Synopsis

Narrator Washington Irving controls the action, which revolves around two men: Governor Pieter Stuyvesant and nobody Brom Broeck, whose most notable trait is an urge to attack anyone who gives him an order. Both want to marry the same girl, Tina. Brom stays alive by his strength and wits, which are superior to those of anyone else in Nieuw Amsterdam. Even though Brom saves Stuyvesant's life during a battle with the local Indians in the second act, Stuyvesant would still hang him for insubordination, until Irving intervenes. Then Stuyvesant relents and allows Brom to go free and marry Tina. The show's reflections on democracy and American politics, with specific reference to Roosevelt and the New Deal, made it something of a novelty for musical theater of its day.

Song list

• Washington Irving Song
• Clickety-Clack
• Entrance of the Council
• Hush Hush
• There's Nowhere to Go But Up
• It Never Was You
• How Can You Tell an American?
• Will You Remember Me?
• One Touch of Alchemy
• The One Indispensable Man
• Young People Think About Love
• September Song
• All Hail the Political Honeymoon
• Ballad of the Robbers
• Sitting in Jail
• We Are Cut in Twain
• To War!
• Our Ancient Liberties
• May and January
• The Scars
• Dirge for a Soldier
• We Want to Make the Laws

Performance Information

Cast:
Singing roles -- Washington Irving (baritone), Brom Broeck (baritone), Tina Tienhoven (soprano), Peter Stuyvesant (character baritone), Tenpin (tenor), Tienhoven (baritone), Roosevelt (bass), ensemble of councilors, General Poffenburgh (baritone), citizens of New Amsterdam, soldiers, Indians.
Speaking roles -- Vanderbilt, De Peyster, De Vries, Van Rensselaer, Van Cortlandt, Jr. Schermerhorn.
Orchestra: fl (picc), Reed 1 (cl, alto sax), Reed 2 (cl, bass cl, alto sax), Reed 3 (cl, bass cl, ten. sax, bar. sax, ob); 2 tpt, 2 tbn; organ, piano, guitar, timp & perc; strings.
Duration: full evening, 70 minutes music
Authorized Translations: German -- Ute & Volker Canaris
 

Principal productions

• October 19, 1938, New York, Ethel Barrymore Theater, Josh Logan, dir., Maurice Abravanel, cond.
• May 11, 1971, San Francisco Civic Light Opera, Albert Marre, dir., Jack Lee, cond.
• September 25, 1976, Hamburg, Theater im Kunsthalle, Helmut Baumann, dir., Jens-Peter Ostendorf, cond. (in German)
• February 4, 1988, Münster, Stephan Mettin, dir., Thomas Modos, cond. (in German)
• December 29, 1992, Chicago, Light Opera Works, M. Seth Raines, dir., Peter Lipari, cond.

Recordings

LP AEI 1148 LP Joey 7243 CD AEI 007 CD Pearl GEMM CDS 9294		Original Broadway Cast 1938 [excerpts] Walter Huston, Ray Middleton, Harry Meehan, David Brooks,  Jean Darling, Robert Shackleton, Jeanne Madden  Maurice Abravanel, cond.	1. Washington Irving song  2. Clickety-clack  3. It never was you  4. One touch of Alchemy  5. September song  6. All hail the political honeymoon  7. Nowhere to go but up  8. To war! To war!  9. Scars  10.How can you tell an American?
Film Knickerbocker Holiday (1944)		Musical B&W, 85 min. Starring : Carmen Amaya, Charles Coburn, Johnny Davis, Constance Dowling, Nelson Eddy, Fritz Feld, Percy Kilbride, Otto Kruger, Shelley Winters   Director, Producer Harry Joe Brown Director of Photography Phillip Tannura Editor John F. Link Composers Werner Heymann Theodore Paxson Kurt Weill Screenwriters David Boehm Harry Goldman Roland Leigh Art Director Bernard Herzbrun
Ghostlight Records		Live Recording Victor Garber, Kelli O'Hara, Ben Davis, Bryce Pinkham, David Garrison, Christopher Fitzgerald & More Collegiate Chorale and American Symphony Orchestra James Bagwell, conductor Directed by Ted Sperling June 28, 2011	ACT ONE 1. Introduction & Washington Irving Song 2. Clickety-Clack 3. Entrance Of The Council 4. Hush Hush 5. There's Nowhere To Go But Up! 6. It Never Was You 7. Bachelor's Song 8. How Can You Tell An American? 9. Will You Remember Me? 10. One Touch Of Alchemy 11. The One Indispensible Man 12. Young People Think About Love 13. September Song 14. Act One Finale ACT TWO 15. Ballad Of The Robbers 16. Sitting In Jail 17. We Are Cut In Twain 18. Reprise: There's Nowhere To Go But Up! 19. To War! 20. Our Ancient Liberties 21. May And January 22. The Scars 23. Dirge For A Soldier 24. No, Ve Vouldn't Gonto Do It 25. Finale - Reprise: How Can You Tell An American?