"“the author and the angels""

When this drawing ran on the front page of the Times Drama section the caption read, “The glib author (at the easel) of an imaginary musical comedy, ‘Nina,’ tells his story to the potential investors and illustrates his speech with sketches of the sets and costumes. The agitated composer, at the piano, receives hurried instructions from the lyricist while standing directly behind them is the producer, who borrowed a wealthy friend’s swank apartment in the hope of making a satisfactory impression.” This was the first time the paper acknowledged a NINA in a drawing, although there is no indication it understood the significance. Hirschfeld knew this scene well as he had performed this ritual when he, S.J. Perelman, Vernon Duke, and Ogden Nash were raising money for their failed musical comedy, Sweet Bye and Bye. The artist would later include this drawing in his 1951 book, a satirical primer on putting on a show, Show Business is No Business. His hand-written caption on the work was “The Author And The Angels (Any Resemblance To Characters Living Or Dead Is Good Caricature.)”