"Kim's Charleston"

It seems that every production of Show Boat has featured a different number in the eleven o'clock spot. At that point of the production, the period is the 1920s and Magnolia has retired gracefully to allow her daughter Kim to become the next big musical comedy star. In the original Broadway production, Norma Terris played both Magnolia and Kim, in which she presented "Kim's Imitations," in which she did impressions of popular people of the era, which itself was replaced by a reprise of "Why Do I Love You?" shortly after opening. For the London production in 1928, Kim (Edith Day) sang "Dance Away the Night." The 1946 revival featured what was to be Jerome Kern's final song "Nobody Else But Me" written specifically for Jan Clayton.

In 1993, Harold Prince took on the musical, with considerable revision done to the troublesome second act, including a new showcase for Kim, called "Kim's Charleston," a 20s-flavored dance piece featuring a period variation on "Why Do I Love You?" and featuring the Tony-winning choreography of Susan Stroman. Here is the Tony performance of the latest in the long evolution of Show Boat with Tammy Amerson as Kim, Elaine Stritch as Parthy and John McMartin as Cap'n Andy. Enjoy.