President Stephen Decatur Henderson (Robert Ryan) is coming to the end of his first term. Although he is hoping for a second term, his wife Nell (Nanette Fabray) and children, Larry (Jerry Strickler) and Leslie (Anita Gillette), are not so sure that they enjoy the stressful and restrictive lifestyle. After a disastrous mission to Russia Henderson is defeated and has to return to civilian life, which pleases his family, but Henderson finds it difficult to adjust…

Mr. President (1962) is a show with music and lyric by Irving Berlin, who was at the time aged seventy-four. The show ran for a total of two hundred and sixty-five performances, even though it only had a lukewarm critical response.

The main complaint seemed to be that the songs were backward looking in tone, which considering Berlin’s career and contribution to American musical culture seems a little mean spirited. George Gershwin was a great fan of his work, I’m not sure that you can get higher praise than that, so what if a man in his twilight years wanted to revisit the ballads which had made him so famous.

The show is full of strong songs, many of which are comedic; my personal favourite had to be the first lady singing ‘They Love Me’ though the daughter singing about the restriction of trying to have a love life with the secret service following you is also amusing.

The track listing is as follows:

01 - 'Act I: Opening'
02 - 'Let’s Go Back to the Waltz'
03 - 'In Our Hide-Away'
04 - 'The First Lady'
05 - 'Meat and Potatoes'
06 - 'I’ve Got To Be Around'
07- 'The Secret Service'
08 - 'It Gets Lonely in the White House'
09 - 'Is He the Only Man in the World?'
10 - 'They Love Me'
11 - 'Pigtails and Freckles'
12 - 'Don’t Be Afraid of Romance'
13 - 'Laugh It Up'
14 - 'Empty Pockets Filled with Love'
15 - 'Act II: Glad To Be Home'
16 - 'You Need a Hobby'
17 - 'The Washington Twist'
18 - 'The Only Dance I Know'
19 - 'I’m Gonna Get Him'
20 - 'This Is a Great Country / Finale'

The disc is another crystal clear recording and should delight any Berlin fan.

9

Charles Packer