Chu Chin Chow
Encyclopedia
Chu Chin Chow is a musical comedy
written, produced and directed by Oscar Asche
, with music by Frederic Norton
, based (with minor embellishments) on the story of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves
. The piece premièred at His Majesty's Theatre
in London
on 3 August 1916 and ran for five years and a total of 2,238 performances (more than twice as many as any previous musical), an astonishing record that stood for nearly forty years until Salad Days. The show's first American production in New York, with additional lyrics by Arthur Anderson
, played for 208 performances in 1917–1918. It subsequently had successful seasons elsewhere in America and Australia, including in 1920, 1921 and 1922.
A silent film of the musical
was produced in 1925 using some of the music. Another film
, with the score intact, was made by the Gainsborough Studios in 1934, with George Robey
playing the part of Ali Baba
, Fritz Kortner
as Abu Hassan, Anna May Wong
as Zahrat Al-Kulub and Laurence Hanray
as Kasim. The show toured the British provinces for many years. It returned to London in 1940 for 80 performances, when it was interrupted by the London bombing
but then returned in 1941 for another 158 nights. In 1953, an ice version was produced at London’s Empire Pool, Wembley, which also toured the provinces. Occasional productions are still mounted, including one in July 2008 by the Finborough Theatre
in London, England.
" adaptation Kismet
, a 1911 play by Edward Knoblock
, inspired Oscar Asche
to write and produce Chu Chin Chow. Asche also played the lead role of Abu Hasan, leader of the forty thieves (the "Chu Chin Chow" of the title refers to the robber chief when impersonating one of his victims). Besides Asche, the production starred his wife, Lily Brayton
, and Courtice Pounds
.
Chu Chin Chow was described as a combination of musical comedy and pantomime
. It was a big budget spectacular costing £5,300, with over a dozen scene changes, fantastic sets, big dance routines, exotic costumes and Asche's well-known innovative lighting designs. The design for the show was influenced by the English taste for all things connected with Asia (known as "orientalism
") which had originated with Diaghilev’s production of the ballet Scheherazade. Theatre journal The Era said that Norton's music had "a touch of the East but for the most part it was on a level with the tender melody of musical comedy" and "hardly inspired". Nevertheless, many of the songs became hits, and "The Cobbler's Song" and "Any Time’s Kissing Time" in particular entered the repertoire of ballad singers for at least three or four decades.
Tickets to see Chu Chin Chow were particularly eagerly sought by troops on leave from the Western Front
. One of the attractions for the on-leave soldiers was the chorus of pretty slave girls who, for the period, were very scantily dressed. Complaints, not by the soldiers, resulted in the Lord Chamberlain
(the British theatre censor) viewing the show and requiring "this naughtiness" to be stopped—at least for a while. The cast was large and included a camel, a donkey, poultry and snakes. A total of 2,800,000 people saw the show. The year following the premiere of the musical, a souvenir booklet was prepared, which included a novelized version of the play by Willam A. Page. He included additional background explanations to explain the scenery and physical attributes of the characters.
Chu Chin Chow was one of three hit musical shows that are most associated with the London musical stage during World War I
(the others being The Bing Boys Are Here
and The Maid of the Mountains
), and music or scenes from these have been included as background in many films set in this period. Interestingly, the three shows were each very different from each other. The Bing Boys was a revue
, The Maid was essentially an operetta
, and Chu Chin Chow is often considered an adult pantomime
. Other popular musicals of the period were Theodore & Co
(1916), The Boy
(1917), and Yes, Uncle!
(1917). Audiences wanted light and uplifting entertainment during the war, and all these shows delivered it.
Meanwhile, the slaves tell Ali Baba about Hasan's secret cave and the password "open sesame". Ali Baba helps himself to some of the thieves' treasure. Kasim persuades his brother to tell him where his sudden wealth came from and slips out to see what he can find at Hasan's cave. Kasim finds the treasure but is captured by Abu Hasan and put to death. Finally, on the eve of an attack on Ali Baba’s family planned by Abu Hasan, Zahrat gets her revenge by disposing of the forty thieves using boiling oil and stabbing Abu Hasan, and generally saving the day. The lovers are united, and all ends happily.
