During the tryout, three principal players — Kay Thompson, Hannah Williams, and Roy Roberts — were fired. They were replaced by, respectively, Vivian Vance, June Clyde, and Jack Whiting. A couple of days before the Broadway opening, which was on December 1, 1937, Whiting took ill, missing not only the single preview and opening night, but almost two weeks of performances. He did not return to the cast till December 13. He was replaced during this time by Roy Roberts, who must have been a good sport.
The first tryout city was Boston. In the issues of the Boston Globe dated September 28 and October 3, 1937, it was stated that the tryout open at the Colonial on Monday, October 25. On October 10, it was started in the Globe that the opening would instead be on Thursday, October 28. On October 21, it was announced in the Globe that the opening would be on Saturday, October 30. This would permit five days of rehearsals on the stage of the Colonial, with dress rehearsals starting Thursday night.