The Messenger Boy
Encyclopedia
The Messenger Boy is a musical comedy in two acts by James T. Tanner
and Alfred Murray, lyrics by Adrian Ross
and Percy Greenbank
, with music by Ivan Caryll
and Lionel Monckton
, with additional numbers by Paul Rubens
. The story concerned a rascally financier who tries to discredit a rival in love. After a tryout in Plymouth
, it opened at the Gaiety Theatre
in London, managed by George Edwardes
, on 3 February 1900 and ran for a very successful 429 performances. Harry Grattan
and Edmund Payne
starred. Marie Studholme
later joined the cast. It had a Broadway run of 128 performances from 16 September 1901 to 4 January 1902. The director was Herbert Gresham, and the musical director was Louis F. Gottschalk
. The cast included Georgia Caine
as Nora, Jobyna Howland
as Lord Punchestown, May Robson
as Mrs. Bang and Flora Zabelle as Isabel Blyth.
Rose Boote (professional name, Miss Rosie Boote), who also appeared in the London cast, so charmed Geoffrey Taylour, 4th Marquess of Headfort
, that he married her in 1901. Rose Lady Headfort outlived her husband, dying in 1958. The young ladies appearing in George Edwardes's shows became so popular that wealthy gentlemen, termed "Stage Door Johnnies
", would wait outside the stage door hoping to escort them to dinner. In some cases, as here, a marriage resulted.
Act I - Scene 2 - Brindisi
Act II - Scene 1 - Cairo; Scene 2 - Up the Nile; Scene 3 - El Barra
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 Alfred Murray, lyrics by 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...
and Percy Greenbank
Percy Greenbank
Percy Greenbank was an English lyricist, best known for his contribution of lyrics to a number of successful Edwardian musical comedies in the early years of the 20th century. His older brother, lyricist Harry Greenbank, had a brilliant career in the 1890s that was cut short by his death at the...
, with 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 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:...
, with additional numbers by Paul Rubens
Paul Rubens (composer)
Paul Alfred Rubens was an English songwriter and librettist who wrote some of the most popular Edwardian musical comedies of the early twentieth century. He contributed to the success of dozens of musicals....
. The story concerned a rascally financier who tries to discredit a rival in love. After a tryout in Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, it opened at the 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...
in London, managed by 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....
, on 3 February 1900 and ran for a very successful 429 performances. Harry Grattan
Harry Grattan
Harry Grattan was a British stage actor, singer, dancer and writer best known for his performances in musical comedies around 1900.- Life and career :...
and 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....
starred. Marie Studholme
Marie Studholme
Marie Studholme , born Caroline Maria Lupton or Marion Lupton, was an English actress and singer known for her supporting and sometimes starring roles in Victorian and Edwardian musical comedy...
later joined the cast. It had a Broadway run of 128 performances from 16 September 1901 to 4 January 1902. The director was Herbert Gresham, and the musical director was Louis F. Gottschalk
Louis F. Gottschalk
Louis Ferdinand Gottschalk was an American composer and conductor born in St. Louis, Missouri. The son of a Missouri governor, also named Louis, he studied music in Stuttgart, Germany, where his father, a judge, was American consul.He came to attention as conductor of the U.S. premiere of Franz...
. The cast included Georgia Caine
Georgia Caine
Georgia Caine was an American actress who performed both on Broadway and in over 80 films in her 51 year career.-Early career:...
as Nora, Jobyna Howland
Jobyna Howland
Jobyna Howland was an American stage and screen actress. Tall, regal and beautiful Howland was another model for Charles Dana Gibson's famous sketching The Gibson Girl. Howland made her first appearance on the New York Stage in 1899 managed by Daniel Frohman...
as Lord Punchestown, May Robson
May Robson
May Robson was an actress and playwright. A major stage actress of the late 19th and early 20th century, Robson is best known today for the dozens of 1930s motion pictures she appeared in when she was well into her seventies, usually playing cross old ladies with hearts of gold.- Biography :Born...
as Mrs. Bang and Flora Zabelle as Isabel Blyth.
Rose Boote (professional name, Miss Rosie Boote), who also appeared in the London cast, so charmed Geoffrey Taylour, 4th Marquess of Headfort
Geoffrey Taylour, 4th Marquess of Headfort
Geoffrey Thomas Taylour, 4th Marquess of Headfort DL, JP, FZS , styled Lord Geoffrey Taylour until 1893 and Earl of Bective between 1893 and 1894, was a British politician and Army officer....
, that he married her in 1901. Rose Lady Headfort outlived her husband, dying in 1958. The young ladies appearing in George Edwardes's shows became so popular that wealthy gentlemen, termed "Stage Door Johnnies
Gaiety Girls
Gaiety Girls were the chorus girls in Edwardian musical comedies, beginning in the 1890s at the Gaiety Theatre, London, in the shows produced by George Edwardes. The popularity of this genre of musical theatre depended, in part, on the beautiful dancing corps of "Gaiety Girls" appearing onstage in...
", would wait outside the stage door hoping to escort them to dinner. In some cases, as here, a marriage resulted.
