See America First
"See America First" was a slogan coined around 1906 by Utah businessman Fisher Sanford Harris to urge Americans to explore their own country's landscapes and attractions before venturing abroad to Europe.[1][2] The phrase, often expanded as "See Europe if you will, but see America first," gained traction amid rising transatlantic travel and aimed to redirect tourism dollars domestically while fostering national pride in America's natural wonders.[1][2] Railroads, including the Great Northern Railway under Louis Hill, aggressively promoted the campaign through advertising that highlighted routes to national parks like Glacier, integrating the slogan into posters, brochures, and lodge designs to boost passenger traffic and regional development.[3][1] This initiative contributed to the growth of modern American tourism between 1880 and 1940, influencing perceptions of national identity by portraying the U.S. as a destination rivaling Old World sites.[4] The slogan inspired travel literature, such as collections of sketches emphasizing America's scenery, and cultural works including Cole Porter's 1916 musical revue See America First, which satirized patriotic themes.[5][6]Background and Development
Conception and Influences
See America First, Cole Porter's debut Broadway musical, was conceived in collaboration with T. Lawrason Riggs, a Yale classmate and fellow aspiring writer. Both men, having briefly enrolled at Harvard Law School after Yale, abandoned their studies to focus on the project, which they developed as a "patriotic comic opera." The work originated from Porter's earlier collegiate efforts, incorporating revised songs from his Yale productions Paranoia (1914) and The Pot of Gold (1914), alongside new material. Financed through family connections and producer Elisabeth Marbury, who leveraged social elite audiences, the musical underwent tryouts beginning February 22, 1916, in Schenectady, New York, with previews in Albany, Rochester, New Haven, and Providence before its March 28 premiere at the Maxine Elliott Theatre in New York City.[7] The musical's influences drew from British operetta traditions, particularly the style of Gilbert and Sullivan, evident in its satirical structure and light opera format, while parodying American showman George M. Cohan's flag-waving patriotism and theatrical conventions. Porter and Riggs aimed to critique the era's elite obsession with European culture and travel, positioning the narrative around a U.S. senator's xenophobic daughter entangled with a foreign intruder posing as a cowboy, ultimately advocating domestic exploration over foreign allure. This reflected pre-World War I sentiments favoring American self-reliance, aligning with the "See America First" tourism slogan promoted by railroads and boosters since the early 1900s to counter transatlantic voyages.[8][7] Development emphasized Porter's emerging sophistication in lyricism and melody, though the show's 15-performance run highlighted its uneven blend of satire and nationalism, influenced by the collaborators' Ivy League backgrounds and Porter's classical training under Yale's Dr. Edgar Stillman Kelley. Riggs contributed the libretto's whimsical plot, while Porter handled much of the score, foreshadowing his signature wit amid the patriotic framework.[7][9]Composition and Patriotic Themes
See America First features music and lyrics by Cole Porter, with the libretto by T. Lawrason Riggs, a Yale classmate who collaborated on the project after Porter's agent connected them in 1915.[10] The score comprises 14 numbers, including an overture, instrumental interludes like "Dawn Music" and "Indian Girls Chant," and vocal pieces such as "Our American Girl" and "I've a Shooting Box in Scotland."[7] Porter, aged 24 at the time, composed in a light operetta style influenced by Gilbert and Sullivan, evident in the rhymed couplets, ensemble choruses, and satirical arias that blend melody with verbal wit. Surviving manuscripts in Porter's hand show detailed orchestration and revisions, reflecting his hands-on approach to both music and lyrics.[11] The work's patriotic themes draw from the "See America First" campaign, launched in the early 1900s by railroads and tourism boosters to promote domestic travel over European tours, aiming to cultivate national pride through scenic appreciation of American landscapes from Niagara Falls to the Grand Canyon.[4] This movement, peaking before World War I, tied leisure to civic duty, urging middle-class Americans to prioritize U.S. identity amid rising immigration and global tensions.[12] Porter and Riggs subverted these motifs through satire, targeting not only European snobbery but also domestic jingoism, parodying George M. Cohan's bombastic flag-wavers and the campaign's boosterism as overly insular.[13] Songs like "I've a Shooting Box in Scotland" mock aristocratic pretensions by having characters flaunt foreign luxuries only to affirm American superiority, while ensemble pieces exalt "Yankee thrift" and native ingenuity over imported elegance. This three-pronged approach—lampooning the tourism slogan, hyperbolic patriotism, and Anglophile affectations—employs irony to critique cultural self-congratulation without rejecting national pride outright.[14] The libretto's farce underscores causal tensions between isolationism and cosmopolitanism, prescient amid 1916's pre-war debates.[15]Libretto and Synopsis
