 1930s, Joey Evans, a second-rate dancer and nightclub MC, a charming "heel" with big plans, schemes to get his dream–his own nightclub–"Chez Joey". He meets young and naive Linda English outside a pet shop, and, impressing her with his grandiose lies, they are romantically attracted. In the nightclub, the older, wealthy but bored married socialite, Vera Simpson, comes in with her friends and becomes interested in Joey as the chorus girls are doing a song-and-dance number. Joey, playing hard-to-get, insults Vera and she walks out. When Vera later returns to the club, Joey, in order to save his job, turns on his charm; they walk out together and start an affair. Joey runs into Linda while Vera is buying him expensive new clothing, and Linda becomes distraught. Vera, however, is glowing in the romance. Joey convinces Vera to set him up in business, but she becomes vulnerable to a blackmail attempt. As his nightclub is ready to open, Joey expresses his disdain for women. Pal Joey is a heart felt story, get your Pal Joey Tickets today.
