''Robinson Crusoe, Jr.'' is a musical with a book by Edgar Smith, lyrics by Harold R. Atteridge, and music by

Sigmund Romberg Sigmund Romberg (July 29, 1887 – November 9, 1951) was a Hungarian-born American composer. He is best known for his musicals and operettas, particularly '' The Student Prince'' (1924), '' The Desert Song'' (1926) and '' The New Moon'' (1928). E ...

and James Hanley.

Production

''Robinson Crusoe, Jr.'' was an extravaganza that opened at the

Winter Garden Theatre The Winter Garden Theatre is a Broadway theatre at 1634 Broadway in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It opened in 1911 under designs by architect William Albert Swasey. The Winter Garden's current design dates to 1922, when ...

on 17 February 1916. The original

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

production was produced by

Lee Shubert Lee Shubert (born Levi Schubart; March 25, 1871– December 25, 1953) was a Lithuanian-born American theatre owner/operator and producer and the eldest of seven siblings of the theatrical Shubert family. Biography Born to a Jewish family, the so ...

and

Jacob J. Shubert Jacob J. Shubert (c. 1879 – December 26, 1963) was an American theatre owner/operator and producer and a member of the famous theatrical Shubert family. Biography Born in Vladislavov, in the Suwałki Governorate of Congress Poland, a part o ...

, directed by

J. C. Huffman Jesse C. Huffman (1869–1935) was an American theatrical director. Between 1906 and 1932 he directed or staged over 200 shows, mostly for the Shubert Brothers. Many of them were musical revues, musicals or operettas. He is known for ''The Passi ...

and choreographed by Helen Tamiris. Music was by

and the book and lyrics were by Harold R. Atteridge. The show was the last major musical that Jacob J. Shubert staged 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 ...

, and he instructed Romberg to avoid any of his Austro-Hungarian musical idioms. The cast included

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-billed ...

, Kitty Doner,

Claude Flemming Claude Flemming (1884–1952) was an Australian actor, writer, producer and director of theatre and film whose varied stage career spanned the first half of the 20th century. He performed in Shakespeare and other drama, as well as opera, and bec ...

, and Isabelle Rodrigues. The show was built around Jolson, and was a vehicle for Jolson. A company of two hundred supported Al Jolson in ten major scenes. The show included songs from a number of sources, including some written by Jolson. He often added or removed songs from one show to another. Atteridge created a simple framing story that unified the acts. The show ran on Broadway for 139 performances. It then went on the road in the fall. Jolson sometimes performed twice or three times in one day in one city before moving on.

Synopsis

Setting: Long Island, New York and Robinson Crusoe's Island Hiram Westbury, a millionaire, is exhausted by some film makers who want to use his estate as a film location. He falls asleep. In his dream, he imagines he is Robinson Crusoe, Jr. His chauffeur, played by Al Jolson, is his Good Friday. Jolson played the chauffeur in blackface. The dreams make up most of the show. After the opening scene the pair travel to Crusoe's island, which is given a haunted forest, and to a pirate ship crewed by chorus girls. The "glittering galaxies of gorgeous, glorious, gladsome girlies mirthfully monopolized the mad, merry hours and the ten tremendous tumultuous scenes of ''Robinson Crusoe, Jr.''" At one point in the story trees woke up and began to sway to the music. Jolson has comic interactions with a goat and a crocodile. The shorter second act was set back in the millionaire's home. There were 27 musical numbers in the show, including five specialty dances. Many of the huge cast danced in ''Minstrel Days''. Jolson himself did not play a major role in the musical numbers, and was always alone on the stage when he sang. According to Jolson's biographer Michael Freedland, ''Robinson Crusoe, Jr.'' was "the nearest Jolson had yet come to a show with a real plot ... although from opening night on, it was quite plain that the story was not going to interfere with his domination on stage."

Songs

* Where Did Robinson Crusoe Go with Friday on Saturday Night? ( Sam M. Lewis & Joe Young (w), George W. Meyer (m)) * Yaaka Hula Hickey Dula (

E. Ray Goetz Edward Ray Goetz (June 12, 1886 – June 12, 1954) was an American composer, lyricist, playwright, theatre director, and theatrical producer. A Tin Pan Alley songwriter, he published more than 500 songs during his career; many of them origin ...

& Joe Young (w),

Pete Wendling Pete Wendling (June 6, 1888 – April 7, 1974) was an American composer and pianist, born in New York City to German immigrants. He started his working life as a carpenter, but gained fame during the mid-1910s as a popular music composer, with ...

(m)) * Where the Black-Eyed Susans Grow (by Dave Radford and Richard Whiting)

References

Notes Citations Sources * * * * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson Crusoe, Jr. 1916 musicals Blackface minstrel shows and films Broadway musicals Musicals by Sigmund Romberg Musicals set in New York Musicals set on fictional islands