the original broadway production opened at the shubert theatre on august 16, 1917, and later moved to the 44th street, broadhurst and lyric theatres, running for a total of 492 performances. it starred peggy wood and charles purcell and featured ralph herbert, william norris and gertrude vanderbilt. "the new york times" gave the show a rave review, saying that it had "delicate charm" and also blended "the tragedy of the individual" with "the eternal comedy of living".