''Havana'' is an

Edwardian musical comedy Edwardian musical comedy was a form of British musical theatre that extended beyond the reign of King Edward VII in both directions, beginning in the early 1890s, when the Gilbert and Sullivan operas' dominance had ended, until the rise of the A ...

in three acts, with a book by

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 inn ...

and Graham Hill, music by

Leslie Stuart Leslie Stuart (15 March 1863 – 27 March 1928) born Thomas Augustine Barrett was an English composer of Edwardian musical comedy Edwardian musical comedy was a form of British musical theatre that extended beyond the reign of King Edward VII ...

, lyrics by

Adrian Ross Arthur Reed Ropes (23 December 1859 – 11 September 1933), 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 additional lyrics by

George Arthurs George Arthurs (13 April 1875 – 14 March 1944) was an English songwriter, playwright, composer, author and screenwriter who contributed lyrics to several successful musical comedies such as ''The Belle of Mayfair'' (1906), ''Havana'' (190 ...

. It premiered on 25 April 1908 at the

Gaiety Theatre, London The Gaiety Theatre was a West End theatre in London, located on Aldwych at the eastern end of the Strand. The theatre was first established as the Strand Musick Hall in 1864 on the former site of the Lyceum Theatre. In 1868, it became known a ...

, starring

Evie Greene Edith Elizabeth "Evie" Greene (14 January 1875 – 11 September 1917) was a much-photographed English actress and singer who played in Edwardian musical comedies in London and on Broadway. She starred as Dolores in the international hit musical ' ...

as Consuelo,

W. H. Berry William Henry Berry (23 March 1870 – 2 May 1951), always billed as W. H. Berry, was an English comic actor. After learning his craft in pierrot and concert entertainments, he was spotted by the actor-manager George Grossmith Jr., and appeared ...

as Reginald Brown,

Lawrence Grossmith Lawrence Randall Grossmith (29 March 1877 – 21 February 1944) was an English actor, the son of the Gilbert and Sullivan performer George Grossmith and the brother of the actor-manager George Grossmith Jr. After establishing his career in Edw ...

as Don Adolfo and

Mabel Russell Mabel Philipson (née Russell; 2 January 1886 – 9 January 1951), known as Mrs Hilton Philipson when not on the stage, was a British actor and politician. Having starred in multiple plays in London, including a period as a Gaiety Girl, Philips ...

as Pepita.Cast and productions details
at ''

The Play Pictorial ''The Play Pictorial'' was an English theatrical magazine that was published in London between 1902 and 1939. ''The Play Pictorial'' provided pictorial records of West End theatrical productions. Each issue described a single show, with descrip ...

'' website (1902–1910) of the Templeman Library at the University of Kent at Canterbury A young

Gladys Cooper Dame Gladys Constance Cooper, (18 December 1888 – 17 November 1971) was an English actress, theatrical manager and producer, whose career spanned seven decades on stage, in films and on television. Beginning as a teenager in Edwardian musi ...

was in the chorus. The production ran for 221 performances before touring the provinces. It also soon played in Berlin, Germany. An American production played at the Casino Theatre in New York after a Philadelphia tryout, with revisions by its star, James T. Powers. This production was staged by

Ned Wayburn Ned Wayburn ''(né'' Edward Claudius Weyburn; 30 March 1874 – 2 September 1942) was an American choreographer. Career Wayburn was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Elbert Delos Weyburn and Harriet Landon Beach. Ned Wayburn spent much of ...

and ran from 11 February 1909 to 25 September 1909 for a total of 236 performances. Among the show's musical numbers are the songs ''Little Miquette'', ''Cupid's Telephone'', ''How Did the Bird Know That?'' and ''Pensacola''. Musical selections from the show were recorded by the Victor Light Opera Company in 1909."Leslie Stuart, Composer"
Encyclopedic Discography of Victor Recordings, accessed 4 January 2010

Roles and original cast

*Jackson Villiers (of the Steam Yacht Jaunty June) – Leonard Mackay *The Hon. Frank Charteris – Robert Hale *Bombito del Campo (Mayor of Havana) – Arthur Hatherton *Don Adolfo (his son) –

*Antonio (Adolfo's valet) –

Barry Lupino George Barry Lupino-Hook (7 January 1884 – 26 September 1962) was an English comedian and film actor, and a notable Pantomime dame. He was the brother of the actor and comedian Stanley Lupino, the father of the actress Antoinette Lupino, and ...

