''The Casino Girl'' 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 two acts. The story concerns a former chorus girl at the Casino Theatre in New York, who flees to

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...

under an assumed name to escape amorous advances of an admirer. It opened at the Casino Theatre in New York City in 1900 and had a run in the same year at the

Shaftesbury Theatre The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden. Opened in 1911 as the New Prince's Theatre, it was the last theatre to be built in Shaftesbury Avenue. History The theatre was d ...

in the

West End of London The West End of London (commonly referred to as the West End) is a district of Central London, west of the City of London and north of the River Thames, in which many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buil ...

before having a

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 ...

revival in 1901.

Productions

Casino Girl Illinois Theatre Chicago 1906

''The Casino Girl'' was billed as the twin sister of '' The Belle of New York'' and was commissioned for the Casino Theatre in New York as a vehicle for Mabelle Gilman with a cast that included

Virginia Earle Virginia Earle (née Earl; August 6, 1873 – September 21, 1937) was an American stage actress remembered for her work in light operas, Edwardian musical comedies and vaudeville over the decades surrounding the turn of the 20th century. Early ...

in a

breeches role A breeches role (also pants role or trouser role, or Hosenrolle) is one in which an actress appears in male clothing. Breeches, tight-fitting knee-length pants, were the standard male garment at the time these roles were introduced. The theatric ...

as Percy,

Adele Ritchie Adele Ritchie (December 21, 1874 – April 24, 1930) was an American prima donna of comic opera and star of Edwardian musical comedies and vaudeville. Her career began in the early 1890s and continued for nearly twenty-five years. She killed a f ...

, Lotta Faust and

Sam Bernard Sam Bernard (born Samuel Barnett, 5 June 1863 – 16 May 1927) was an English-born American vaudeville comedian who also performed in musical theatre, comic opera and burlesque and appeared in a few silent films. Life and career Bernard was bor ...

as Pilsener. It ran at the Casino from 19 March 1900 to 9 June 1900 for a run of 51 performances and was revived at the same theatre on 6 August 1900 for 40 performances before going on a tour of the United States. It was produced by

George Lederer George Washington Lederer (c. 1862, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania − October 8, 1938) was an American producer and director on Broadway from 1894 to 1931. He was the husband of actresses Reine Davies and Jessie Lewis and the father of Charles Ledere ...

, with music by

Ludwig Engländer Ludwig Engländer (October 20, 1853 Vienna, Austria – September 13, 1914) was an Austrian-born American composer of more than 30 musicals. He was born in Vienna, Austria.Passport application available in the series ''U.S. Passport Applications, ...

Will Marion Cook William Mercer Cook (January 27, 1869 – July 19, 1944), better known as Will Marion Cook, was an American composer, violinist, and choral director.Riis, Thomas (2007–2011)Cook, Will Marion ''Grove Music Online.'' Oxford Music Online. Retrieved ...

Will Accooe Willis J. Accooe (1874 – April 26, 1904) was an American performing musician and composer, mainly of musicals. He was "an important songwriter during the birth of the black musical" according to the Library of Congress website. Life and caree ...

, Harry Truman MacConnell and

Arthur Nevin Arthur Finley Nevin (April 27, 1871 – July 10, 1943) was an American composer, conductor, teacher and musicologist. Along with Charles Wakefield Cadman, Blair Fairchild, Charles Sanford Skilton, and Arthur Farwell, among others, he was one of ...

, lyrics by Engländer, Cook and MacConnell, and a book by Harry B. SmithFranceschina, John
''Incidental and Dance Music in the American Theatre from 1786 to 1923: Volume 3''
BearManor Media (2018) via Google Books and Arthur Nevin. The show had a revival at the Knickerbocker Theatre in New York from 8 April 1901 starring

Katie Seymour Katie Seymour (9 January 1870 – 7 September 1903)Drawing Room Entertainment. ''London Stratford Times and Bow and Bromley News and South Essex Gazette,'' 15 March 1876, p. 5Gänzl, Kurt, 2001. ''The Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre,'' p. 1 ...

and James E. Sullivan.''The Casino Girl''
''

Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the show's pr ...

'' The show was mounted at the

in London from 11 July 1900 to 22 January 1901 for a run of 193 performances, again with Gilman in the title role. Wearing, J. P., ''The London Stage 1900–1909: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel'', Rowman & Littlefield (2014)
pp. 26–27
via Google Books The production immediately ran into problems as Henry Lowenfield, the theatre's manager, assumed he had the right to rewrite the show and rename the characters, which brought him into conflict with Smith, the show's book writer. The two struck a deal, and Lowenfield purchased the rights to the show for £1,000.Franceschina, John. ''Harry B. Smith: Dean of American Librettists'', Routledge (2003)
p. 126
via Google Books The London production then undertook a tour of the British provinces in 1901–1902, produced by

Ben Greet Sir Philip Barling Greet (24 September 1857 – 17 May 1936), known professionally as Ben Greet, was a Shakespearean actor, director, impresario and actor-manager. Early life The younger son of Captain William Greet RN and his wife, Sarah Ba ...

, with a cast led by

Isa Bowman Isa Bowman (1874–1958) was an actress, a close friend of Lewis Carroll and author of a memoir about his life, ''The Story of Lewis Carroll, Told for Young People by the Real Alice in Wonderland''. She met Carroll in 1886 when she played a smal ...

as Laura Lee and

Gabrielle Ray Gabrielle Ray (born Gabrielle Elizabeth Clifford Cook, 28 April 1883 – 21 May 1973), was an English stage actress, dancer and singer, best known for her roles in Edwardian musical comedies. Ray was considered one of the most beautiful actresse ...

as Dolly Twinkle.Ben Greet’s Company on tour in ''The Casino Girl'', 1901
Footlight Notes, accessed 21 April 2020 In 1902 it had a production at the Theatre Royal in

Bolton Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish people, Flemish weavers settled in the area i ...

Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county and combined authority, combined authority area in North West England, with a population of 2.8 million; comprising ten metropolitan boroughs: City of Manchester, Manchester, City of Salford, Salford ...

in the UK. There was a revival at the Illinois Theatre in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

in 1906.

Synopsis

*Act I – A Street in Cairo *Act II – The Pasha's Palace Laura Lee, a former chorus girl from the Casino Theatre in New York, attempts to escape the amorous advances of Percy, an English earl, by going to

in Egypt where she sets herself up as Mdlle. Estelle, a French milliner. Percy arrives in Egypt in pursuit of her. Laura Lee endures complications involving a comic Pasha and some clownish thieves before she realises that she loves Percy in return, and the two are united.Bernard L. Peterson Jr., ''A Century of Musicals in Black and White: An Encyclopedia of Musical Stage'', Greenwood Press (1993)
pp. 74–75
via Google Books After a rewrite for the London production, the Khedive became the Pasha, and Percy became a New York doctor.

Roles and original cast

*Pilsener Pasha (a Brewer, whose introduction of beer into Egypt won him his title) – James E. Sullivan"The Polite Lunatic at Close Quarters", ''

The Sketch ''The Sketch'' was a British illustrated weekly journal. It ran for 2,989 issues between 1 February 1893 and 17 June 1959. It was published by the Illustrated London News Company and was primarily a society magazine with regular features on roy ...

'', 12 September 1900, p. 327 / Frank Bernard *J. Offenbach Gaggs (known as Signor Hasheemi, a grand opera tenor, who takes a company to Cairo) –

Richard Carle Richard Carle (born Charles Nicholas Carleton, July 7, 1871 – June 28, 1941) was an American stage and film actor as well as a playwright and stage director. He appeared in more than 130 films between 1915 and 1941. Carle was born in Som ...

Eric Thorne Frederick Thomas Thorne (1862 – 26 November 1922), stage name Eric Thorne, was an English singer and actor in musical theatre and comic opera. His professional career began in 1884 with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company where he worked for ...

*Percy Harold Ethelbert Van Stuyvesant (an Earl) –

Cyril Scott Cyril Meir Scott (27 September 1879 – 31 December 1970) was an English composer, writer, poet, and occultist. He created around four hundred musical compositions including piano, violin, cello concertos, symphonies, and operas. He also wrot ...

