''To-Night's the Night'' 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, movemen ...

composed by Paul Rubens, with lyrics by

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 ...

and Rubens, and a book adapted by

Fred Thompson Freddie Dalton Thompson (August 19, 1942 – November 1, 2015) was an American politician, attorney, lobbyist, columnist, actor, and radio personality. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a United States Senator from Tennessee f ...

. Two songs were composed by

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over ...

. The story is based on the farce '' Les Dominos roses'' by

Alfred Hennequin Alfred Néoclès Hennequin (13 January 1842 – 7 August 1887) was a Belgian playwright, best known for his farces. Born in Liège, Hennequin was trained there as an engineer, and was employed by the national railway company. In his spare time he w ...

and

Alfred Delacour Alfred Delacour or Alfred-Charlemagne Delacour, real name Pierre-Alfred Lartigue, (3 September 1817 – 31 March 1883 ) was a 19th-century French playwright and librettist. Biography In addition to his occupation as a physician, which he prac ...

. The musical was produced by

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 ...

and

Edward Laurillard Edward Laurillard (20 April 1870 – 7 May 1936) was a cinema and theatre producer in London and New York City during the first third of the 20th century. He is best remembered for promoting the cinema early in the 20th century and for Edwardian ...

and directed by

Austen Hurgon Austen Hurgon (1867 – 24 June 1942) was an actor, singer, theatre director and librettist for several successful Edwardian musical comedies of the 1900s and 1910s. Early life Born as Richard Cornelius Horgan in London in 1867 to Irish par ...

. It opened at the Shubert Theatre in New York on December 24, 1914. It then was produced at the Gaiety Theatre in London, opening on April 18, 1915 and running for a very successful 460 performances. Grossmith starred in the piece with

Leslie Henson Leslie Lincoln Henson (3 August 1891 – 2 December 1957) was an English comedian, actor, producer for films and theatre, and film director. He initially worked in silent films and Edwardian musical comedy and became a popular music hall comed ...

. Grossmith told ''

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 ...

'' that the musical was the first Gaiety Theatre Company production presented in New York before opening in London.

Roles and original cast

*Montagu Lovitt-Lovitt – James Blakeley *Henry (His Nephew) –

*Pedro (A Tango Teacher) – Max Dearly *Robin Carraway – Vernon Davidson *Alphonse (Head Waiter at Covent Garden) – Robert Nainby *Albert – Victor Gouriet *Lord Ridgemount – Stanley Brightman *Policeman – Forest Smith *The Hon. Dudley Mitten –

*June – Haideè de Rance *Beatrice Carraway (Robin's Wife) – Julia James *Victoria (Her Maid) – Moya Mannering *Daisy De Menthe (Of the Piccadilly Theatre) – Madge Saunders *Angela Lovitt-Lovitt (Montagu's Wife) – Gladys Homfrey *Lady Pussy Preston, Lady Edith Taplow, Mimi Skeats, The Hon. Baby Vereker, Avice Carlton, Yvette La Plage (Guests at the Carraways) – Peggy Kurton, Barbara Dunbar, Judith Nelmes,

Doris Stocker Doris Mary Stocker (Lady Segrave) (1886 – 16 December 1968) was a British actress and singer, especially in Edwardian musical comedy. Early life and career She was born in Bombay in India in 1886, the second of three children of George St ...

, Elsie Scott and Adrah Fair *Attendants at Covent Garden – Dorothy Devere and Vera Davis *Alice (Maid at Daisy's) – Cynthia Murray

Musical numbers

Act I – The Carraway's House at Maidenhead *No. 1 - Chorus – "Life is very jolly down at Maidenhead" *No. 2 - Carraway & Chorus – "Hullo! little ladies, now you can't complain, here's your faithful Robin" *No. 3 - Beatrice, Henry, & Montagu – "No one can afford to be too fussy, prim, and proper" *No. 4 - June & Pedro – "You foreigners have romantic ways, when merely paying a call" *No. 5 - Dudley & Chorus – "If by some delightful chance at a dinner or a dance some delicious girl you meet" *No. 6 - Victoria, Henry, & Pedro – "You're looking very sweet, can't we arrange to meet somewhere by and by?" *No. 7 - Montagu & Girls – "I never had such a rotten time in all my blessed life" *No. 8 - June & Dudley – "Got the cutest little way, like to watch you all the day" *No. 9 - Finale Act I – "Tonight's the night of the new revue which ev'ryone should see" Act II – Scene 1 – Foyer of the Boxes, Royal Opera House *No. 10 - Chorus – "Oh, the Mannequin, Mannequin, Mannequin, Mannequin Ball!" *No. 11 - June & Chorus – "I know a man (he lived across the street) who once composed a real good" *No. 12 - Victoria – "I'm rather fond of someone who's very fond of me" *No. 13 - Pedro & Chorus – "I'm a very contented chap, bright and gay, tout à fait" *No. 14 - Beatrice & Dudley – "Once there was one little pair of boots" *No. 15 - Dudley, Carraway, Henry & Pedro – "Nowadays we're told not to be so lazy" Act I – Scene 2 – Covent Garden Market Act II – Scene 3 – Daisy's Flat in Mount Street *No. 16 - Waltz Song – June & Chorus – "It's long after twelve, time that the moon went home to bed" *No. 17 - Dudley & Chorus – "Why people rave about wonderful nights is one thing I never could see" Addenda: *No. 18 - Pedro – "If from your window you just take a peep, on a warm sunny day" *No. 19 - Henry – "I once made Mama a promise I would never flirt again"

References

External links

* {{ibdb show, id=8794, title=To-Night's the Night
Song list and links to Midi files, lyrics and cast list
Broadway musicals 1914 musicals Musicals based on plays Musicals by Fred Thompson (writer)

Roles and original cast

Musical numbers

See also

References

External links