''Afgar, or the Andalusian Leisure'' is a musical with lyrics by

Douglas Furber Douglas Furber (13 May 1885 – 20 February 1961) was a British lyricist and playwright. Furber is best known for the lyrics to the 1937 song " The Lambeth Walk" and the libretto to the musical '' Me and My Girl'', composed by Noel Gay, from whic ...

, music by

Charles Cuvillier Charles Cuvillier (24 April 1877 – 14 February 1955) was a French composer of operetta. He won his greatest successes with the operettas ''La reine s'amuse'' (1912, played as ''The Naughty Princess'' in London) and with '' The Lilac Domino'', ...

and a book by Fred Thompson and

Worton David Ernest Worton David (17 October 1872 – 15 November 1940) was an English songwriter and music publisher. Biography Worton David was born in Rawmarsh, near Rotherham in the West Riding of Yorkshire; Worton was his mother's maiden name. At fi ...

. It is based on Cuvillier's 1909 French operetta of the same name, with words by André Barde and

Michel Carré Michel Carré (20 October 1821, Besançon – 27 June 1872, Argenteuil) was a prolific French librettist. He went to Paris in 1840 intending to become a painter but took up writing instead. He wrote verse and plays before turning to writing lib ...

. The original West End production opened at the

London Pavilion The London Pavilion is a building on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue and Coventry Street on the north-east side of Piccadilly Circus in London. It is currently a shopping arcade and part of the Trocadero Centre. Early history The first build ...

on 17 September 1919 and ran for 300 performances. It featured Marie Burke,

Alice Delysia Alice Henriette Lapize (3 March 1889 – 10 February 1979), better known by her stage name, Alice Delysia and sometimes Elise Delisia, was a French actress and singer who made her career in English musical theatre. After performing in the cho ...

, Strafford Moss, John Humphries,

Lupino Lane Henry William George Lupino (16 June 1892 – 10 November 1959) professionally Lupino Lane, was an English actor and theatre manager, and a member of the famous Lupino family, which eventually included his cousin, the screenwriter/director/actr ...

Harry Welchman Harry Welchman (24 February 1886 – 3 January 1966) was an English star of musical theatre. He made several appearances in non-musical plays, but was remembered as, in the words of ''The Times'', "perhaps the most popular musical comedy hero on th ...

and Leon Morton, and its cast recording was the first original cast recording of a musical at the Pavilion.Information from the Arthur Lloyd website
/ref> The

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

production, directed by Frank Collins, opened on 8 November 1920 at the Central Theatre and ran for 168 performances. It starred Irving Beebee as Don Juan, Jr. and Delysia as Zaydee.

Synopsis

Don Juan, Jr. has been imprisoned within sight of a Moorish harem to punish him for being too flirtatious. The favorite harem girl, Zaydee, who likes Don, organizes a strike of the harem girls, demanding his release and one husband for each girl. The strike succeeds, and all ends happily.

Song list

;Act I *Give the Devil His Due - Don Juan, Jr. *Rose of Seville - Isilda *Live for Love - Zaydee *Man from Mexico - Coucourli *Caresses - Zaydee *Why Don't You? (Lyrics By Joseph McCarthy, music By Harry Tierney) - Zaydee ;Act II *United We Stand - Coucourli, Houssain and Chorus *We're the Gentlemen of the Harem - Coucourli, Lord Afgar, Don Juan, Jr. and Chorus *Sunshine Valley - Isilda *Where Art Thou, Romeo? (Lyrics By Joseph McCarthy; music By Harry Tierney) - Zaydee *Garden of Make Believe - Zaydee *I Hate the Lovely Women (Lyrics By Joseph McCarthy; music By Harry Tierney) - Coucourli *Ceremony of Veils - Zaydee, Isilda, Houssain and Chorus *'Neath Thy Casement - Don Juan, Jr.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Internet Broadway Database listingAfgar production listing at broadwayworld.com
1919 musicals Broadway musicals West End musicals Compositions by Charles Cuvillier