I Married an Angel

Lore & Background

The plot follows Count Willie Palaffi, a wealthy Budapest banker who ends his engagement to Anna Murphy, swearing he could only marry an angel. A real angel soon arrives, and he marries her, but her inability to fib alienates his high society acquaintances and causes a run on his bank. His sister, Countess Palaffi, saves the day by teaching the angel about the real world and bribing taxi drivers to delay creditors.

Reader's Guide

I Married an Angel opened at the Shubert Theatre on May 11, 1938 and closed on February 25, 1939 after 338 performances, followed by an extensive tour. It was directed by newcomer Joshua Logan, with choreography by George Balanchine, scenic design by Jo Mielziner, and costume design by John Hambleton. The cast included Dennis King as Willi, Vera Zorina as Angel, Vivienne Segal as Peggy, Walter Slezak as Harry, Charles Walters as Peter, and Audrey Christie as Anna. Later productions include a 1942 MGM film starring Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, though the story is entirely different and the songs mostly not from the play. A 1952 radio production starred Gordon MacRae and Lucille Norman. The musical has been revived in staged readings and productions, including a 2019 staging by New York City Center's Encores!.

Did You Know?

• The musical was adapted from a play by Hungarian playwright János Vaszary entitled Angyalt Vettem Felesegul.
• The original production ran for 338 performances at the Shubert Theatre.
• The 1942 MGM film version starring Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy has an entirely different story and mostly different songs.
• The score includes earlier Rodgers and Hart songs 'Women Are Women', 'Men of Milwaukee', and 'Othello'.