In commemoration of the 100-year anniversary of the end of World War I. Seventh Heaven played for 704 performances in the 1922-23 season on Broadway. Two film adaptations followed: a silent version in 1927 and another, starring James Stewart as Chico, in 1937.

Chico is an atheist and a sewer worker with ambitions to become a street cleaner in pre-war Paris. Diane is a timid girl living under the control of her wicked, whip-wielding sister, Nana. Their paths cross as Chico’s star is ascending and Diane’s reality is crumbling. The supporting characters are rich and three dimensional, from Boul the caring cab driver, to the kleptomaniac Sewer Rat, to the priest Pere Chevillion, who tricks people into changing their ways. Acts I and II take place in Paris on the eve of World War I. Act III takes place four years later on Armistice Day, 1918.