Act 2
Additional Songs added in the 1940 revival
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
written, produced and directed by Oscar Asche
Oscar Asche
John Stange Heiss Oscar Asche , better known as Oscar Asche, was an Australian actor, director and writer, best known for having written, directed, and acted in the record-breaking musical Chu Chin Chow, both on stage and film, and for acting in, directing, or producing many Shakespeare plays and...
, with music by Frederic Norton
Frederic Norton
Frederic Norton born George Frederic Norton on 11 October 1869 in Broughton, Salford, England. Died on 15 December 1946 in Holford, England. British composer, most associated with the record breaking Chu Chin Chow, which opened in 1916....
, based (with minor embellishments) on the story of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves
Ali Baba
Ali Baba is a fictional character from medieval Arabic literature. He is described in the adventure tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves...
. The piece premièred at His Majesty's Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre, in Haymarket, City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at the theatre...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 3 August 1916 and ran for five years and a total of 2,238 performances (more than twice as many as any previous musical), an astonishing record that stood for nearly forty years until Salad Days. The show's first American production in New York, with additional lyrics by Arthur Anderson
Arthur Anderson (dramatist)
Arthur Anderson was an English dramatist and lyricist, who is best known for his libretti for Edwardian musical comedies.-Biography:...
, played for 208 performances in 1917–1918. It subsequently had successful seasons elsewhere in America and Australia, including in 1920, 1921 and 1922.
A silent film of the musical
Chu-Chin-Chow (1925 film)
Chu-Chin-Chow is a 1925 British-German adventure film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Betty Blythe, Herbert Langley and Randle Ayrton....
was produced in 1925 using some of the music. Another film
Chu Chin Chow (1934 film)
Chu-Chin-Chow is a 1934 British musical film directed by Walter Forde and starring George Robey, Fritz Kortner and Anna May Wong. It was an adaptation of the play Chu-Chin-Chow by Frederick Norton and Oscar Asche.-Cast:* George Robey - Ali Baba...
, with the score intact, was made by the Gainsborough Studios in 1934, with George Robey
George Robey
Sir George Edward Wade , better known by his stage name, George Robey, was an English music hall comedian and star. He was marketed as the "Prime Minister of Mirth".-Early life:...
playing the part of Ali Baba
Ali Baba
Ali Baba is a fictional character from medieval Arabic literature. He is described in the adventure tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves...
, Fritz Kortner
Fritz Kortner
Fritz Kortner was an Austrian-born stage and film actor and theatre director.Kortner was born in Vienna as Fritz Nathan Kohn. He studied at the Vienna Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. After graduating, he joined Max Reinhardt in Berlin in 1911 and then Leopold Jessner in 1916. Also in that year...
as Abu Hassan, Anna May Wong
Anna May Wong
Anna May Wong was an American actress, the first Chinese American movie star, and the first Asian American to become an international star...
as Zahrat Al-Kulub and Laurence Hanray
Laurence Hanray
Laurence Hanray , sometimes credited as Lawrence Hanray, was a British film actor born in London, England.-Partial filmography:* Beyond the Cities * Her Reputation * The Faithful Heart...
as Kasim. The show toured the British provinces for many years. It returned to London in 1940 for 80 performances, when it was interrupted by the London bombing
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
but then returned in 1941 for another 158 nights. In 1953, an ice version was produced at London’s Empire Pool, Wembley, which also toured the provinces. Occasional productions are still mounted, including one in July 2008 by the Finborough Theatre
Finborough Theatre
The Finborough Theatre is a fifty seat theatre in the Earls Court area of London, United Kingdom , which presents new British writing, UK and premieres of new plays, primarily from the English speaking world including North America, Canada, Scotland and Ireland, music theatre, and rarely seen...
in London, England.
Background
The success of the "Arabian NightsThe Book of One Thousand and One Nights
One Thousand and One Nights is a collection of Middle Eastern and South Asian stories and folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age...
