The lead was originally offered to Gary Cooper, who turned it down, then to Bing Crosby, who also turned it down, then to Fred MacMurray, who took it.
The play, "Burlesque," opened on Broadway in New York City, New York, USA on 1 September 1927 and closed in July 1928 after 372 performances. The opening night cast included Barbara Stanwyck, Oscar Levant and Charles D. Brown. It was revived in 1946 and ran for 2 seasons with Bert Lahr and Jean Parker.