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Rida Johnson Young
Rida Johnson Young

Rida Johnson Young

RIDA JOHNSON YOUNG was an American playwright, songwriter and librettist. In her career, Young wrote over thirty plays and musicals, and more than 500 songs. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. Some of her best-known lyrics include “Mother Machree” from Barry of Ballymore, “Italian Street Song” and “I'm Falling in Love with Someone” from Naughty Marietta, and “Will You Remember?” from Maytime. Young wrote both book and lyrics to the operetta Naughty Marietta, composer Victor Herbert's greatest success. Produced by Oscar Hammerstein, it opened at the New York Theatre in 1910 where it ran for 136 performances, inspiring numerous revivals. A film version from 1935 was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Other Broadway productions include Macushla (1912, with music by Ernest R. Ball), The Red Petticoat (1912, with music by Jerome Kern), The Isle o' Dreams (1913, with music by Ernest R. Ball), Her Soldier Boy (1916, with music by Emmerich Kalman, 198 performances), His Little Widows (1917, with music by William Schroeder), Maytime (1917, 492 performances), The Dream Girl (1924, with music by Victor Herbert, 117 performances) and Cock O' the Roost (1924).

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