The musical is based on the 1958 play Breath of Spring by Peter Coke, which was adapted for the movies in 1960 as Make Mine Mink.

The plot concerns a group of larcenous old folks who steal furs from various New York City stores with the intent of using the proceeds from their resale to buy their Upper West Side retirement hotel, the New Sussex Arms, which is slated to be sold to developers.

Her friends are surprised to see her dressed "to the nines" rather than in the simple frock she usually wears ("Home").

[1] They get the coat back thanks to Ida's fake fainting spell while pretending to be a shopper at Sadie's.

[1] While the group is at Sadie's, the rest of the residents at The Sussex Arms are staring at a television set.

[1] After the reverse robbery at Sadie's, the group decides they want to join Ida in all of her future thieving.

[1] The Sussex Arms crew, minus Walter, is ready to continue with their robberies ("Hit It, Lorraine").

[1] Act II begins with The Sussex Arms redecorated with chandeliers and television sets.

When the police leave, it is made known that all they wanted to do was ask that the residents of The Sussex Arms watch the neighborhood and report anything they see that seems suspicious.

1991 London additions The musical opened on Broadway on April 15, 1971, at the Broadhurst Theatre, where it ran for 35 performances and nine previews.

Veteran Broadway actor David Burns was also a member of the cast, until he collapsed onstage from a heart attack during a preview performance at Philadelphia's Forrest Theatre and died soon after;[6] Conried replaced him.

The production was supervised by Stanley Prager, directed by Paul Aaron, with set and lighting design by Robert Randolph, costume design by Jane Greenwood, musical direction and vocal arrangements by Oscar Kosarin, orchestrations by Don Walker, dance music by Dorothea Freitag, and choreography by Onna White.

The 1991 revival premiered in the West End at the Vaudeville Theatre on June 17, 1991, running through September 1991.

Directed by Paul Kerryson, it starred Dora Bryan, Pip Hinton and Joan Savage.

Kerryson explained: "Part of the problem of 70, Girls, 70 on Broadway...must have been that it was done so big, which doesn't suit this particular musical.

Directed by Kathleen Marshall and conducted by Paul Gemignani, it starred Olympia Dukakis, Bob Dishy, Anita Gillette, George S. Irving, Carleton Carpenter, and Charlotte Rae.