The Circus Girl
Encyclopedia
The Circus Girl is a musical comedy
in two acts by James T. Tanner
and Walter Apllant (Palings), with lyrics by Harry Greenbank
and Adrian Ross
, music by Ivan Caryll
, and additional music by Lionel Monckton
.
The musical was produced at George Edwardes
's, Gaiety Theatre
, beginning 5 December 1896, and ran for a very successful 497 performances. It also had a successful New York run at two theatres for a total of 172 performances. It starred Seymour Hicks
as Dick Capel and his wife Ellaline Terriss
as Dora Wemyss. Edmund Payne
and Arthur Williams
also appeared. Nancy McIntosh
played La Favorita in the New York production in 1897.
Set in Paris, the plot concerns a group of English tourists who get mixed up with a circus troupe. Two of the famous songs from the show are "A Little Bit of String" and "The Way to Treat a Lady".
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...
in two acts by James T. Tanner
James T. Tanner
James Tolman Tanner was an English stage director and dramatist who wrote many of the successful musicals produced by George Edwardes.-Life and career:...
and Walter Apllant (Palings), with lyrics by Harry Greenbank
Harry Greenbank
Harry Greenbank was an English author and dramatist best known for contributing lyrics to the successful series musicals produced at Daly's Theatre by George Edwardes in the 1890s.-Life and career:...
and Adrian Ross
Adrian Ross
For the NFL player see Adrian Ross Arthur Reed Ropes , better known under the pseudonym Adrian Ross, was a prolific writer of lyrics, contributing songs to more than sixty British musical comedies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
, music by Ivan Caryll
Ivan Caryll
Félix Marie Henri Tilkin , better known by his pen name Ivan Caryll, was a Belgian composer of operettas and Edwardian musical comedies in the English language...
, and additional music by Lionel Monckton
Lionel Monckton
Lionel John Alexander Monckton was an English writer and composer of musical theatre. He was Britain's most popular musical theatre composer of the early years of the 20th century.-Early life:...
.
The musical was produced at George Edwardes
George Edwardes
George Joseph Edwardes was an English theatre manager of Irish ancestry who brought a new era in musical theatre to the British stage and beyond....
's, Gaiety Theatre
Gaiety Theatre, London
The Gaiety Theatre, London was a West End theatre in London, located on Aldwych at the eastern end of the Strand. The theatre was established as the Strand Musick Hall , in 1864 on the former site of the Lyceum Theatre. It was rebuilt several times, but closed from the beginning of World War II...
, beginning 5 December 1896, and ran for a very successful 497 performances. It also had a successful New York run at two theatres for a total of 172 performances. It starred Seymour Hicks
Seymour Hicks
Sir Arthur Seymour Hicks , better known as Seymour Hicks, was a British actor, music hall performer, playwright, screenwriter, theatre manager and producer. He married the actress Ellaline Terriss in 1893...
as Dick Capel and his wife Ellaline Terriss
Ellaline Terriss
Ellaline Terriss, born Ellaline Lewin , was a popular English actress and singer, best known for her performances in Edwardian musical comedies...
as Dora Wemyss. Edmund Payne
Edmund Payne
Edmund Payne , was an actor, comedian, singer and dramatist best known for his comic appearances in Edwardian Musical Comedy. His father was Edmund Payne, a master cabinet builder and his mother was Eliza Payne née Ince....
and Arthur Williams
Arthur Williams (actor)
Arthur Williams was an English actor, singer and playwright best remembered for his roles in comic operas, musical burlesques and Edwardian musical comedies...
also appeared. Nancy McIntosh
Nancy McIntosh
Nancy McIntosh was an American-born singer and actress who performed mostly on the London stage. Her father was a member of the notorious South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, which had been blamed in connection with the 1889 Johnstown Flood that resulted in the loss of over 2,200 lives in...
played La Favorita in the New York production in 1897.
Set in Paris, the plot concerns a group of English tourists who get mixed up with a circus troupe. Two of the famous songs from the show are "A Little Bit of String" and "The Way to Treat a Lady".
