The Idea is a musical

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...

 with words and music by Joseph Hart.

The original production, featuring Frederick Hallen and Joseph Hart, was produced by Hallen in Boston in the fall 1892. It then opened in New York City at the Fourteenth Street Theatre

Fourteenth Street Theatre

The Fourteenth Street Theatre was a New York City theatre located on 14th Street just west of Sixth Avenue.The venue opened in 1866 as the Theatre Francais. It was renamed the Lyceum in 1871. By the time J.H...

 on April 9, 1893 and was still playing there in October.

In 1894, a revival played in Chicago.

Roles and New York cast

The opening night cast in New York was as follows:

• Peach Blow: Fannie Bloodgood
• Mrs. Morton Howes/Johnny Get: Mollie Fuller
• Nellie Dogood: Margueritte De Mar
• Mary B. Quiet: Carrie De Mar
• Gedney Howes: Loretta Morgan
• Victoria Howes: Edith Murray
• Marlborough Howes: Jennie Grovini
• Morton Howes: J. Aldrich Libbey
• Gilsey Howes: Charles B. Lawlor
• Carl Pretzel: Al. Wilson
• Reed Wallpaper: Albert Hawthorne
• Saunders: Larry Dooley
• Wells Fargo: Richard Reab
• Policeman: Charles Kettler
• Hoffman Howes: Frederick Hallen
• Olean Bradford: Joseph Hart

Songs

Based on the sheet music, the songs included:

• When the Man in the Moon Goes To Sleep
• That Was Me
• A Dream In the Old Arm-Chair
• I Have No Heart, It Still Belongs To Thee
• I Love You In Spite Of It All - by Charles K. Harris
  Charles K. Harris
  Charles Kassel Harris was a well regarded American songwriter of popular music. During his long career, he advanced the relatively new genre, publishing more than 300 songs, often deemed by admirers as the "king of the tear jerkers"...