''The Strollers'' 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 two acts and a prologue with music by Ludwig Engländer and a book and lyrics by

Harry B. Smith Harry Bache Smith (December 28, 1860 – January 1, 1936) was a writer, lyricist and composer. The most prolific of all American stage writers, he is said to have written over 300 librettos and more than 6000 lyrics. Some of his best-known works ...

. Set in Austria, the work is based on Leopold Krenn and

Karl Lindau Karl Lindau (also Carl Lindau, born Karl Gemperle; 26 November 1853 – 15 January 1934) was an Austrian actor and writer. He excelled in comic roles at the Theater an der Wien, and wrote several plays, librettos for operettas and songs. Career ...

's libretto for the 1899 operetta ''

Die Landstreicher ''Die Landstreicher'' ("The Tramps") is a German-language operetta in one prologue and two acts by Carl Michael Ziehrer (libretto by Leopold Krenn and Karl Lindau). It was first performed on 26 July 1899, at the summer theatre "Venedig in Wien", ...

'' by the composer Carl Michael Ziehrer. The work premiered on Broadway at the Knickerbocker Theatre on June 24, 1901. It closed at that theatre on August 31, 1901 after 70 performances. The Broadway production was directed by A. M. Holbrook and produced by

George W. 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 ...

, Sam Nixon and J. Fred Zimmerman. The sets were designed by D. Frank Dodge and

Ernest Albert Ernest Albert, born Ernest Albert Brown, (August 15, 1857 – March 25, 1946) was an American painter, illustrator, muralist, and scenic designer. He was a prolific scenic designer, first in St. Louis and Chicago and then on Broadway. He is conside ...

, and the costumes were designed by

Caroline Siedle Caroline F. Siedle (1867 – February 26, 1907) was a costume designer on Broadway. She was one of earliest designers to receive credit for her work in theater programs,Unruh, Delbert, Ione Unruh, and Alexandra Steiner-Strauss. "American Broadway C ...

. The production starred Francis Wilson as August Lump, Irene Bentley as Bertha,

Eddie Foy Edwin Fitzgerald (March 9, 1856 – February 16, 1928Cullen, Frank; Hackman, Florence; and McNeilly, Donald. ''Vaudeville, Old and New: An Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America''. Routledge Press, September 2006, . pp. 406–410), ...

as Kamfer,

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 ...

as Mimi, Harry Gilfoil as the Prince de Bomsky, Wilmer Bentley as Rudi von Rodenstein, and Louise Lawton as Anna.

Plot

Two strollers, August Lump and his wife Bertha, discover a letter with a diamond necklace. When they use their finding to pay for a dinner, they arrouse suspicions and are arrested by the police. They are imprisoned in a jail run by Kamfer. It is revealed that that letter and necklace were lost by the Prince de Bomsky and was a gift intended for his girlfriend, the ballet dancer Mimi. August and Bertha lure the Prince de Bomsky and Mimi into their cell and trick them into making their escape; still in possession of the necklace. Eventually the two couples run across each other again in a hotel at a mountain resort. A comedy of errors ensues involving mistaken identities and various deceptions. Eventually all ends well and the Prince presents Mimi with the necklace.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Strollers, The 1901 musicals Broadway musicals Musicals set in Austria Musicals set in hotels Musicals set in prison Musicals by Ludwig Engländer