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George Grossmith, Jr.
George Grossmith Jr. (11 May 1874 – 6 June 1935) was an English actor, theatre producer and manager, director, playwright and songwriter, best remembered for his work in and with Edwardian musical comedies. Grossmith was also an important innovator in bringing "cabaret" and "revues" to the London stage. Born in London, he took his first role on the musical stage at the age of 18 in '' Haste to the Wedding'' (1892), a West End collaboration between his famous songwriter and actor father and W. S. Gilbert. Grossmith soon became an audience favourite playing "dude" roles. Early appearances in musicals included George Edwardes's hit ''A Gaiety Girl'' in 1893, and ''Go-Bang'' and ''The Shop Girl'' in 1894. In 1895, Grossmith left the musical stage, instead appearing in straight comedies, but after a few years he returned to performing in musicals and Victorian burlesques. Early in the new century, he had a string of successes in musicals for Edwardes, including ''The Toreador'' ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edmund Payne
Edmund James "Teddy" Payne (14 December 1863 – 15 July 1914), was an English actor, comedian and singer best known for creating comic roles in a series of extremely successful Edwardian musical comedies. He was often paired with the comic actor George Grossmith, Jr. After about a decade touring and in stock productions, Payne joined the company at the Gaiety Theatre in London, gaining notice for creating a comic character in the musical '' In Town'' (1892). He spent more than two decades at the Gaiety, using his diminutive stature, malleable features, distinctive lisp and comic dance ability to his advantage. His further successes in the 1890s included lovable comic roles in such long-running shows as ''The Shop Girl'' (1894), ''The Circus Girl'' (1896) and ''A Runaway Girl'' (1898). In the new century, he created memorable characters in such hits as ''The Messenger Boy'' (1900), ''The Toreador'' (1902), ''The Orchid'' (1903), ''The Spring Chicken'' (1905), ''The Girls of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Spring Chicken
''The Spring Chicken'' is an Edwardian musical comedy adapted by George Grossmith, Jr. from ''Coquin de Printemps'' (1897) by Jaime and Duval, with music by Ivan Caryll and Lionel Monckton and lyrics by Adrian Ross, Percy Greenbank and Grossmith.Howarth, Paul and Colin Johnson"''The Spring Chicken''" British Musical Theatre, Gilbert and Sullivan Archive, 2 November 2016Gillan, Don Stage Beauty, accessed 15 April 2022 Produced by George Edwardes at the Gaiety Theatre in London, it opened on 30 May 1905. It ran for a very successful 401 performances. The London production starred Grossmith, Harry Grattan, and Gertie Millar, with Henry Lytton later joining the cast. ''The Spring Chicken'' had a Broadway run in 1906 and toured in Britain and America. Roles * Gustave Babori (Advocate) – George Grossmith, Jr. * Boniface (His Head Clerk) – Lionel Mackinder * Baron Papouche (His Client) – Harry Grattan * Félix (Head Waiter at "The Crimson Butterfly") – Robert Nai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eastward Ho
''Eastward Hoe'' or ''Eastward Ho!'' is an early Jacobean-era stage play written by George Chapman, Ben Jonson and John Marston. The play was first performed at the Blackfriars Theatre by a company of boy actors known as the Children of the Queen's Revels in early August 1605, and it was printed in September the same year. ''Eastward Ho!'' is a citizen or city comedy about Touchstone, a London goldsmith, and his two apprentices, Quicksilver and Golding. The play is highly satirical about social customs in early modern London, and its anti-Scottish satire resulted in a notorious scandal in which King James was offended and the play's authors were imprisoned. ''Eastward Ho!'' also references, even parodies, popular plays performed by adult companies such as ''The Spanish Tragedy'', ''Tamburlaine'' and ''Hamlet''. The play's title alludes to ''Westward Ho!'' by Thomas Dekker and John Webster who also wrote '' Northward Ho!'' in response that year. Characters * Touchstone ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fighting occurring throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Pacific, and parts of Asia. An estimated 9 million soldiers were killed in combat, plus another 23 million wounded, while 5 million civilians died as a result of military action, hunger, and disease. Millions more died in genocides within the Ottoman Empire and in the 1918 influenza pandemic, which was exacerbated by the movement of combatants during the war. Prior to 1914, the European great powers were divided between the Triple Entente (comprising France, Russia, and Britain) and the Triple Alliance (containing Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy). Tensions in the Balkans came to a head on 28 June 1914, following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 Girls Are There''. The music for them was written by Nat D. Ayer with lyrics by Clifford Grey, who also contributed to ''Yes, Uncle!'', and the text was by George Grossmith, Jr. and Fred Thompson (writer), Fred Thompson based on Rip and Bousquet's ''Le Fils Touffe''. Other material was contributed by Eustace Ponsonby, Philip Braham and Ivor Novello. ''The Bing Boys Are Here'' opened in 1916 in the West End and ran for 378 performances. It was one of the three most important musical hits of the London stage during World War I (the other two being ''The Maid of the Mountains'' and ''Chu Chin Chow''); music or scenes from all of these have been included as background in many films set in this period, and they ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yes, Uncle!
