Which Broadway show had Desi Arnaz just left when he met Lucille Ball in 1940?

Desi Arnaz had just left the Broadway show Too Many Girls when he met Lucille Ball in 1940.

Arnaz was appearing as a charismatic Cuban bandleader in the original Broadway musical, which opened in New York in October 1939. The production featured music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and a book by George Marion Jr. Its successful run established Arnaz as a promising performer before Hollywood brought him together with Ball for the film adaptation.

Ball and Arnaz met while making the 1940 movie version of Too Many Girls. Their relationship developed rapidly, and they eloped in November 1940, roughly six months after the Broadway production closed. The film is therefore an important part of both their professional and personal history.

The other choices are Broadway titles associated with different performers or eras. Girl Crazy and Babes in Arms were also major musical comedies, but neither was the show Arnaz had just completed. Pal Joey came later and is not the production linked to Ball and Arnaz’s first meeting.