''The Lady Slavey'' was an 1894

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...

in two acts with a score by John Crook (with contributions by

Henry Wood Sir Henry Joseph Wood (3 March 186919 August 1944) was an English conductor best known for his association with London's annual series of promenade concerts, known as the Proms. He conducted them for nearly half a century, introducing hund ...

and

Letty Lind Letitia Elizabeth Rudge (21 December 1861 – 27 August 1923), known professionally as Letty Lind, was an English actress, singer, dancer and acrobat, best known for her work in burlesque at the Gaiety Theatre, and in musical theatre at Daly's ...

, among others), to a

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...

by George Dance (with additional 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 ...

, among others) which opened at the Royal Avenue Theatre in London on 20 October 1894 and which featured

May Yohé Mary Augusta "May" Yohé (April 6, 1866 – August 29, 1938) was an American musical theatre actress. After beginning her career with the McCaull Comic Opera Company in 1886 in New York and Chicago, and after other performances in the United S ...

and Jennie McNulty.''The Lady Slavey''
British Musical Theatre website at the Gilbert and Sullivan Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2020 After a major rewrite to make it more suitable for American audiences it opened at the Casino Theatre on Broadway on 3 February 1896 where it ran for 128 performances with additional lyrics by Hugh Morton and music by Gustave Adolph Kerker.

Synopsis

Based on the story of ''Cinderella'', Irishman Major O'Neill (Robert Pateman) is faced with bankruptcy and financial ruin after running up large

milliner Hat-making or millinery is the design, manufacture and sale of hats and other headwear. A person engaged in this trade is called a milliner or hatter. Historically, milliners, typically women shopkeepers, produced or imported an inventory of ...

s bills for his daughters Maud (Adelaide Astor) and Beatrice (Blanche Barnett). In an attempt to stave off this disaster, with the assistance of Flo Honeydew ( Jennie McNulty) he attempts to marry off his youngest daughter Phyllis (

) - the ''slavey'' of the title - to a rich man she doesn't love. Phyllis loves Vincent A. Evelyn (Henry Beaumont). She, assisted by Roberts, a Sheriff's Officer (

Charles Danby Charles Clemson Percy Danby (1858 – 7 September 1906) was a British actor, singer and comedian of the late Victorian era who regularly appeared at the Gaiety Theatre in London. During his career he made 37 tours of the United States and th ...

) is determined to avoid this fate. Roberts enters disguised as an American millionaire to thwart the plan. All ends well and Phyllis is united with her true love.

Productions

After its premiere at the Opera House in

Northampton Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...

in 1893 ''The Lady Slavey'' was produced by

William Greet William Greet (1851 – 25 April 1914) was a British theatre manager from the end of the 19th century and into the 20th century. Originally a business manager for other theatre licensees in the 1880s, he branched out as an independent manager ...

at the Royal Avenue Theatre in London from October 1894 to January 1895 with

as the conductor. The role of Phyllis in the first tour of 1893 was created by

Kitty Loftus Kitty Loftus (16 June 1867 – 17 March 1927) was an English dancer, singer and actor-manager. A leading soubrette of the 1890s and 1900s in comedies, burlesque, pantomime and musical plays, at the height of her career she performed with her ...

. During an early stage of one of the show's various British tours from 1893 to 1907 the conductor was

Howard Talbot Richard Lansdale Munkittrick, better known as Howard Talbot (9 March 1865 – 12 September 1928), was an American-born, English-raised conductor and composer of Irish descent. He was best known for writing the music to several hit Edwardian musi ...

. ''The Lady Slavey'' had a lot of competition in London in 1894, which saw the openings of ''

The Chieftain ''The Chieftain'' is a two-act comic opera by Arthur Sullivan and F. C. Burnand based on their 1867 opera, ''The Contrabandista''. It consists of substantially the same first act as the 1867 work with a completely new second act. It premiered at ...

'' by

Arthur Sullivan Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (13 May 1842 – 22 November 1900) was an English composer. He is best known for 14 comic opera, operatic Gilbert and Sullivan, collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including ''H.M.S. Pinaf ...

and

F. C. Burnand Sir Francis Cowley Burnand (29 November 1836 – 21 April 1917), usually known as F. C. Burnand, was an English comic writer and prolific playwright, best known today as the librettist of Arthur Sullivan's opera ''Cox and Box''. The son of ...

, ''

His Excellency Excellency is an honorific style (manner of address), style given to certain high-level officers of a sovereign state, officials of an international organization, or members of an aristocracy. Once entitled to the title "Excellency", the holder ...

'' by

F. Osmond Carr Frank Osmond Carr (23 April 1858 – 29 August 1916), known as F. Osmond Carr, was an English composer who wrote the music for several Victorian burlesques before turning to the new genre of Edwardian musical comedy, and also composing some comic ...

and

W. S. Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most f ...

, ''

Go-Bang ''Go-Bang'' is an English musical comedy with words by Adrian Ross and music by F. Osmond Carr. The piece was produced by Fred Harris and opened at the Trafalgar Square Theatre on 10 March 1894. It ran for 159 performances. The show starred H ...

