''The New Aladdin'' 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 by

James T. Tanner James Tolman Tanner (17 October 1858 – 18 June 1915) was an English stage director and dramatist who wrote many of the successful musicals produced by George Edwardes. Life and career Tanner began his theatre career as a set-painter and actor ...

and W. H. Risque, with music by

Ivan Caryll Félix Marie Henri Tilkin (12 May 1861 – 29 November 1921), better known by his pen name Ivan Caryll, was a Belgian-born composer of operettas and Edwardian musical comedies in the English language, who made his career in London and later ...

Lionel Monckton Lionel John Alexander Monckton (18 December 1861 – 15 February 1924) was an English composer of musical theatre. He became Britain's most popular composer of Edwardian musical comedy in the early years of the 20th century. Life and career ...

, and additional numbers by Frank E. Tours, 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 ...

Percy Greenbank Percy Greenbank (24 January 1878 – 9 December 1968) was an English lyricist and librettist, best known for his contribution of lyrics to a number of successful Edwardian musical comedies in the early years of the 20th century. His older brothe ...

, W. H. Risque, and

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 ...

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 ...

at the Gaiety Theatre, opening on 29 September 1906 and running for 203 performances. The London production starred Grossmith,

Harry Grattan Harry Grattan (c. 1867 – 25 September 1951) was a British stage actor, singer, dancer and writer best known for his performances in musical comedies in the decades around 1900. Life and career Gratton started early as a child actor (along wi ...

(who also choreographed), Lily Elsie,

Edmund Payne Edmund James "Teddy" Payne (14 December 1863 – 15 July 1914), was an English actor, comedian and singer best known for creating comic roles in a series of extremely successful Edwardian musical comedies. He was often paired with the comic act ...

and

Gaby Deslys Gaby Deslys (born Marie-Elise-Gabrielle Caire, 4 November 1881 – 11 February 1920) was a singer and actress during the early 20th century. She selected her name for her stage career, and it is a contraction of ''Gabrielle of the Lillies'' ...

(making her London debut).

Gertie Millar Gertrude Ward, Countess of Dudley ( Millar; 21 February 1879 – 25 April 1952), known as Gertie Millar, was an English actress and singer of the early 20th century, known for her performances in Edwardian musical comedies. Beginning her care ...

, the established star of the Gaiety soon became available and replaced Elsie in the leading role, but shortly thereafter ''

The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' (german: Die lustige Witwe, links=no ) is an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt t ...

'' made Elsie a big star. The

Aladdin Aladdin ( ; ar, علاء الدين, ', , ATU 561, ‘Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with ''The Book of One Thousand and One Nights'' (''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of ...

story had been dramatised extensively in England before and was very popular in

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

versions, but this was the first book musical on the subject.

P. G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, ( ; 15 October 188114 February 1975) was an English author and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeeve ...

wrote a comic dramatisation of the creation of ''The New Aladdin'' called "The Cooks and the Gaiety Broth" as part of '' Plum Punch: The Life of Writers''.

Cast

*Genie of the Lamp –

*Cadi (A disgraced ambassador) – Arthur Hatherton *Ebenezer (Lally's uncle) –

*General Ratz (Imperial aide-de-camp) – Robert Nainby *The Lost Constable –

Alfred Lester Alfred Lester (25 October 1870 – 6 May 1925), real name Alfred Edwin Leslie, was an English actor and comedian. Born into a theatrical family, he learnt his craft touring in melodramas, as a young man, but made his reputation as a comedian in E ...

*The Ideal Man – Charles Brown *Billy Pauncefort, Reggie Tighe, Tony Cavendish (The Romano party) – Eustace Burnaby, J. R. Sinclair, S. Hansworth *A tax collector – J. W. Birtley *Tippin (Ebenezer's page) –

*The Princess –

Adrienne Augarde Adrienne Adele Augarde (12 May 1882 – 17 March 1913) was an English actress and singer popular for nearly a decade on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, primarily for her roles in Edwardian musical comedy. She began her career in 1898 in pant ...