Roles and original cast
- Hooker Pasha (Commissioner of the Nile) - Harry Nicholls
- Cosmos Bey (Agent to Hooker Pasha) - E. J. LonnenE. J. LonnenE. J. Lonnen was an English actor and comedian known for his performances in musical burlesques and musicals, particularly at the Gaiety Theatre, London at the end of the Victorian era.-Biography:...
- Clive Radnor (a Queen's Messenger) - L. Mackinder
- Captain Pott (of the "S.S. Shark") - Fred. Wright, Jun.
- Professor Phunckwitz (a German Egyptologist) - 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...
- Comte Le Fleury - Robert Nainby
- Mr. Tudor Pyke (a Financier) - John Tresahar
- Lord Punchestown (Governor of El Barra) - William Wyes
- Captain Naylor (of the P. and O. "S.S. Sirdar") - Harry GrattanHarry GrattanHarry Grattan was a British stage actor, singer, dancer and writer best known for his performances in musical comedies around 1900.- Life and career :...
- Mr. Gascoigne (an Amateur Journalist) - A. Hatherton
- Purser - J. Thompson
- Mr. Trotter - F. Standen
- Tommy Bang (a District Messenger) - 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....
- Nora (Lady Punchestown's Step-Daughter) - Violet Lloyd (later replaced by Marie StudholmeMarie StudholmeMarie Studholme , born Caroline Maria Lupton or Marion Lupton, was an English actress and singer known for her supporting and sometimes starring roles in Victorian and Edwardian musical comedy...
) - Daisy Dapple (a Lady Journalist) - Grace Palotta
- Mrs. Bang (Tommy's Mother) - Connie Ediss
- Lady Punchestown (a Leader of London Society) - Maud Hobson
- Isabel Blyth - Rosie Boote
- Lady Winifred - Margaret Fraser
- Cecilia Gower - Maie Saqui
- Rosa (Lady Punchestown's Maid) - Katie Seymour
Musical numbers
Act I - Scene 1 - Hôtel de Luxe, Thames Embankment- No. 1 - Chorus - "To our Charity Bazaar, Come buy! buy! buy!"
- No. 2 - Cosmos & Chorus - "If there's anybody pining for a reputation shining"
- No. 3 - Lady Punchestown & Pyke - "Supposing a sweet little maid, well-bred, rather clever and fair"
- No. 4 - Nora & Chorus - "Oh, I'm very much afraid there's a lot of scandal made"
- No. 5 - Nora & Clive - "Oh, my dearest, ere I go, there's one thing I want to know"
- No. 6 - Cosmos, Daisy, Gascoigne, Le Fleury, & Phunckwitz - "If you want to go by a proper P. & O."
- No. 7 - Tommy & Chorus - "I am a smart little sort of a chap, very obliging and active"
- No. 8 - Rosa & Tommy - "I'm a little messenger, summon'd by a call"
Act I - Scene 2 - Brindisi
- No. 9 - Chorus - "Tarentella" - "Tra la la la la la la la"
- No. 10 - Clive & Chorus - "I met a Miss Mary Maclean on the boat, alone and in charge of the skipper"
- No. 11 - Captain Naylor, Captain Pott, & Cosmos - "I will bet the crowd a dinner that I get to Egypt first!"
- No. 12 - Mrs. Bang & Chorus - "You talk about detectives in a story, that guess whatever people say or do"
- No. 13 - Concerted Piece - "Oh, Captain, we're sure you can tell us a lot, we want your advice if you please"
- No. 14 - Finale Act I - "Cast the moorings free, warp the vessels round"
Act II - Scene 1 - Cairo; Scene 2 - Up the Nile; Scene 3 - El Barra
- No. 15 - Chorus - "Sheltered from the noon-day glare, civilized society gazes on the passers by"
- No. 16 - Hooker Pasha & Chorus - "My name it is Hooker Pasha, no family tree can I muster"
- No. 17 - Clive, Daisy, Gascoigne, Phunckwitz & Le Fleury - "Now this trip you should take"
- No. 18 - Isabel & Chorus - "There's a girl you may have met, if you have you won't forget; she is Maisie"
- No. 19 - Dervish Dance
- No. 20 - Song and Dance - Rosa - "Oh, when de moon am rising"
- No. 21 - Lady Punchestown, Pyke, Mrs. Bang, & Hooker - "Now how shall we try to stop this lad?"
- No. 22 - Captain Pott & Chorus - "I'm famous Captain Pott"
- No. 23 - Chorus - "Let the trumpets and the drums, as they blare and roll and rattle, greet the Governor that comes"
- No. 24 - Rosa & Tommy - "Oh, if you please, I'm Rameses"
- No. 25 - Nora & Chorus - "The boys go marching down the street, with a tramp, tramp, tramp"
- No. 26 - Mrs. Bang & Chorus - "Although I'm British born, I do not look with scorn on foreigners as such"
- No. 27 - Finale Act II, with Nora & Clive - "We will take our wedding trip upon the Nile"