As the year progresses leading up to the fair's opening, the family is distraught and upset over father's proposed promotion and move east to bigger New York City leaving behind all their friends and familiar surroundings.

Interest and audience continued in its hometown of St. Louis in 2009 followed by a leap across the Atlantic Ocean to London in England by 2013.

The musical opened on Broadway at the George Gershwin Theatre on November 2, 1989, and closed on June 10, 1990, after 252 performances.

[2] The show was performed Off-Broadway by the Irish Repertory Theatre in December 2006 through February 2007, with direction by Charlotte Moore (the mother in the Broadway production), choreography by Barry McNabb and sets by Tony Straiges.

Upon request from Esther, Katie asks Mrs. Smith if they could have dinner an hour earlier because her sister is having trouble with her husband.

We soon learn that the real reason is that Warren Sheffield, a Yale scholar and heir to a grand fortune, is calling Rose long-distance at 6:30, when they usually eat dinner.

He refuses to eat an hour earlier and storms offstage to go take his cool bath.

Meanwhile, Tootie and Agnes begin to fight over a doll, causing the older siblings to have to break them up and remind them that they're all friends (Whenever I'm With You).

When he joins the family at the dinner table, everyone gulps down their food so they can leave before Warren calls.

He soon figures out that he was the only one who didn't know about the call, and tries to put his foot down, but when the phone rings again he tells Rose to answer it.

Agnes and Tootie have crept to the landing to see what was going on, and after being caught, perform a dance they do with Esther ("Under the Bamboo Tree").

Act II opens on Halloween, where Tootie and Agnes are getting ready to go trick or treating.

Mrs. Smith tries to comfort him, reminding him that as long as they are together, they can be happy ("You'll Hear a Bell" (Reprise) / "Wasn't It Fun").

Rose didn't respond to Warren's proposal to the dance, so he decided to go with Lucille Ballard who is Lon's girlfriend.

Unfortunately, John Truitt comes by and tells Esther that he can't take her to the dance because his tuxedo is locked up in the tailor's.

After the dance, John proposes to Esther, but she feels bad about it because he would have to give up going to college to be with her in New York ("You Are for Loving").

The Broadway production also included Tony Award winner Rachel Bay Jones in the ensemble.