" adaptation Kismet
Kismet (play)
Kismet is a three-act play written in 1911 by Edward Knoblauch . The title means Fate or Destiny in Turkish and Urdu. The play ran for an extraordinary two years in London...
, a 1911 play by Edward Knoblock
Edward Knoblock
Edward Knoblock was an American-born British playwright and novelist most remembered for the often revived 1911 play, Kismet-Biography:...
, inspired Oscar Asche
Oscar Asche
John Stange Heiss Oscar Asche , better known as Oscar Asche, was an Australian actor, director and writer, best known for having written, directed, and acted in the record-breaking musical Chu Chin Chow, both on stage and film, and for acting in, directing, or producing many Shakespeare plays and...
to write and produce Chu Chin Chow. Asche also played the lead role of Abu Hasan, leader of the forty thieves (the "Chu Chin Chow" of the title refers to the robber chief when impersonating one of his victims). Besides Asche, the production starred his wife, Lily Brayton
Lily Brayton
Elizabeth "Lily" Brayton was an English actress, known for her performances in Shakespeare plays and for her nearly 2,000 performances in the World War I hit musical Chu Chin Chow.-Early years:...
, and Courtice Pounds
Courtice Pounds
Charles Courtice Pounds , better known by the stage name Courtice Pounds, was an English singer and actor known for his performances in the tenor roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and his later roles in Shakespeare plays and Edwardian musical comedies.As a young member...
.
Chu Chin Chow was described as a combination of musical comedy and pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
. It was a big budget spectacular costing £5,300, with over a dozen scene changes, fantastic sets, big dance routines, exotic costumes and Asche's well-known innovative lighting designs. The design for the show was influenced by the English taste for all things connected with Asia (known as "orientalism
Orientalism
Orientalism is a term used for the imitation or depiction of aspects of Eastern cultures in the West by writers, designers and artists, as well as having other meanings...
") which had originated with Diaghilev’s production of the ballet Scheherazade. Theatre journal The Era said that Norton's music had "a touch of the East but for the most part it was on a level with the tender melody of musical comedy" and "hardly inspired". Nevertheless, many of the songs became hits, and "The Cobbler's Song" and "Any Time’s Kissing Time" in particular entered the repertoire of ballad singers for at least three or four decades.
Tickets to see Chu Chin Chow were particularly eagerly sought by troops on leave from the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
. One of the attractions for the on-leave soldiers was the chorus of pretty slave girls who, for the period, were very scantily dressed. Complaints, not by the soldiers, resulted in the Lord Chamberlain
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
(the British theatre censor) viewing the show and requiring "this naughtiness" to be stopped—at least for a while. The cast was large and included a camel, a donkey, poultry and snakes. A total of 2,800,000 people saw the show. The year following the premiere of the musical, a souvenir booklet was prepared, which included a novelized version of the play by Willam A. Page. He included additional background explanations to explain the scenery and physical attributes of the characters.
Chu Chin Chow was one of three hit musical shows that are most associated with the London musical stage during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
(the others being The Bing Boys Are Here
The Bing Boys Are Here
The Bing Boys Are Here, styled "A Picture of London Life, in a Prologue and Six Panels," is the first of a series of revues which played at the Alhambra Theatre, London during the last two years of World War I. The series included The Bing Boys on Broadway and The Bing Boys are There. The music...
and The Maid of the Mountains
The Maid of the Mountains
The Maid of the Mountains, called in its original score a musical play, is an operetta or musical comedy in three acts. The music was by Harold Fraser-Simson, with additional music by James W...
), and music or scenes from these have been included as background in many films set in this period. Interestingly, the three shows were each very different from each other. The Bing Boys was a revue
Revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
, The Maid was essentially an operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
, and Chu Chin Chow is often considered an adult pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
. Other popular musicals of the period were Theodore & Co
Theodore & Co
Theodore & Co is an English musical comedy in two acts with a book by H. M. Harwood and George Grossmith, Jr. , with music by Ivor Novello and Jerome Kern and lyrics by Adrian Ross and Clifford Grey. It was produced by Grossmith and Edward Laurillard, opening at the Gaiety Theatre on 19 September...
