Composer Steve Allen was mostly absent from rehearsals. When he turned up at the Cincinnati tryouts and was asked what the show needed, he quipped, "More jokes".
Tried out in Columbus, Detroit and Philadelphia getting negative reviews in all cities.
Even with the bad reviews, the tryout was actually cut short. The Philadelphia leg of the tryout was to have run March 27 – April 13, but it was cut to April 6 and the Boston leg (which would have opened April 16) was cancelled. The production was originally to have opened May 9 but was backed up to April 15. The reason is unknown.
When the show was in trouble out of town, the real Sophie Tucker actually invested in it.
Sophie Tucker had final approval of who would portray her. There was even a formal approval held in the Versailles Room of the Astor Hotel on May 17, 1962.
Rehearsals began in December 1962.