Take a Chance started as a musical titled Humpty Dumpty written by DeSylva and Schwab, which flopped immediately during out-of town tryouts in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where it had opened on September 26, 1932. The musical was extensively rewritten, and composer Vincent Youmans was brought in to contribute to the score. After further tryouts in Philadelphia, Wilmington, Delaware, and Newark, New Jersey, the musical was renamed, and the book, music, and cast had changed, leaving only Ethel Merman.Flinn, Caryl."Take A Chance" Brass Diva (books.google.com) (2009), University of California Press, , p. 52 Composer Richard Whiting subsequently left the production.Kellow, Brian. Ethel Merman (2007), Viking, , p.38Green, Stanley. The World of Musical Comedy, (1984), Da Capo Press, , p. 109
