The Most Happy Fella Revival 1992 - Articles Page 8

Amy, a waitress in 1927 San Francisco, is wooed through letters by lonely middle-aged bachelor, Tony Esposito, from his vineyard in California’s Napa Valley. He proposes to Amy (who he calls “Rosabella”), enclosing a photograph of his handsome ranch hand, Joe, rather than one of himself. Despite this deception, Tony and Rosabella find love and, eventually, forgiveness and acceptance. Against this serious story is played the funny tale of Herman (Tony’s gentle-natured employee) and Cleo (Rosabella’s smart, tart-tongued friend), who play out a romance as playful as Tony and Rosabella’s is passionate and painful. All of this is set to one of the richest musical scores ever composed for the American theatre: a melodic and lyric triumph that is both worldly and wise to the ways of the heart.