"[2] In an article in the Playbill Magazine for the original Broadway production, Loesser wrote, "What was left seemed to me to be a very warm simple love story, happy ending and all, and dying to be sung and danced.

"[5] Brooks Atkinson, theatre critic (The New York Times), called it a "music drama", noting Loesser "has now come about as close to opera as the rules of Broadway permit.

[citation needed] In the Golden Gate Restaurant in San Francisco in 1927, tired and harassed young waitress Cleo commiserates with her friend.

Tony, a large and hearty older Italian immigrant and a successful grape farmer, happily shows the crowd the picture of his "girlfriend" ("The Most Happy Fella").

But as Tony prepares to send his own picture in return, his sister Marie points out that he is too old and unattractive for a beautiful young woman like Rosabella, and he accepts that she is probably right.

Several weeks later, Rosabella has agreed to come to Napa and marry Tony ("Abbondanza"), but as he prepares to leave for the bus station to collect her, imagining their future together ("Plenty Bambini"), he discovers to his horror that Joe has remained in town longer than planned to attend the wedding ("Spozalizio").

However, Tony has been injured in a truck accident en route to the bus station, and he pleads with Rosabella to stay and marry him immediately in case he does not live.

Joe, who now must stay to run the ranch during Tony's convalescence, is upset but tries to comfort her ("Don't Cry"), and in a moment of mutual weakness they embrace.

Cleo arrives in Napa, revealing that Tony has sent for her and offered her a job to keep Rosabella company, and she immediately takes a dislike to Marie ("I Don't Like This Dame") but hits it off with fellow Texan Herman ("Big D").

As time passes, Tony and Rosabella grow closer, Marie feels increasingly lonely, and Joe longs to travel again ("How Beautiful the Days").

In Tony's barn a short time later, Cleo hints to Herman that she may be leaving ("Goodbye, Darlin'") but he remains unbelievingly cheerful, to her frustration.

Marie begs her brother to let her go ("Nobody's Ever Gonna Love You") and snatches away his cane to prevent him from leaving, but Cleo attacks her and grabs it back.

[11] The cast included Robert Weede as Tony, Jo Sullivan as Rosabella, Art Lund as Joey, Susan Johnson as Cleo, Shorty Long – the country and not the soul singer[12] – as Herman and Mona Paulee as Marie.

The cast included Norman Atkins as Tony, Paula Stewart as Rosabella, Libi Staiger as Cleo, Art Lund as Joe, Jack DeLeon as Herman, Muriel Birkhead as Marie, and Bernadette Peters as Tessie.

The cast included Inia Te Wiata as Tony, Helena Scott as Rosabella, Art Lund as Joey, Libi Staiger as Cleo, Jack De Leon as Herman, and Nina Verushka as Marie.

matinees), Adrienne Leonetti as Marie, Steven Alex-Cole as Max, Dennis Warning as Herman, Dean Badolato as Clem, David Miles as Jake, Kevin Wilson as Al, Stephen Dubov as Sheriff, Gene Varrone as Giuseppe, Darren Nimnicht as Pasquale, Tim Flavin as Busboy, Dan O'Sullivan as Postman, Franco Spoto as Ciccio, Joe McGrath as Doctor, Lawrence Asher as Priest, Michael Capes as Bus Driver, Bill Hastings as Cashier/brakeman, Louisa Flaningam as Cleo, and Richard Muenz as Joe.

Directed by Arthur Alan Seidelman, it starred Louis Quilico as Tony, Elizabeth Walsh as Rosabella, and Karen Ziemba as Cleo.

[17] Based on the Goodspeed production, with most of the cast and creative team intact, a Broadway revival began previews at the Booth Theatre on January 24, 1992, officially opened on February 13, and closed on August 30 after 229 performances.

Again directed by Gerald Gutierrez, the cast included Spiro Malas as Tony, Sophie Hayden as Rosabella, Charles Pistone as Joe, Claudia Catania as Marie, Liz Larsen as Cleo, and Scott Waara as Herman.

[19][20] In February 2013, Tulsa Opera presented a production directed by Dorothy Danner and conducted by Kostis Protopapas, featuring Chaim Joseph as Tony, Latrine Thurman as Rosabella, and Christopher Foeum as Joe.

presented a well-received production directed by Casey Nicholaw and starring Shuler Hensley, Laura Benanti, Cheyenne Jackson, Heidi Blickenstaff, Jay Armstrong Johnson & Jessica Molaskey.