''Evangeline; or, The Belle of Acadia'' is a musical

Extravaganza An extravaganza is a literary or musical work (often musical theatre) usually containing elements of burlesque, pantomime, music hall and parody in a spectacular production and characterized by freedom of style and structure. It sometimes also ha ...

, with music by Edward E. Rice (arranged and orchestrated by

John J. Braham John Joseph Braham (1847 – October 28, 1919) was an English-born American musical theater conductor and composer who introduced the works of Gilbert and Sullivan to the United States and composed some of the earliest original orchestral scores fo ...

) and lyrics and book by

J. Cheever Goodwin John Cheever Goodwin (1850 – December 1912) was an American musical theatre librettist, lyricist and producer. Goodwin was born in Boston and graduated from Harvard University. He began a career in journalism before turning to writing for the ...

.Valencia, Brian D
"Musical of the Month: Evangeline"
The New York Public Library, November 30, 2012, accessed January 7, 2017 It was a comedy loosely based on

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include "Paul Revere's Ride", ''The Song of Hiawatha'', and ''Evangeline''. He was the first American to completely transl ...

's 1847 serious epic poem ''

Evangeline ''Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie'' is an epic poem by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, written in English and published in 1847. The poem follows an Acadian girl named Evangeline and her search for her lost love Gabriel, set during t ...

''.Shields, David S
"Evangeline 1885 – The Earliest Stage Images of an American Musical"
Broadway Photographs, University of South Carolina, accessed April 23, 2016 The title character is a young American maiden of French

Acadia Acadia (french: link=no, Acadie) was a colony of New France in northeastern North America which included parts of what are now the Maritime provinces, the Gaspé Peninsula and Maine to the Kennebec River. During much of the 17th and early ...

n stock, who is forced to leave her home and is separated from her beloved. A notary stalks her, holding a secret will that may prevent her from gaining her inheritance. The extravaganza debuted at

Niblo's Garden Niblo's Garden was a theater on Broadway and Crosby Street, near Prince Street, in SoHo, Manhattan, New York City. It was established in 1823 as "Columbia Garden" which in 1828 gained the name of the ''Sans Souci'' and was later the property of ...

in New York City on July 27, 1874, and received many revivals throughout the late 19th century.

Background

Rice funded the musical's original production, which played for a limited run of 16 performances, followed by a successful tour. The original cast included Lizzie Harold and Ione Burke alternating in the title role, as well as James Dunn, W. H. Crane as LeBlanc, Connie Thompson in the

trouser 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 ...

of Gabriel, and Louis Mestayer (in drag) as Gabriel's aunt Catherine. Although the musical's initial run was only modestly successful, it was revised and received a successful production in Boston the following year. Young comedians

Henry E. Dixey Henry E. Dixey (born Henry E. Dixon; January 6, 1859 – February 25, 1943) was an American actor and theatre producer. Dixey was born on January 6, 1859, in Boston, Massachusetts. He made his stage debut in Boston in 1868, joining the variety ...

and

Richard Golden Richard Golden (1854–1909) was an American stage actor and comedian whose most famous role was "Old Jed Prouty" in his play of the same name. The play helped to create and nationalize the genre of Down East humor, and made Golden one of the ce ...

achieved their breakthroughs as the two halves of the dancing heifer, and

Lillian Russell Lillian Russell (born Helen Louise Leonard; December 4, 1860 or 1861 – June 6, 1922), was an American actress and singer. She became one of the most famous actresses and singers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, known for her beauty ...

was in the chorus in 1880. The show was revived and toured throughout the late 19th century, accumulating a total of more than 3,000 performances. Among other revivals, it was given a successful Broadway revival in 1885, running for 252 performances. In this,

Fay Templeton Fay Templeton (December 25, 1865 – October 3, 1939) was an American actress, singer, songwriter, and comedian. Her parents were actors/vaudevillians and she followed in their footsteps, making her Broadway debut in 1900. Templeton excelled ...

made her professional stage debut playing Gabriel, and Irene Verona played the title role.''Evangeline!''
Internet Broadway Database, accessed April 23, 2016 The only musical that fared better during that period was ''

The Black Crook ''The Black Crook'' is a work of musical theatre first produced in New York City with great success in 1866. Many theatre writers have cautiously identified ''The Black Crook'' as the first popular piece that conforms to the modern notion of a mu ...

''. Though the show was originally conceived in three acts, various condensed two act versions appeared that eliminated the Arizona act and moved the dancing heifer scene from the finale to the end of act one. This is the only version of the show that has survived, because the script for the final act was lost.

Synopsis

Young Evangeline (or Eva) is an American girl of French Acadian stock, who becomes betrothed to her beloved, Gabriel. She comes to harbor some deserting sailors, and she and her companions are arrested for this crime by Captain Dietrich of the British Army, who intends to send her to France by ship for imprisonment in the Bastille. She is separated from Gabriel. Her friend Eulalie hopes for women's rights. The ship carrying her, her companions and her beautiful, dancing heifer runs aground off the coast of a diamond-rich African country, ruled by savage King Boorioboola Gha. A series of lovesick wanderings and episodes ensue, including a meeting with a monster whale and a balloon flight to Arizona's uncharted Indian territory. Evangeline is pursued, wherever she goes by the foolhardy Le Blanc, an Acadian notary, who holds a secret will that will legally divert Evangeline's inheritance to himself if she signs a marriage contract, an event that is repeatedly, ludicrously interrupted. All ends happily.

Musical numbers

Act 1 *We Must Be Off *One Moment, Pray – Gabriel *There's a Man – Gabriel and Chorus *I'm a Fascinating Notary – LeBlanc *Thinking, Love, of Thee – Evangeline *Into the Water We Go – Evangeline, Eulalie, Catherine, Rose and Marie *She's Saved! She's Saved! *My Love and I – Gabriel *Sammy Smug – LeBlanc and Chorus *My Heart – Evangeline *Golden Chains – Evangeline and Gabriel *I Hope It Won't Happen Again – LeBlanc *In Us You See *He Says She Must Go *My Thoughts Are Far Away – Evangeline Act 2 *Clink! Clank! *We Are Off (to Seek for Eva) – Catherine, and LeBlanc *Let's Quietly Steal Away *Sweet the Song of Birds – Gabriel and Evangeline *I Like It, Don't You? – Gabriel *Twelve O'Clock, and All Is Well *Prowling 'Round the Diamond Fields *She's Acquitted, (He's Outwitted) Act 3 *Fie Upon You! Fie! – Evangeline *(We Are the) Six Miserable Ruffians *Does She Love Me? – Gabriel *O Gabriel, My Best Beloved – Evangeline *Goodnight to One and All *Homeward Bound ''Source: IBDB listing for the 1885 Broadway revival''

References

{{Evangeline 1870s musicals Musicals based on poems Adaptations of works by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow