John Cheever Goodwin (1850 – December 1912) was an American musical theatre librettist, lyricist and producer. Goodwin was born in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...

and graduated from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

. He began a career in journalism before turning to writing for the stage. Early in his theatrical career he worked for

Alice Oates Alice Oates (22 September 1849 – 10 January 1887) was an actress, theatre manager and pioneer of American musical theatre who took opéra bouffe in English to all corners of America. She produced the first performance of a work by Gilbert a ...

, acting in her company and translating French

opera bouffe Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

into English for performance by her company. He often worked with composers

Edward E. Rice Edward Everett Rice (December 21, 1847 – November 16, 1924) was an American musical theatre composer and producer active during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, known as a pioneer of American musical theatre, who introduced to Broadway ' ...

and

Woolson Morse Henry Woolson Morse (February 24, 1858 – May 3, 1897), usually credited as Woolson Morse, was an American composer of musical theatre. Often working with librettist J. Cheever Goodwin, he produced several scores for Broadway productions in the ...

. Goodwin was one of the earliest American writers dedicated to musical theatre librettos and lyrics. His first successful libretto was ''

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 ...

'' in 1874, and his last new work was produced in 1903.Hischak, Thomas S
Chapter Five
''Boy Loses Girl: Broadway's Librettists'', pp. 55–57, Scarecrow Press (2002) Goodwin's works included a much-revived musical adaptation, or musical burlesque, of

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 tra ...

's ''

'' called ''Evangeline; or, The Belle of Acadia'' (1874), composed by Rice; ''The Corsair'' (1887), with music by Rice; Jacquette (1887), with music 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 opéras comiques, opérettes and other stage works, among whi ...

; ''Little Pig Went to Market'' (1890), with music by

Gustave Kerker Gustave Adolph Kerker (February 28, 1857 – June 29, 1923) was a German-born composer and conductor who spent most of his life in the US. He became a musical director for Broadway theatre productions and wrote the music for a series of operetta ...

; ''

The Merry Monarch The Merry Monarch (1842 – after 1859) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from July 1844 to May 1846 he ran four times and won only one race. That race, however, was the 1845 Epsom Derby, in which he rec ...

'', an English-language adaptation of '' L'étoile'', with music by Morse (1890); a popular and well-revived piece, ''

Wang Wang may refer to: Names * Wang (surname) (王), a common Chinese surname * Wāng (汪), a less common Chinese surname * Titles in Chinese nobility * A title in Korean nobility * A title in Mongolian nobility Places * Wang River in Thai ...

'' (1891), with music by Morse, starring

De Wolf Hopper William DeWolf Hopper (March 30, 1858September 23, 1935) was an American actor, singer, comedian, and theatrical producer. A star of vaudeville and musical theater, he became best known for performing the popular baseball poem "Casey at the Bat". ...

; ''

Panjandrum Panjandrum, also known as The Great Panjandrum, was a massive, rocket-propelled, explosive-laden cart designed by the British military during World War II. It was one of a number of highly experimental projects, including Hajile and the Hedgehog ...

'' (1893), with music by Morse, written for and produced by Hopper's company; ''The Devil's Deputy'' (1894), music by

Edward Jakobowski Edward Jakobowski (17 April 1856 – 29 April 1929) was an English composer, especially of musical theatre, best known for writing the hit comic opera ''Erminie''. Life and career Jakobowski was born in Islington, London, the only son of Israel ...

; ''A Daughter of the Revolution'' (1895), with music by

Ludwig Engländer Ludwig Engländer (October 20, 1853 Vienna, Austria – September 13, 1914) was an Austrian-born American composer of more than 30 musicals. He was born in Vienna, Austria.Passport application available in the series ''U.S. Passport Applications, ...

; ''

Lost, Strayed or Stolen ''Lost, Strayed or Stolen'' is a musical comedy in four acts with music by Woolson Morse and words by J. Cheever Goodwin, adapted from the French farce ''Le baptême du petit Oscar'' by Eugène Grangé and Victor Bernard. The story concerns a mis ...

'' (1896), with music by Morse; '''Round New York in 80 Minutes'' (1899–1900), with music by Rice and John J. Braham; ''The Cadet Girl'' (1900), with music by

; ''

The Monks of Malabar ''The Monks of Malabar'' is a "comic opera" or operetta in 3 acts composed by Ludwig Englander with lyrics by J. Cheever Goodwin and book by Francis Wilson (uncredited) and Goodwin. It opened at the Knickerbocker Theatre on 13 September 1900 ...

'' (1900), composed by Engländer; ''The Rogers Brothers in Central Park'' (1900–01), with music by Maurice Levi; ''The Sleeping Beauty and the Beast'' (1901–02), with music by Frederick Solomon; and ''Mr. Bluebeard'' (1903), with music by Solomon. Of ''Lost, Strayed or Stolen'', a critic commented: "Cheever Goodwin, clever at adaptation, at times a most dexterous manipulator in stagecraft, has been singularly successful in this latest venture. Starting of a delightfully humorous set of complications, woven logically together, he has made an honest translation and obtained a genuinely absurd farce which he carries through four acts, sustaining the interest to the end.""''Lost, Strayed or Stolen''", ''The Illustrated American'', November 14, 1896, p. 662

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Photos from ''Evangeline''Musical score
of ''Evangeline'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Goodwin, J. Cheever Harvard University alumni American dramatists and playwrights 1850 births 1912 deaths Writers from Boston

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