Plot Summary
See America First is structured as a comic opera in two acts, with the plot revolving around themes of American patriotism and skepticism toward European aristocracy. The central narrative follows Senator Huggins, a wealthy and staunchly isolationist East Coast politician, who dispatches his daughter Polly to a rugged "back-to-nature" finishing school in Wyoming to instill traditional American virtues and wean her from foreign influences.[7] Polly, however, remains enamored with a British duke encountered during a prior trip to London, whom she intends to marry despite her father's disapproval.[7] The duke arrives incognito at the school, masquerading as a cowboy named Luke, leading to comedic entanglements and romantic developments amid musical interludes that highlight rustic American life.[7] Concurrently, a subplot involves Polly's sister Daisy, who travels to Europe engaged to a British lord but finds herself drawn to an American suitor named Napoleon, underscoring contrasts between continental allure and domestic appeal.[7] Senator Huggins himself softens his rigid patriotism upon developing affection for the school's chaperone, Sarah, prompting a reevaluation of personal and national priorities.[7] The resolution culminates in marriages that affirm American exceptionalism: Polly weds the duke after his true identity and affections align with familial values, while the family collectively embraces the titular refrain, "See America First," rejecting undue European enticements in favor of domestic exploration and self-reliance.[7][16] This denouement satirizes xenophobic tendencies while promoting nationalist sentiment, reflecting the libretto's blend of humor and didacticism.[8]Satirical and Nationalistic Elements
The libretto of See America First, authored by T. Lawrason Riggs, employs a Gilbert and Sullivan-inspired structure to satirize the early 20th-century fad among affluent Americans for emulating European aristocracy and prioritizing foreign travel over domestic appreciation. The central plot revolves around Senator Huggins, who dispatches his daughter Polly—a debutante enamored with European sophistication—to a rugged "back-to-nature" finishing school in Arizona, aiming to redirect her aspirations toward American locales. This narrative device mocks the perceived cultural inferiority complex driving Americans to seek validation abroad, contrasting the purported refinements of Europe with the virtues of the American West, including its landscapes and self-reliant archetypes like the cowboy.[7][17] Nationalistic undertones permeate the story's resolution, as Polly rejects a titled European suitor in favor of her cowboy paramour, symbolizing a preference for authentic American vigor over imported affectations; this aligns with the era's "See America First" tourism campaigns, which sought to bolster domestic travel amid transatlantic competition post-World War I onset. Riggs's dialogue amplifies this through caricatured figures, such as pretentious expatriates and noblemen portrayed as effete and opportunistic, underscoring a causal link between overadmiration of foreign customs and erosion of national self-confidence—evident in scenes where European allure is deflated by comedic exposure to American practicality.[7][18] Satirical bite emerges in ancillary elements, including songs like "I've a Shooting Box in Scotland," which lampoons British upper-class pastimes through exaggerated boasts of continental estates, highlighting the absurdity of Americans aping such vanities while neglecting their own heritage sites like the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone—sites implicitly championed as superior in the libretto's promotional interludes. Critics of the 1916 production noted the work's derivative G&S patter and topical jabs at Anglophilia, though some viewed the patriotism as overly didactic, potentially undercutting the humor's edge. Overall, these features position the musical as an early vehicle for Porter and Riggs's advocacy of cultural insularity, grounded in empirical observations of travel patterns where U.S. outbound tourism surged 300% from 1900 to 1915, diverting economic focus from American attractions.[19][17]Production Details
