Welcome to a new Musical Theatre Monday! This week, I’m celebrating P.G. Wodehouse, a key architect of the famed Princess Theatre Shows who was born 145 years ago this month. I am proud to honor him again by spotlighting one of his best works. It’s Oh, Boy! (1917), which boasts a score by Jerome Kern with book and lyrics by Wodehouse and Guy Bolton.

Now, having already featured this show here many years ago, I won’t bore you with a lengthy recap. It’s just the quintessential, and most successful, example in this special category of more intimate, character-forward musicals from the late 1910s — with a story about a guy who elopes with his lady love and then hopes to make a good impression on her conservative family, no thanks to his rowdy friends. The best known song is “Till The Clouds Roll By.”

The recording above comes from a 1985 Carnegie Hall concert conducted by John McGlinn. I’ve shared that here before, along with an audio from a 2014 concert at Trinity Church. I’m offering those again to subscribers who comment below to alert me of their private, educational, non-commercial interest. This time, I’ve also got two more audios — of the 1983 Goodspeed production and 2003’s Musicals in Mufti mounting. From the latter, here’s one of my favorites — “Rolled Into One.” Enjoy — and happy birthday-anniversary, Mr. Wodehouse!

Come back next week for another musical treat! And stay tuned tomorrow for more sitcom fun!