*Diego de la Concha – Edward O'Neill *Nix (bo'sun of the Jaunty June) – Alfred Lester *Reginald Brown (the yacht's boy) –

*Anita (a cigar seller) –

Jean Aylwin Jean Aylwin (10 October 18851964), also known as Jean Isabella Griffin Aitkin, was a Scottish actress and singer, often billed as "The Lady Harry Lauder". Aylwin was best known for creating character roles in successful Edwardian musical comedie ...

*Isabelita (Bombito's sister) – Gladys Homfreye *Tita (chief of the cigar store) – Olive May *Pepita –

*Lolita – Adelina Balfe *Zara – Jessie Broughton *Newspaper reporter –

*Consuelo (Bombito's niece) –

Synopsis

According to ''

The Manchester Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'': "The plot is slight, and is concerned with Consuelo, the niece of the proprietor of a cigar factory and Mayor of Havana. She is betrothed to her cousin Adolfo, but loves an English yachtsman, Jackson Villiers. He is suspected of participation in the plots of the Red Liberados, so she publicly insults him; but he does not seem to mind much, and all ends well.""A New Gaiety Piece", ''The Manchester Guardian'', 27 April 1908, p. 7

Musical numbers

;Act I – Cigar Store of Bombito and Co. *No. 1 – Chorus – 'Tis noon, the noon of tropic day *No. 2 – Bombito and chorus of girls – If I was a ruler despotical, presumably properly paid *No. 3 – Anita – Once a sailor man I married, seven years ago today *No. 4 – Tita, Lolita, Pepita, Bombito, Hilario and Alejandro – There's a yacht in the harbour today *No. 5 – Consuelo and chorus – I'm a Cuban girl from the island pearl *No. 6 – Adolfo and girls – Six little girls went on a tour run by a daily print *No. 7 – Jackson and girls – As I sit on my hammock, smoking and smoking *No. 8 – Reginald and Nix – When I play the buccaneer I'm a flier, never fear *No. 9 – Finale Act I – The girl with the yellow roses ;Act II – Patio of the Torre del Campo. *Nos. 10 and 11 – Chorus and Zara – The sun is down and over the town, far above is the star that we love *No. 12 – Consuelo and girls – Little Miquette, you mustn't forget *No. 13 – Reginald and chorus – When I was born, my birthmark was a pirate flag of black *No. 14 – Anita and Reginald – If you go where duty calls, from a station at St. Paul's *No. 15 – Anita, Pepita, Frank and Reginald – If you see a little bag lying down upon a flag *No. 16 – Adolfo and chorus of girls – If you desire to see your little girlie *No. 17 – Frank – When a fellow loves a girl in London Town *No. 18 – Finale Act II – Welcome to the lovely bride ;Act III – The Harbour, Havana. *No. 19 – Chorus – The morning breaks upon the shore *No. 20 – Anita and Nix – If you're the dear departed *No. 21 – Reginald – When I was once a naughty little nipper *No. 22 – Pepita and chorus – I know there's a little girl that you know *No. 23 – Consuelo – I know a man who's waiting for me down there by the sea *No. 24 – Ensemble – girls, will you take a walk for a while? *No. 25 – Finale Act III – I'm a Cuban girl from the island of pearl

References

{{reflist

External links

''Havana''
at the IBDB database
Photo of Evie Greene in ''Havana''''Havana''
on the

National Library of Australia The National Library of Australia (NLA), formerly the Commonwealth National Library and Commonwealth Parliament Library, is the largest reference library in Australia, responsible under the terms of the ''National Library Act 1960'' for "mainta ...

website
Midi music from "Havana" 1908 musical
1908 musicals Original musicals British musicals