(1916), The Boy
The Boy (musical)
The Boy is a musical comedy with a book by Fred Thompson and Percy Greenbank , music by Lionel Monckton and Howard Talbot and lyrics by Greenbank and Adrian Ross...
(1917), and Yes, Uncle!
Yes, Uncle!
Yes, Uncle! is a musical comedy by Austen Hurgen and George Arthurs, with music by Nat D. Ayer and lyrics by Clifford Grey...
(1917). Audiences wanted light and uplifting entertainment during the war, and all these shows delivered it.
Synopsis
The wealthy merchant Kasim Baba (brother of Ali Baba) is preparing to give a lavish banquet for a wealthy Chinese merchant, Chu Chin Chow, who is on his way from China. The Robber Chieftain, Abu Hasan, wishes to add to his riches the property of Kasim. Abu Hasan forces his captive, the beautiful Zahrat Al-Kulub, to spy for him in Kasim's house by holding her lover hostage. She is nearly found out several times. Zahrat sends a message to Abu Hasan, letting him know about the banquet. Hasan arrives at Kasim's palace in disguise as Chu Chin Chow, whom his gang has robbed and murdered. He tries to glean information that will enable him to rob his host.Meanwhile, the slaves tell Ali Baba about Hasan's secret cave and the password "open sesame". Ali Baba helps himself to some of the thieves' treasure. Kasim persuades his brother to tell him where his sudden wealth came from and slips out to see what he can find at Hasan's cave. Kasim finds the treasure but is captured by Abu Hasan and put to death. Finally, on the eve of an attack on Ali Baba’s family planned by Abu Hasan, Zahrat gets her revenge by disposing of the forty thieves using boiling oil and stabbing Abu Hasan, and generally saving the day. The lovers are united, and all ends happily.
Original cast
Roles
| Role | Premiere cast, 3 August 1916 |
Original Broadway Cast, 22 October 1917 |
|---|---|---|
| Abu Hasan | Oscar Asche Oscar Asche John Stange Heiss Oscar Asche , better known as Oscar Asche, was an Australian actor, director and writer, best known for having written, directed, and acted in the record-breaking musical Chu Chin Chow, both on stage and film, and for acting in, directing, or producing many Shakespeare plays and... |
Tyrone Power, Sr. Tyrone Power, Sr. Frederick Tyrone Edmond Power was an English-born American stage and screen actor, who acted under the name Tyrone Power.-Early life:Power was born in London in 1869, the son of Harold Littledale Power and Ethel Lavenu... |
| Kassim Baba | Frank Cochrane | Albert Howson |
| Ali Baba | Courtice Pounds Courtice Pounds Charles Courtice Pounds , better known by the stage name Courtice Pounds, was an English singer and actor known for his performances in the tenor roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and his later roles in Shakespeare plays and Edwardian musical comedies.As a young member... |
Henry Dixey |
| Nur Al-Huda Ali | J V Bryant | George Rasely George Rasely George Rasely was an American tenor who had an active career in operas, concerts, and musicals during the first half of the 20th century. He was also a frequent performer on American radio during 1920s through the 1940s. He won the National Music League singing competition in 1927 and the Walter W... |
| Abdullah | Norman Williams | Francis J. Boyle |
| Marjanah | Violet Essex | Tessa Kosta |
| Zahrat Al-Kulub | Lily Brayton Lily Brayton Elizabeth "Lily" Brayton was an English actress, known for her performances in Shakespeare plays and for her nearly 2,000 performances in the World War I hit musical Chu Chin Chow.-Early years:... |
Florence Reed Florence Reed Florence Reed was a stage, screen and television actress. She is remembered for several outstanding stage productions, including The Shanghai Gesture, The Lullaby, The Yellow Ticket and The Wanderer. Her best remembered movie role was as Miss Havisham in the 1934 production of "Great Expectations"... |