Original Broadway Staging
See America First, Cole Porter's debut Broadway musical, premiered as a comic opera in two acts at Maxine Elliott's Theatre in New York City on March 28, 1916.[20] The production, produced by theatrical agent Elisabeth Marbury, featured staging directed by J. H. Benrimo, with musical direction by Clarence West and choreography by Edward Hutchinson and Theodore Kosloff.[20] Scenic design was handled by Frank E. Gates and E. A. Morange, while costumes were designed by Homer Conant and Melville Ellis.[20] The show underwent tryouts prior to Broadway, beginning February 22, 1916, at the Van Curler Opera House in Schenectady, New York, before transferring to the Maxine Elliott's Theatre.[7] The cast included performers such as Dorothie Bigelow in the role of Polly, Sam Edwards as her father, and supporting actors like Felix Adler, Bettina Best, Eric Block, Jack Bohn, Betty Brewster, Lloyd Carpenter, and Jeanne Cartier.[20] Set on a mesa and in a forest, the staging emphasized operatic elements modeled after Gilbert and Sullivan, aligning with its patriotic comic opera format.[20] The production ran for only 15 performances, closing on April 8, 1916, amid lukewarm reception to its ambitious but uneven execution.[20] Despite the short run, it marked Porter's initial foray into Broadway composition and libretto collaboration with T. Lawrason Riggs, showcasing early experimentation with satirical and nationalistic themes through integrated songs and dialogue.[20]Cast and Creative Personnel
The book for See America First was written by T. Lawrason Riggs, a Yale classmate of Cole Porter who collaborated on the project as Porter's first full Broadway effort.[20] Porter composed the music and wrote the lyrics, establishing his signature witty style early in his career.[20] [7] The production was presented by Elisabeth Marbury, a leading theatrical producer known for championing new talent in the pre-World War I era.[20] Direction was handled by J. H. Benrimo, an experienced stage director with background in opera and light comedy.[20] Choreography came from Edward Hutchinson and Theodore Kosloff, the latter a prominent dancer and choreographer of Russian origin who contributed to several early musicals.[20] Clarence West served as musical director, overseeing the score's execution during its brief run of 15 performances from March 28 to April 8, 1916, at Maxine Elliott's Theatre.[20] The original cast consisted primarily of lesser-known performers at the time, reflecting the show's status as an experimental patriotic operetta.[20] Included were Felix Adler, Bettina Best, Dorothie Bigelow, Eric Block, Jack Bohn, Betty Brewster, Lloyd Carpenter, and Jeanne Cartier, portraying ensemble roles amid the comic and satirical elements.[20] Clifton Webb joined the cast during its short run, marking his Broadway debut in a featured capacity before his later fame in film and theater.[21]Musical Composition
Song List
The original Broadway production of See America First, which opened on March 28, 1916, at the Maxine Elliott Theatre and ran for 15 performances, featured a score comprising original numbers by Cole Porter, some revisions of his earlier compositions from unproduced works like Paranoia (1914), and a few interpolations or additions by others.[7] The musical numbers were structured across two acts, blending patriotic themes, satire, and light opera elements, with several instrumental pieces and choruses.[7] Notable Porter contributions included "See America First" as a title anthem promoting domestic tourism amid European war tensions, and "I've a Shooting Box in Scotland," a comic patter song revised from Paranoia.[7] [6]Act One
- Overture (instrumental)
- "Dawn Music" (instrumental)
- "Indian Girls Chant" (instrumental chorus)
- "Badmen"
- "To Follow Every Fancy"
- "Indian Maidens Chorus"
- "Something's Got to Be Done"
- "I've Got an Awful Lot to Learn"
- "Beautiful, Primitive Indian Girls"
- "Hold-Up Ensemble"
- "See America First"
- "The Language of Flowers" (adapted from Paranoia)
- "Damsel, Damsel" (revision of "Won’t You Come Crusading With Me" from Paranoia)
- "The Lady I've Vowed to Wed"
- Finale: "Hail the Primitive Relative"[7]
Act Two
- "Mirror, Mirror"
- "Ever and Ever Yours"
- "Lima" (added shortly before New York opening)
- "Will You Love Me When My Flivver is a Wreck?" (possibly not by Porter)
- "Woodland Dance" (instrumental)
- "Buy Her a Box at the Opera" (added shortly before New York opening)
- "I've a Shooting Box in Scotland" (revised from Paranoia)
- "When I Used to Lead the Ballet" (from The Pot of Gold, 1912)
- Finale[7]