'' by

and Carr, ''

Wapping Old Stairs ''Wapping Old Stairs'' is an 1894 comic opera in three acts, with music by Howard Talbot, which played at the Vaudeville Theatre in London. It included D'Oyly Carte Opera Company regulars Courtice Pounds, Richard Temple and Jessie Bond in the ca ...

'' by Stuart Robertson and

, a revival of ''

Little Jack Sheppard ''Little Jack Sheppard'' is a Victorian burlesque, burlesque melodrama written by Henry Pottinger Stephens and William Yardley (cricketer), William Yardley, with music by Meyer Lutz, with songs contributed by Florian Pascal,Florian Pascal was a ps ...

'' by

Meyer Lutz Wilhelm Meyer Lutz (19 May 1829 – 31 January 1903) was a German-born British composer and conductor who is best known for light music, musical theatre and Victorian burlesque, burlesques of well-known works. Emigrating to the UK at the age of ...

and H. P. Stephens at the Gaiety Theatre, '' Mirette'' by

André Messager André Charles Prosper Messager (; 30 December 1853 – 24 February 1929) was a French composer, organist, pianist and conductor. His compositions include eight ballets and thirty opéra comique, opéras comiques, opérettes and other stage wo ...

and Ross, and ''

The Shop Girl ''The Shop Girl'' was a musical comedy in two acts (described by the author as a musical farce) written by H. J. W. Dam, with Lyrics by Dam and Adrian Ross and music by Ivan Caryll, and additional numbers by Lionel Monckton and Ross. It premier ...

'', an extremely successful musical comedy by H. J. W. Dam,

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 Ross. The critic for ''

The Sketch ''The Sketch'' was a British illustrated weekly journal. It ran for 2,989 issues between 1 February 1893 and 17 June 1959. It was published by the Illustrated London News Company and was primarily a society magazine with regular features on ro ...

'' wrote:

"Mr. William Greet, in producing ''The Lady Slavey'' at the Avenue Theatre, seemed like a rash man. Success seems to have justified his rashness. Yet, at first, failure seemed to be the certain fate of ''The Lady Slavey''. It is a striking proof of the vitality of the work that it survived the harsh notices of the critics and cold reception of the first-nighters. To a great extent, it is a question of company. Miss May Yohé's singing does not satisfy the exacting critics, nor does her acting endanger other reputations; but her strange voice, her charming person, and unflagging spirits quickly catch and hold the audience. Mr. Charles Danby's dictionary probably does not contain the word "subtlety", yet his vast energy and broad sense of humour are far more useful, and certainly, whatever you may think of the means he uses, he is one of the funniest players in his line. Cinderella's "Sisters" are a delightful change from old ideas. Perhaps they rather hurt the tale, for the admirable singing of the handsome Miss Blanche Barnett and the dainty dancing of Miss Adelaide Astor make them dangerous rivals for the heroine. Mr. Robert Pateman, one of our most versatile and able players - who will forget his "horse" song in ''Mdlle. Nitouche'', or his terrible death scene in the Princesses' melodrama ''Master and Man''? - might have a better part with advantage to the work. The acting of Mr. G. Humphrey is also very clever."

''The Lady Slavey'' had a run of less than a week at the

Lafayette Square Opera House The Lafayette Square Opera House was an Opera House built in 1895, at 717 Madison Place, NW in Washington D.C. It was dedicated on 30 September 1895 by Lillian Russell, one of the most well known actress of the time, who was there to perform in ' ...

Washington D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...

before

George 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 Leder ...

's production opened at the Casino Theatre on Broadway on 3 February 1896Matthew Kennedy
''Marie Dressler: A Biography; With a Listing of Major Stage Performances, a Filmography and a Discography''
McFarland & Company (1999) - Google Books, pp. 29–32 where it ran for 128 performances. Lederer instructed

Dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

to "Americanize" the piece and it was put on with new lyrics by Hugh Morton and a score by Gustave Adolph Kerker. The lazy Sheriff Dan Daly is set the task of reclaiming the estate of a bankrupt Englishman. In an attempt to stave of financial ruin the Englishman tries to marry off his daughter, the ''slavey'' of the title (

Virginia Earle Virginia Earle (née Earl; August 6, 1873 – September 21, 1937) was an American stage actress remembered for her work in light operas, Edwardian musical comedies and vaudeville over the decades surrounding the turn of the 20th century. Early ...

) to a wealthy young heir with the assistance of Flo Honeydew (

Marie Dressler Marie Dressler (born Leila Marie Koerber, November 9, 1868 – July 28, 1934) was a Canadian stage and screen actress, comedian, and early silent film and Depression-era film star. In 1914, she was in the first full-length film comedy. She ...

). The actress

had her first starring role as Flo Honeydew in this production which she performed for four years, two years of which were on tour. The critic of ''

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 ...

'' called Dressler, "...an utterly preposterous music hall performer" while another stated of her, "It was hardly a case of acting. Better call it a case of letting herself go... She seemed a big, overgrown girl and a thoroughly mischievous romp with the agility of a circus performer and the physical elasticity of a professional contortionist... Her comic resource was inexhaustible, her animal spirits irrepressible and her audacity approached the sublime." A production was held at the

Prince's Theatre The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden. Opened in 1911 as the New Prince's Theatre, it was the last theatre to be built in Shaftesbury Avenue. History The theatre was d ...