| Alcolom | Aileen D'Orme | Kate Condon Kate Condon Kate Condon was an American contralto who sang in light and grand operas over the early decades of the twentieth century.-Early Life:... |
| Mahbubah | Sydney Fairbrother | Lucy Beaumont Lucy Beaumont Lucy Beaumont was an English actress of the stage and screen from Bristol, England. She was the daughter of Sir Albert and Helen Coles. She was educated at a young ladies' college in Bath, England.... |
Songs
Act 1- Here Be Oysters Stewed In Honey (Abdullah and Chorus)
- I am Chu Chin Chow (Abu Hasan and Chorus)
- Cleopatra's Nile (Marjanah and Chorus)
- I'll Sing & Dance (Ali Baba and Company)
- Corraline (Nur-Al-Huda and Marjanah)
- When a Pullet is Plump (Ali Baba)
- We Are The Robbers Of The Woods (Robber's Chorus)
- All My Days Till End Of Life (Marjanah and Ali Baba) *
- Temperamental am I (Ali Baba, Marjanah and Nur)
- Behold (Abdullah)
- Desert Song (Zahrat and Chorus)
Act 2
- I Long for the Sun (Alcolom and Chorus)
- Mahbubah (Ali, Kassim, Marjanah, Nur and Alcolom)
- I Built a Fairy Palace (Mahbubah)
- The Song Of The Scimitar (Abu Hasan and Chorus)
- Any Time's Kissing Time (Alcolom)
- The Cobbler's Song (Baba Mustafa)
- We Bring Ye Fruits (Fruit Girls)
- From Cairo, Baghdad, Khorasan (Otbah)
- How Dear Is Our Day (Alcolom and Ali Baba)
- Olive Oil (Abdullah and Chorus)
- Wedding Procession (Ensemble)
Additional Songs added in the 1940 revival
- I Shiver And Shake With Fear (Ali Baba, Marjanah and Nur-Al-Huda)
- Beans, Beans, Beans (Mabudah)
- At Siesta Time (Marjanah and Chorus)
- If I Liken Thy Shape (Marjanah and Nur-Al-Huda)
Chu Chin Chow in popular culture
- The character Mame Dennis mentions in the novel Auntie MameAuntie MameAuntie Mame is a 1955 novel by Patrick Dennis that chronicles the madcap adventures of a boy, Patrick, growing up as the ward of his deceased father's eccentric sister, Mame Dennis. The book is a work of fiction inspired by the author's eccentric aunt, Marion Tanner, whose life and outlook in many...
that she adored her time as a chorus girl in Chu Chin Chow with her bosom buddy Vera Charles and tries to recreate the experience.
- In Upstairs, DownstairsUpstairs, DownstairsUpstairs, Downstairs is a British drama television series originally produced by London Weekend Television and revived by the BBC. It ran on ITV in 68 episodes divided into five series from 1971 to 1975, and a sixth series shown on the BBC on three consecutive nights, 26–28 December 2010.Set in a...
Virginia Hamilton tells Hazel Bellamy that she is taking her Naval officer son to see Chu Chin Chow for the third time. She then asks Richard Bellamy, "Have you seen Chu Chin Chow?" implying that he is too stuffy and strait-laced to have done so.
- Fin Fang FoomFin Fang FoomFin Fang Foom is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #89 Fin Fang Foom is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #89 Fin Fang...
's name is based on the title of Chu Chin Chow, according to Stan LeeStan LeeStan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
.
Production history
- His Majesty's Theatre 1916–1921 (2,238 performances)
- Broadway 1917–1918 (208 performances)
- The Regent Theatre, London 1928–1929 (? performances)
- Another British revival, 1940–1941 (238 performances)
- The Finborough TheatreFinborough TheatreThe Finborough Theatre is a fifty seat theatre in the Earls Court area of London, United Kingdom , which presents new British writing, UK and premieres of new plays, primarily from the English speaking world including North America, Canada, Scotland and Ireland, music theatre, and rarely seen...
in London performed a semi-staged, score-in-hand production of Chu Chin Chow in July 2008, starring Alan CoxAlan Cox (actor)-Biography:He is the son of the Emmy Award winning actor Brian Cox and his first wife Caroline Burt. Cox was educated at St Paul's School in London. He has a sister, Margaret, and a half brother Torin Kamran Charles....
.