Scope and arrangement
The E.Y. Harburg Papers consist of correspondence, scripts, music and lyrics, personal papers, ephemera, articles, notes and clippings that document his career as a writer, producer, director, and lyricist. The papers are divided into six series, correspondence, scripts, synopses and treatments, music and lyrics, personal papers, and clippings.
The collection consists mainly of scripts of musical productions from E.Y. Harburg's career as a writer and lyricist. Most scripts are annotated and are in multiple drafts. Titles included are the play The Wizard of Oz, Flahooley, Finian's Rainbow, Bloomer Girl, and Life Begins at 8:40. There is only a small amount of materials from one of his most successful works The Wizard of Oz. Lyrics and music from The Wizard of Oz can be found in the Music and Lyrics series in the collection and some references are in the Correspondence series and Clippings series. Nevertheless, the collection provides an abundance of materials on other productions and various aspects on E.Y Harburg's career.
The E. Y. Harburg papers are arranged in six series:
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This series contains correspondence from E.Y. Harburg's friends and colleagues. Also included in the series are correspondence and sympathy letters to Harburg's family after his death.
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This series contains scripts of musical productions, both film and stage, from E.Y. Harburg's works. Some are annotated drafts with separate folders containing annotated revisions of parts of the script. The scripts are arranged in alphabetical order by title. The scripts include:
Bloomer Girl, Broadway musical that opened in 1944. It was based on the book by Sig Herzig and Fred Saidy and the play by Lilith and Dan James. The music was written by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. There are multiple drafts of the scripts including some written notes and revisions.
Darling of the Day, Broadway musical based on the play Buried Alive by Arnold Bennett. It opened in 1968 and starred Vincent Price. The music was written by Jule Styne and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. Also included are two scripts with its alternative titles: Alice Chalice and Good Bye Little World. Another alternative title but is not included in the collection is The Great Adventure
Finian's Rainbow, Broadway musical that opened in 1947. It was based on the book by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy. The music was written by Burton Lane and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. A film version was released in 1968 with Fred Astaire.
Flahooley, a Broadway musical by Sammy Fain with additions by Burton Lane that opened in 1951. The are lyrics by E.Y. Harburg and the book was written by Fred Saidy and E.Y. Harburg.
The Happiest Girl in the World, Broadway musical that opened in 1961 based on the Greek play Lysistrata by Aristophanes. The book was written by Fred Saidy, Henry Myers, and E.Y. Harburg. The music was written by the French composer Jacques Offenbach and lyrics by Harburg. The series also includes two scripts with alternative titles: The Greeks Had A Cure For It and Hello Little World Hello.
Hooray for What!, Broadway musical that opened in 1937. The story was written by E.Y. Harburg, Howard Lindsay, and Russel Crouse. The music was written by Harold Arlen and the lyrics by Harburg.
I Got A Song, a revue dramatized by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy for the songs of Harold Arlen, Vernon Duke, Sammy Fain, Jay Gorney, Burton Lane, and Earl Robinson. There are multiple drafts with written corrections and notes by E.Y. Harburg.
Jamaica, Broadway musical that opened in 1957, book written by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy; music was written by Harold Arlen; lyrics by Harburg. It starred Lena Horne as Savannah.Little
Queen Poker and Her Johns, a first working draft without the musical score based on the book by Charles K. Peck, Jr.
What a Day for a Miracle, a musical by Larry Orenstein and Jeff Alexander with lyrics by E.Y. Harburg, opened in 1971. The musical is an adaptation of Henry Myers' book
Days of Our Lives, about the 13th Century Children's Crusade.
Wizard of Oz, the musical, was adapted from the film version by Frank Gabrielson. The music was written by Harold Arlen and the lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. It was produced in London.
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This series contains synopses and treatments written by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy for new musical or film ideas. Some are in multiple drafts and are annotated by E.Y. Harburg. The titles are: April in Paris, Arabian Nights, Comes the Revolution, Fatal Fascination, The Flying Dutchman, How to Get Out of This World Alive, The Informer, Mademoiselle of Parc Monseau, Music or Else, Musicquiz, Money in the Mail, The Village Blacksmith.
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This series contains manuscripts of music written by other writers who collaborated with E.Y. Harburg in musical productions. Lyrics written by E.Y Harburg are also included and are filed by the title of the musical production. The music sheets are filed in alphabetical order by title. Miscellaneous lyrics written by Harburg are also included in the series. Some of the music and lyrics are annotated by Harburg. Included are materials from The Wizard of Oz, Bloomer Girl, Flahooley, Finian's Rainbow, Jamaica, Life Begins at 8:40, and What a Day for a Miracle.
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This series contains speeches and personal notes of E.Y Harburg with a list of his work history and credits. Also included are personal photographs as well as production photographs of Jamaica and Flahooley. Miscellaneous articles written about him or his works are also included. Programs, flyers, and other publicity items are filed under ephemera. Other miscellaneous papers such as press releases, official papers, and contracts are also arranged here.
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This series contains clippings about the life and career of E.Y. Harburg. Reviews of his shows and special stories are some of the articles that are included in the series.