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

(1893-1894), while in 1897

Robert Courtneidge Robert Courtneidge (29 June 1859 – 6 April 1939) was a British theatrical manager-producer and playwright. He is best remembered as the co-author of the light opera ''Tom Jones (Edward German), Tom Jones'' (1907) and the producer of ''The Arc ...

revived ''The Lady Slavey'' at the

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

. In 1900 the actress Madge Lessing played the title role when the work was revived in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

in the USA.

London Cast

*Roberts (a Sheriff's Officer) -

*Major O'Neill - Robert Pateman *Vincent A. Evelyn - Henry Beaumont/James Leverett *Lord Lavender -

Herbert Sparling Herbert Sparling (1864–1944) was a British comedy and musical theatre actor and director. In 1889 Sparling was sued for breach of contract at Brompton County Court by the "dramatic author" Henry Plunkett Gratton (1808–1889), who alleged ...

*Captain Fitz Norris (a Sheriff's Officer) - George Humphrey] *Flo Honeydew - Jennie McNulty *Maud (Major O'Neill's Daughter) - Adelaide Astor/Lizzie Ruggles *Beatrice (Major O'Neill's Daughter) - Blanche Barnett/Beatrice Granville *Madame Pontet (Milliner) - Miss Elcho *Madame Louise (Milliner) - Irene Du Foye *Liza (a Flower Girl) - Miss Maryon/Rita Yorke/Julie Donna *Emma (a Laundress) - Phoebe Turner/Miss Desmond *Phyllis (The Lady Slavey) -

Wearing, J. P.
''The London Stage 1890–1899: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel''
Rowman & Littlefield (2014), Google Books, p. 228Programme for ''The Lady Slavey'' (1894)- Museum of Music History
/ref>

New York Cast

The cast at the Casino Theatre in New York in 1896 included: *Roberts -

*William Endymion Sykes - Dan Daly *Vincent Evelyn - Charles Dickson *Major Tolliver - Henry Norman *Lord Lavender -

Richard Carle Richard Carle (born Charles Nicholas Carleton, July 7, 1871 – June 28, 1941) was an American stage and film actor as well as a playwright and stage director. He appeared in more than 130 films between 1915 and 1941. Carle was born in Som ...

*Ikey Dinkelbinkel - Charles Kirke *Artemus Snipe - Nicholas Burnham *Phyllis -

*Flo Honeydew -

*Beatrice - Linda da Costa *Maud - Delia Stacey *Marjorie - Mabelle Wallace Howe

Songs

ACT I - The Lawn of the Manor House, Rookholme

*No. 1 - Chorus - "We're sorry to trouble you, Major O'Neill, but duty compels us to call" *No. 2 - Major O'Neill & Chorus - "Of all the noble Irishmen upon the scroll of fame, St. Patrick stands pre-eminent" *No. 3 - Phyllis - "Was there ever any poor girl so run after? I can't imagine why it should be so" (Words by Joseph Watson to music by Mary Watson) *No. 4 - Song and Chorus (soloist unspecified) - "Oh! list to me in silence while in solemn tones I tell" *No. 5 - Beatrice and Vincent - "Why love in secret? Why not confess" (Music by George Dance,

and Joseph Hart) *No. 6 - Finale Act I - "One, two, three, four, five. Five o'clock chimes from the ivory tower"

Act II - Reception Hall at the Manor House, Rookholme

*No. 7 - Chorus - "Nature doth fashion the Lord and the Lady, hence our refinement of elegant skill" *No. 8 - Vincent - "Must we say farewell, dear heart? Must we part in bitter sorrow?" (Music by George Dance and Charles Graham) *No. 9 - Phyllis - "How throbs my heart when I recall that last and long 'goodbye'" (Music by Frank S. N. Isitt) *No. 10 - Roberts & Phyllis - "It is a wise young child, they say, that knows its own papa" (eight verses) *No. 11 - The Animal Duet - Roberts & Phyllis - "Each bird and beast upon the earth salutes its mate in song" (six verses) *No. 12 - Chorus - "Welcome, welcome Millionaire, be he plain or be he fair, wealth doth each defect repair" *No. 13 - Roberts and Chorus - "Guess you fancy I'm no wonder, guess again, you ain't correct" *No. 14 - Song and Chorus (soloist unspecified) - "Lo, the golden sun is setting, all the world is hush'd and still" *No. 15 - Phyllis - "I have left the old plantation now, 'tis many years ago" (Words by Herbert Walther to music by Alfred Cammeyer) *No. 16 - Song and Dance - Maud - "When quite a little girl, in shorter frocks than these" (Words by

to music by

) *No. 17 - Phyllis - "Of all the sports, there's none can beat a ride upon a gee" *No. 18 - Finale Act II - "My darling Phyllis I have won ... a lucky girl is she"

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lady Slavey, The 1894 musicals West End musicals Original musicals English comic operas