''Lifting the Lid'' is a

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

in four scenes with music by Jean Schwartz, lyrics by

William Jerome William Jerome Flannery, September 30, 1865 – June 25, 1932) was an American songwriter, born in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York of Irish immigrant parents, Mary Donnellan and Patrick Flannery. He collaborated with numerous well-known composers a ...

, and a book by John J. McNally. The musical was a spoof of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

politics of the early 20th century, and included impersonations of both political figures and other personalities of the period. The Manhattan district attorney

William Travers Jerome William Travers Jerome (April 18, 1859 – February 13, 1934) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. Early life William Travers Jerome was born in New York City on April 18, 1859. He was the son of Lawrence Jerome (1820–1888, Co ...

was particularly lampooned as the musical's central character, district attorney William T. G. Rome, was a send up of Jerome and performed in an uncanny impersonation by the actor Julius Tannen.

Performance history

''Lifting the Lid'' premiered at Broadway's Aerial Gardens on June 5, 1905, in a double bill with ''A Gilbert and Sullivan Review''.Dietz, p. 289 The musical was produced by

Klaw and Erlanger Klaw and Erlanger was an entertainment management and production partnership of Marc Klaw and Abraham Lincoln Erlanger based in New York City from 1888 through 1919. While running their own considerable and multi-faceted theatrical businesses ...

, co-directed and choreographed by

Herbert Gresham Herbert Gresham (1852, London - February 23, 1921) was an English-born American theatre director, choreographer, and actor. Life and career Herbert Gresham was born in London in 1852. He began his career as an actor as a member of Augustin Daly's ...

and Ned Wayburn, and used sets by the firm of Castle and Harvey. F. Richard Anderson designed the costumes and Frederic Solomon was music director of the production.Mantle, Sherwood & Chapman, p. 491 The production closed on August 26, 1905, after 72 performances.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * *

External links

* 1905 musicals Broadway musicals Musicals by Jean Schwartz Musicals by John J. McNally Musicals by William Jerome Musicals set in New York City {{musical-stub