It concerns a group of small-town Long Island teenagers who put on a show to avoid being sent to a work farm by the town sheriff.

[1] The film version, released in 1939, starred Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney and was directed by Busby Berkeley.

The original version had strong political overtones with discussions of Nietzsche, the appearance of a Communist character, and two African-American youths who are victims of racism.

[2] In the new version, the young people are trying to save a local summer stock theatre from being demolished, not trying to avoid being sent to a work farm.

The production, under the auspices of Dwight Deere Wiman, was staged by Robert B. Sinclair with choreography by George Balanchine.

Hans Spialek created the orchestrations and Gene Salzer led the orchestra which included pianists Edgar Fairchild and Adam Carroll.

[4] A studio cast recording starring Gregg Edelman as Val, Judy Blazer as Billie, Jason Graae as Gus, Donna Kane as Dolores, Judy Kaye as Baby Rose, Adam Grupper as Peter, with JQ and the Bandits as the Quartet and featuring the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra was released by New World Records in 1990.

[citation needed] On July 20, 2016, All Star Productions[5] revived the original version at Ye Old Rose and Crown Theatre Pub, London.

[6] Theatre critic Darren Luke Mawdsley described the work as 'outmoded,' stating that he "understand[s] why it has not been staged here [in the UK] in 15 years.

It was directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall and featured Erin Dilly, David Campbell, Jessica Stone and Christopher Fitzgerald.

[10] In 1985, Ginger Rogers directed a production at the Music Hall in Tarrytown, New York, that starred Randy Skinner who also choreographed the show and Karen Ziemba as Susie.

[11][12][13] The musical was produced at the Chichester Festival Theatre from June 7, 2007, through July 7, 2007, and cast Judy Garland's daughter Lorna Luft as the domineering mother of former child star Baby Rose Owens.

One reviewer complained that the musical seemed to have lost its legendary political bite, evidently unaware that this was the revised 1950s de-politicized version.

In 2002, a production was mounted at Goodspeed Opera using a new book by Joe DiPietro which included plot points from the original 1937 version and also elements from the 1939 MGM film.

After concocting a scheme, Billie takes control of the unconscious and tied-up aviator and relishes the fact that the gang treats her as an equal ("Lady is a Tramp Reprise").

Performing a variety of musical numbers ("Specialty: You are so fair, Imagine, My Funny Valentine, Light on Our Feet, and Lady is a Tramp").