''Yes, Uncle!'' is a musical comedy by Austen Hurgon and George Arthurs, with music by Nat D. Ayer and lyrics by Clifford Grey (who also wrote ''The Bing Boys are Here'' and the following series of highly successful reviews). The story is based on the farce ''Le truc du Brésilien'' by Nicolas Nancey and Paul Armont, and the musical takes its title from the catch-phrase used by Bobby Summers and Mabel Mannering, addressing Uncle Brabazon Hollybone. It was produced by George Grossmith, Jr. and Edward Laurillard and opened at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London on 16 December 1917 and ran for a very successful 626 performances. The piece starred Fred Leslie as G.B. Stark, Margaret Bannerman as Joan and Leslie Henson as Bobby Summers. Later, Madge Elliott and Cyril Ritchard starred in the musical. ''Yes, Uncle!'' was one of a number of very successful musical hits of the London stage during World War I (the others include a revue entitled ''The Bing Boys Are Here'', the musical ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Theodore & Co
''Theodore & Co'' is an English musical theatre, musical comedy in two acts with a book by H. M. Harwood and George Grossmith Jr. based on the French comedy ''Théodore et Cie'' by Paul Armont and Nicolas Nancey, with music by Ivor Novello and Jerome Kern and lyrics by Adrian Ross and Clifford Grey. It was produced by Grossmith and Edward Laurillard and directed by Austen Hurgon, opening at the Gaiety Theatre, London, Gaiety Theatre on 19 September 1916 and running for 503 performances. It starred Grossmith, Fred Leslie and Leslie Henson. ''Theodore & Co'' opened during World War I in the same year as two other tremendously successful shows in London: ''Chu Chin Chow'' and ''The Bing Boys are Here'', and the successful ''The Happy Day''. Audiences wanted light and uplifting entertainment during the war, and these shows delivered it. Victoria ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
To-Night's The Night (musical)
''To-Night's the Night'' is a musical comedy composed by Paul Rubens, with lyrics by Percy Greenbank and Rubens, and a book adapted by Fred Thompson. Two songs were composed by Jerome Kern. The story is based on the farce '' Les Dominos roses'' by Alfred Hennequin and Alfred Delacour. The musical was produced by George Grossmith, Jr. and Edward Laurillard and directed by Austen Hurgon. It opened at the Shubert Theatre in New York on December 24, 1914. It then was produced at the Gaiety Theatre in London, opening on April 18, 1915 and running for a very successful 460 performances. Grossmith starred in the piece with Leslie Henson. Grossmith told ''The New York Times'' that the musical was the first Gaiety Theatre Company production presented in New York before opening in London. Roles and original cast *Montagu Lovitt-Lovitt – James Blakeley *Henry (His Nephew) – Leslie Henson *Pedro (A Tango Teacher) – Max Dearly *Robin Carraway – Vernon Davidson *Alphonse (H ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edward Laurillard
Edward Laurillard (20 April 1870 – 7 May 1936) was a cinema and theatre producer in London and New York City during the first third of the 20th century. He is best remembered for promoting the cinema early in the 20th century and for Edwardian musical comedies produced in partnership with George Grossmith, Jr., including '' Tonight's the Night'' (1914), ''Theodore & Co'' (1916) and '' Yes, Uncle!'' (1917). Life and career Born in Rotterdam in The Netherlands, he was educated at Osnabrück and in Paris. Laurillard moved to London, England as a young man.Obituary from ''The Times'', Friday, 8 May 1936; p. 18 He was married and divorced twice. Early career In 1894, Laurillard became manager of Terry's Theatre, producing ''King Kodak'', and his first big success was ''The Gay Parisienne'' at the Duke of York's Theatre, which introduced the hit song "Sister Mary Jane's Top Note." Other early productions included ''My Old Dutch'' and ''Oh! Susannah'', after which he toured the Un ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