Background
Ellaline Terriss wrote:- One night Sir Arthur Sullivan came to see The Circus Girl and was good enough to come round after the play to my dressing-room. I was a little afraid that he might be contemptuous of our gay, light-hearted trifle, but no, not at all, he said he had been delighted with everything, the comedy, the charm, the setting — it is true that the play was beautifully mounted. Edwardes had caught the atmosphere of the circus ring and the last scene, "The Artists' Ball," was one of the finest The Guv'nor had ever staged. It got rounds of applause when the curtain went up, at every performance. Sullivan was loud in his praises of the music, too — there was no criticism from him. And he expressed great pleasure in my own performance, going so far as to say that he hoped I would be able to create a part in one of his next works.http://www.cris.com/~oakapple/gasdisc/mdpemberton-wsg.htm
Roles and original cast
- Sir Titus Wemyss – Harry Monkhouse
- Dick Capel – Seymour HicksSeymour HicksSir Arthur Seymour Hicks , better known as Seymour Hicks, was a British actor, music hall performer, playwright, screenwriter, theatre manager and producer. He married the actress Ellaline Terriss in 1893...
- Drivelli (proprietor of circus) – Arthur WilliamsArthur Williams (actor)Arthur Williams was an English actor, singer and playwright best remembered for his roles in comic operas, musical burlesques and Edwardian musical comedies...
- Hon. Reginald Gower – Lionel Mackinder
- Auguste (a clown) – Willie WardeWillie WardeWillie Warde was an English actor, dancer, singer and choreographer. The son of a dancer, his first theatre work was with a dance company. He was engaged to arrange dances for London productions and was later cast as a comic actor in musical theatre...
- Adolphe (a clown) – Bertie Wright
- Albertoni (ring master) – Colin Coop
- Commissaire of Police – Robert Nainby
- Vicomte Gaston – Maurice Farkoa
- Toothick Pasha (the Terrible Turk) – Arthur Hope
- Rudolph (the Cannon King) – E. D. Wardes
- Proprietor of Cafe de la Regence – Leslie Holland
- Flobert – Robert Selby
- Cocher – W. F. Brooke
- Sergent de Ville – Fred Ring
- Valliand – W. H. Powell
- Biggs (an American bar tender) – Edmund PayneEdmund PayneEdmund Payne , was an actor, comedian, singer and dramatist best known for his comic appearances in Edwardian Musical Comedy. His father was Edmund Payne, a master cabinet builder and his mother was Eliza Payne née Ince....
- Lucille (a slack wire walker) – Katie Seymour
- La Favorita – Ethel Haydon
- Mme. Drivelli – Connie Ediss
- Lady Diana Wemyss – Marie Davis
- Marie – Grace Palotta
- Louise – Lily Johnston
- Liane – Louie Coote
- Emilie – Alice Betelle
- Juliette – Maidie Hope
- Comptesse d'Epernay – Ada Maitland
- Marquise de Millefleurs – Kathleen Francis
- Mdlle. Gompson – Alice Neilson
- Dora Wemyss – Ellaline TerrissEllaline TerrissEllaline Terriss, born Ellaline Lewin , was a popular English actress and singer, best known for her performances in Edwardian musical comedies...
Musical numbers
- No. 1 - Opening Chorus - "We're taking advantage..."
- No. 2 - Song - Biggs and Chorus - "Supposing you should suffer..."
- No. 3 - Trio - Dick, Reggie, and Biggs - "Oh, I am in love..."
- No. 4 - Chorus and Song - Drivelli - "What is this attraction..." and "The Uses of Advertisement"
- No. 5 - Song - La Favorita - "What queen holds prouder sway..."
- No. 6 - Duet - Lucille and Biggs - "If the combat you win..."
- No. 7 - Song - Dora - "In the dreary days of school..."
- No. 8 - Duet - Dora and Dick - "The charms of a circus..."
- No. 9 - Song - Gaston and Chorus - "When strolling down a boulevard..."
- No. 10 - Song - Dick and Chorus - "When you rise at early dawn..."
- No. 11 - Finale - Act I - "With feet ever moving..."
- No. 12 - Act II Opening Chorus - "In eager expectation..."
- No. 13 - Song - Albertoni and Chorus - "If you really wish to hear..."
- No. 14 - Song - La Favorita and Chorus - "A life to be envied by all..."
- No. 15 - Song - Dick - "There was once a little maiden..."
- No. 16 - Chorus - "When pretty cheeks are all aglow..."
- No. 17 - Song - Gaston and Chorus - "Now, comrades, have a glass with me..."
- No. 18 - Song - Dora - "I was a little baby..."
- No. 19 - Duet - Lucille and Biggs - "Pets of the circus ring..."
- No. 20 - Song - Mrs. Drivelli and Chorus - "I think that it's behaving very shabby..."
- No. 21 - Dance des Polichinelles
- No. 22 - Finale - Act II - "As round the ring..."