Correction:

Joseph Rubin is a Canton native.

Before “Dear Enemy” made its debut in Akron in 1925, the stage was set for the musical to be a smash hit.

“The greatest theatrical innovation on record here in the past 100 years,” reads a July 1925 advertisement.

“A theatrical attraction … that should attract thousands of visitors,” reads an Akron Beacon Journal article from the same month.

But the show — a romantic comedy involving lovers on opposing sides during the American Revolution — wasn’t a guaranteed win, Joseph Rubin explained.

“The problem was that a musical comedy set during the American Revolution was thought to be a very risky commercial prospect on Broadway. It was never done before,” said Rubin, founder of American Musical Productions. The nonprofit specializes in performing American musical theater productions and popular music from the years 1890 to 1949.

“Dear Enemy” was the first musical for the creative team of Herbert Fields, Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers.

“There was some recognition there that these guys could write music, but they had never written a full book show. That’s a big, big step,” Rubin said. “So they said, ‘We have to try this out as far away as we can get from Broadway.’”

Joseph Rubin directs a scene during a rehearsal for “Dearest Enemy.” Credit: (Christiana Cacciato / Signal Akron)

That place turned out to be Akron. 

“It was good,” Rubin said of the show. “It was good enough for them to say, ‘OK, this is something worth doing.’”

The musical eventually made it to Broadway, albeit with a new title (“Dearest Enemy”). It was a hit, Rubin said, and it received great reviews. 

“And then it sort of disappeared,” he added.

Akronites will once again have a chance to experience “Dearest Enemy” when the musical comes to the Goodyear Theater on Saturday. Like its first performance, this production will mark an important moment in Akron’s history as the city celebrates its 200th anniversary.

Rubin will direct the musical. He’s a Canton native who now splits his time between Northeast Ohio and New York City. Rubin has produced shows throughout Ohio, including a 2022 concert in collaboration with the Akron-Summit County Public Library. When the library approached him about the bicentennial and asked for his ideas, his response was quick: They had to do “Dearest Enemy.”

The ensemble of “Dearest Enemy” rehearses a song from the musical at Guzzetta Hall at the University of Akron on June 12, 2025. Credit: (Christiana Cacciato / Signal Akron)

In “Dearest Enemy,” women play their part, save the troops

While it may be 100 years old, the appeal of “Dearest Enemy” is timeless, Rubin said.

“The lyrics are just genius. And you don’t get that from your everyday run-of-the-mill 1920s musical comedy,” he said. “Lorenz Hart was very smart, and the lines are just, every time I hear them I get blown away by that. And the music is gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous — and hummable. You will go out singing the hit song of the show.”

Set in Manhattan, “Dearest Enemy” is based on a true story from 1776. Led by the real-life Mary Murray, a group of women use food, drink and feminine wiles to distract a group of British soldiers. With the enemy otherwise occupied, American troops are able to escape safely to Harlem. 

Amber Michalak (right) rehearses a scene from “Dearest Enemy” with Amanda Medley. Michalak plays Mary Murray, the real-life woman whose work during the American Revolution inspired the musical. Credit: (Christiana Cacciato / Signal Akron)

Amanda Medley plays Betsy Burke, the headstrong Irish niece of Mary Murray. Betsy doesn’t have many kind words to say about the British. That becomes a bit more complicated as the musical progresses.

“She’s a very strong female who cares mainly about fighting for freedom, and she just happens to fall in love with the only person she shouldn’t: a British officer,” Medley said. “And she fights it the whole time, but still stays true to the cause for her, which is fighting for her country’s freedom.”

Spencer Boyd plays Betsy’s love interest, Sir John Copeland.

“It’s all about duty and honor and the king. Serving the king is his utmost priority,” Boyd said. “But he also really likes Betsy. He’s very infatuated with her, and I think he likes that she kind of messes up the perfect cookie cutter world he has, in a weird way.”

For Rubin, “Dearest Enemy” is a chance to introduce a new generation to musical theater of a different time. Without the success of the show in Akron, he added, who knows if Rodgers and Hart would have produced more musicals?

“This is Akron’s contribution to Broadway,” he said.

“Dearest Enemy”
Saturday, June 21
7 p.m.
Goodyear Theater (1201 E. Market St.)
Admission: Free, but registration is required at Eventbrite.

Culture & Arts Reporter (she/her)
Brittany is an accomplished journalist who’s passionate about the arts, civic engagement and great storytelling. She has more than a decade of experience covering culture and arts, both in Ohio and nationally. She previously served as the associate editor of Columbus Monthly, where she wrote community-focused stories about Central Ohio’s movers and shakers. A lifelong Ohioan, she grew up in Springfield and graduated from Kent State University.