In the 1970s, producer Harry Rigby started the Broadway nostalgia craze with his revivals of "No, No, Nanette" and "Irene". He decided that "Good News" would be his next project. Rigby planned to feature former movie musical stars in "Good News", as he had in "No, No, Nanette" and "Irene". John Payne was cast as the football coach, and Alice Faye was cast as the (now female) astronomy professor, who was renamed Professor Charlotte Kenyon. The book was rewritten to create a romance between their characters, reducing the impact of the college student characters who had made the 1927 version popular. Because Rigby had already produced "No, No, Nanette", a revival set in the 1920s, he moved the setting of "Good News" to the Depression-era Thirties. During the development of the revival, the score was also altered; some songs from the original 1927 production were removed, while six songs from other Ray Henderson scores were interpolated. Abe Burrows was hired as director and adapter, and Donald Saddler was hired as choreographer; however, during the development of the revival, they were replaced by Michael Kidd as director/choreographer and Garry Marshall as adapter. A few weeks before the Broadway opening, John Payne, whose contract had run out, was replaced by Gene Nelson. After a try-out in Boston, a nationwide tour for almost a year, and 51 previews, a lavish production opened on Broadway on December 23, 1974 at the St. James Theatre where, having failed to charm the critics as its predecessor had, it ran for only 16 regular performances. Saddler was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography.