''The Happy Day'' is a

musical comedy Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

in two acts by

Seymour Hicks Sir Edward Seymour Hicks (30 January 1871 – 6 April 1949), better known as Seymour Hicks, was a British actor, music hall performer, playwright, actor-manager and producer. He became known, early in his career, for writing, starring in and p ...

, with music by Sidney Jones and Paul Rubens, and 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 Rubens. It was produced by

George Edwardes George Joseph Edwardes (né Edwards; 8 October 1855 – 4 October 1915) was an English theatre manager and producer of Irish ancestry who brought a new era in musical theatre to the British stage and beyond. Edwardes started out in theatre ma ...

's company (by the estate's executor,

Robert Evett Robert Evett (16 October 1874 – 15 January 1949) was an English singer, actor, theatre manager and producer. He was best known as a leading man in Edwardian musical comedies and later managed the George Edwardes theatrical empire. In 1892, at ...

) and was directed by Evett. The story concerns a royal couple who dislike each other but ultimately fall in love. A masquerade scene provides opportunities for mistaken identity. The musical opened at

Daly's Theatre Daly's Theatre was a theatre in the City of Westminster. It was located at 2 Cranbourn Street, just off Leicester Square. It opened on 27 June 1893, and was demolished in 1937. The theatre was built for and named after the American impresar ...

in London on 13 May 1916 and ran for 241 performances. It starred Winifred Barnes,

José Collins Charlotte Josephine Collins (23 May 1887 – 6 December 1958) was an English actress and singer known by her stage name, José Collins, who was celebrated for her performances in musical comedies, such as the long-running ''The Maid of the Mo ...

and

Arthur Wontner Arthur Wontner (21 January 1875 – 10 July 1960) was a British actor best known for playing Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's master detective Sherlock Holmes in five films from 1931 to 1937. Career Wontner's acting career began on the stage where h ...

, who played the Ruritanian prince. Later

Bertram Wallis Bertram Wallis (22 February 1874 – 11 April 1952) was an English actor and singer known for his performances in plays, musical comedies and operettas in the early 20th century, first as leading men and then in character roles. He also later ...

joined the cast.

Background

''The Happy Day'' opened during

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 fightin ...

in the same year as three other tremendously successful shows in London: ''

Chu Chin Chow ''Chu Chin Chow'' is a musical comedy written, produced and directed by Oscar Asche, with music by Frederic Norton, based (with minor embellishments) on the story of '' Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves''. Gänzl, Kurt"''Chu Chin Chow'' Musical Tal ...

'', ''

Theodore & Co ''Theodore & Co'' is an English 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 a ...

'' and ''

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 ...

''. Audiences, including servicemen on leave, wanted light and uplifting entertainment during the war, and these shows delivered it. The show was Jones's last success. A review in ''

The Illustrated London News ''The Illustrated London News'' appeared first on Saturday 14 May 1842, as the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. Founded by Herbert Ingram, it appeared weekly until 1971, then less frequently thereafter, and ceased publication i ...

'' commented that the costumes were "sumptuous" and praised the comedy and the music of the piece, as well as the cast, especially Collins "with her attractive voice and picturesque personality.""''The Happy Day,'' at Daly's"
''The Illustrated London News'', Vol. 58, p. 638, 20 May 1916, accessed 18 December 2013 Two of the popular songs from ''The Happy Day'' were "Bohemia" and "I Don't Seem to Want You When You're With Me".

Roles and original cast members

*Charles, Prince of Galania –

*Sir Dennis O'hagan (His A.D.C.) – Frank Wilson *Earl of Anglemere (The Princess's Equerry) – Thorpe Bates *General Count Ivan Tobolsk (The Inspector-General) *M. Drinkavink (The Director of the Casino) *M. Oppinoff (The Chancellor of the Exchequer) *M. Limitski (The Public Trustee) *Walter (of London) – Lauri de Frece *The Captain – G. P. Huntley *Mary, Princess of Valaria – Winifred Barnes *The Countess Tobolsk (Mistress of the Robes) – Rosina Filippi *The Lady Diana Brooke (A Maid of Honour) – Nellie Taylor *Luna L'etoile *Ma Petite (of the Opera House) – Unity Moore *Camille Joyeuse (a Queen of Bohemia) –

*Ladies of the Bedchamber, Courtiers, Soldiers, Peasants, Dancers, Guests, Servants, etc.

Musical Numbers

Act I *Introduction (The Clock upon the palace tow'r) *Diana "The Happy Day" (Wake, wake, for the sun is high) *Girls "The Trousseau" (Her Highness's Trousseau) *Anglemere ('Tis to-day I leave you for ever) *Chorus (Assemble here to greet the bridegroom) *Diana and Denis "England" (Come back again to the isle of the sea) *Oppinoff, Limitsky and Drinkavink "Hang together" (We are in for dirty weather) *Anglemere "Truant Love" (Cupid's terribly interfering) *Chorus of Peasants "Little Mother" (Little Mother of our land) *Mary "As poor as that" (When you've always had lots of money) *Anglemere "Yours to the end" (Nothing I ask you now to give) *Finale – Mary and Anglemere "Free" (Come away, and leave them all behind you) Act II *Chorus (It is jolly when you're dancing) *Camille and Chorus "Bohemia" (Come away to the land of joy) *Ma Petite and Chorus "Marching with the Band" (What is that music I hear in the street?) *Chorus of Gendarmes (We've come here by the orders) *Mary "I Dream, I Dream of you" (Shall I ever discover ?) *Mary and Camille "Queen of Joy" (Oh, I know why you're here) *Ma Petite and Walter "Peter Piper" (Mr. Peter Piper was a pocket sniper) *Camille and Chorus "The Seasons" (When the Summer's blue above) *Finale (I liked you first in the Summer) Addenda *Mary "I met Someone" (Something's gone wrong with me) *Anglemere and Chorus "Love and War" (Always ready when the challenge comes)

References

External links

Information about roles and musical numbers
* ttps://archive.org/details/happydaynewmusic00jones Vocal score of ''The Happy Day'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Happy Day, The 1916 musicals West End musicals Musicals by Sidney Jones British musicals