/ Thomas Whiffen / Andrew Higginson *Ben Muley (Chief of a gang of thieves, a deserter from the French Army) – Albert Hart *Potage (his Lieutenant) – Samuel Collins *1st Officer – William Black *2nd Officer – Joseph Sullivan *Laura Lee (formerly of the New York Casino Company, known in Cairo as Mdlle. Estelle, a French Milliner) – Mabelle Gilman /

Marie George Marie George (born Clara Marie Georg; 25 June 1876 – 15 July 1955) was an American actress, singer and stage beauty who had a successful career first in New York City and later in London, England during the Edwardian era. Early life Mari ...

*Dolly Twinkle (leading dancer of the Comic Opera Company, managed by J. Offenbach Gaggs) –

/ Eva M. Kelly *Miss Roxana Rocks (an heiress from Chicago) – Ella Snyder *Lotta Rocks (her Sister) – Eve M. Kelly *Carrie Rocks – Dolly Wiggans / Nelly McNaughton / Ethel Norcross / Grace Milburn *Mrs. H. Malaprop Rocks (a leader of Chicago society, better half of Rocks & Co., Pork Packers of the Western Metropolis – Carrie Perkins *Selim (a Page) – Rose Krohe *Fatima – Minnie Cline *Odaliaka (the Pasha's Favourite) – Caecelia Rhoda *Errand Boy – "Rastus" *Wives, Slaves, etc

Musical numbers

Act 1 *Slave Dealer's Song – Reuben Bey *Song of the Drum Major – Roxy Rocks *My New York (music by Ludwig Englander) – Laura Lee *I'll Put a Tax – The Khedive of Egypt *How Actresses Are Made – Frederick Cholmondeley and Laura Lee Act 2 *Mam'selle (music by

) – Laura Lee *(Down de) Lovers' Lane (music by

; lyrics by

Paul Laurence Dunbar Paul Laurence Dunbar (June 27, 1872 – February 9, 1906) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Dayton, Ohio, to parents who had been enslaved in Kentucky before the American C ...

) – Frederick Cholmondeley *From Africa – Chorus *Chink! Chink! – Fromage *Variety – Fromage, Potage, Mrs. H. Malaprop Rocks and Roxy Rocks *The Casino Girl – Lotta Rocks *Society (music by William J. Accooe; lyrics by William J. Accooe) – Mrs. H. Malaprop Rocks *A Lesson in Acting *Money *In Disguise (music by Arthur Weld) – Dolly Twinkle *Annie More *Bygone Days Are Best (music by Will Marion Cook; lyrics by L. Lamprey *Whatever the Hue of Your Eyes (music by Will Marion Cook) *Romance (music by Will Marion Cook) *Love Has Claimed Its Own (music by William J. Accooe; lyrics by Stephen B. Cassin) – Percy Harold Ethelbert Additional song: *Ma Blushin' Rosie – Laura Lee (London production)

Reception

The review in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' noted the show's length: "When at 11:30 Virginia Earle said to Sam Bernard, 'Look here, old man, I'm tired of all this nonsense', a large part of the great audience that packed the theatre quietly sent up an echoing sentiment.""''The Casino Girl''", ''

'', March 20, 1900, p. 7 It mentioned that the show had no plot, but that audiences don't attend the Casino for plot, rather "for pretty and shapely girls". Virginia Earle came in for the most praise although Mabelle Gilman was also given compliments. The unnamed reviewer complimented both of them in the duet "How Actresses Are Made". In addition to praising the other leads, the reviewer said that composers Cook and McConnell had written good songs that will "improve upon acquaintance." The unnamed critic of ''

The Stage ''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. It was founded in 1880. It contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at those wh ...

'' in London called the New York production a "distinct success," despite not ending until 12:30 am. The critic thought the book "most efficient" and in a "clever and satirical vein" though not up to the standard set by

W. S. Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most f ...

due to its "heavy hand." The same critic found the music "on the whole, tuneful, though not quite up to the standard of excellence which one looks for at the Casino.""Chit Chat", ''

'' (March 29, 1900), p. 13. Some London critics liked the libretto, which they found full of "pleasant jokes and business" and called the lyrics "for the most part really humorous in idea and execution". The critic of ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

'' was less enthusiastic, commenting on, "its threadbare music, its partially intelligible dialogue, ndthe ineptitude of the way in which most of the female parts were played", while the critic for ''

'' this time stated that it would have been "difficult to find a musical farce with a weaker or sillier plot".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Casino Girl, The 1900 compositions 1900 musicals Original musicals American musicals Broadway musicals British musicals