*Laolah (Cadi's daughter) – Olive May *Jennie (Maid to the Princess) – Jean Aylwin *Mrs. Tippin – Winifred Dennis *Winnie Fairfax – Kitty Mason *Flo Cartaret – Doris Beresford *Di Tollemache – Enid Leonhardt *Kit Lomax – Tessie Hackney *Vi Cortelyon – Gladys Desmond *May Warrener – Florence Lindley *Nan Jocelyn – Violet Walker *Madge Oliphant – Edna Loftus *Millie Farquhar – Minnie Baker *The Charm of Paris –

*Spirit of the Ring –

Connie Ediss Connie Ediss (born Ada Harriet Whitley; 11 August 1870 – 18 April 1934) Gänzl, Kurt"The real Connie Ediss, or 'She was a Milliner's Daughter'" Kurt of Gerolstein, 6 November 2020 was an English actress and singer best known as a buxom, good-h ...

*Lally (Ebenezer's nephew) – Lily Elsie (replaced by

)

Musical numbers

;Act I - Scene 1 - The Interior of Ebenezer's Antique Shop in Bond Street *No. 1 - Lally and Chorus of Girls - "Dear little lady whose portrait I see..." *No. 2 - Tippin and Chorus - "Who would be a "Boy," nothing to enjoy..." *No. 3 - Lally, Spirit, Tippin and Ebenezer - "Let us fly upon the wing of the Spirit of the Ring..." ;Act I - Scene 2 - A Palace in Far Cathay *No. 4 - Chorus - "Oriental belles languidly reposing..." *No. 4a - Cadi and Chorus - "I am the Cadi, calm and cool and seldom in a fury O..." *No. 5 - Lally and Princess - "When first I looked at your face, Princess, in a gold and miniature case..." *No. 6 - Spirit and Tippin - "Out of the boundless blue..." *No. 7 - Concerted Number - Princess, Ebenezer, Cadi, Tippin, Maid, Ratz, Spirit & Lally - "How rashly you behave..." *No. 8 - Genie and Chorus - "Oh, the lamp which used to gladd'n once the heart of young Aladd'n..." *No. 9 - Genie and others - "We're taking a trip in a hop or a skip..." *No. 10 - Princess - "I'm a maiden who is rather modest..." *No. 11 - Ebenezer, Cadi and Ratz - "Oh, I have a great big head..." *No. 12 - Finale - Act I - "We have had a most exciting day..." ;Act II - The Ideal London *No. 13 - Chorus - "Rubbing our eyes in surprise..." *No. 14 - Concerted Number - "I've brought you over and set you down in the last edition of London Town..." *No. 15 - Concerted Number - "Je suis Le Charme de Paris! In English that will be personified Paree!" *No. 16 - Chorus - "At the close of night when the sun shone bright, then we ceased to be hilarious..." *No. 17 - Lally - "If you would like to lead the fashion of quite the swellest set..." *No. 18 - Genie and Chorus - "If you ever go down to a popular town on the coast when the summer is hot..." *No. 19 - Princess and Genie - "I want to tell something to someone, and there's no one about that I know..." *No. 20 - Charm of Paris - "When in summertime I go to some place mondaine..." *No. 21 - Tippin and Genie - "There's a set that you've lately been told to avoid..." *No. 22 - Ebenezer, Cadi and Ratz - "An Englishman, a German!" *No. 23 - Finale - Act II - "London, here in London the ideal will not all be undone..." ;Addenda *No. 24 - Lally and Chorus - "When Grandmamma was young, such modesty possessed her..." *No. 25 - Lally - "When the shades of night are softly creepin' up across the gardens at the Zoo..." *No. 26 - Lally - "There's a little question people ask you now and then..." *No. 27 - Lally and Tippin - "We are only 'umble costers and uneducated chaps..." *No. 28 - Dance *No. 29 - Spirit and Chorus - "Some people may talk of taking a walk..."

External links

Song list, lyrics and links to Midi files and cast list
* ttp://www.collectorspost.com/Millar3.htm Photos of Millar in ''The New Aladdin''br>Drawing of Deslys in ''The New Aladdin''com/ArchivePressText2003/20030628
* ttp://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/london_shows_chronology/1906.htm List of musicals opening in London in 1906 {{DEFAULTSORT:New Aladdin, The New Aladdin, The West End musicals Musicals based on secular traditions Works based on Aladdin British musicals