''Little Christopher Columbus'' is a

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

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 N ...

and

Gustave Kerker Gustave Adolph Kerker, sometimes given as Gustav or Gustavus Kerker, (February 28, 1857 – June 29, 1923) was a Kingdom of Prussia-born composer and conductor who spent most of his life in the United States. He became a musical director for Broad ...

and a libretto by George R. Sims and

Cecil Raleigh Cecil Raleigh was the pseudonym of Abraham Cecil Francis Fothergill Rowlands (27 January 1856 – 10 November 1914), an English actor and playwright. Personal life Abraham Cecil Francis Fothergill Rowlands was born on 27 January 1856 in Monmo ...

. It opened on 10 October 1893 at the Lyric Theatre in London and then transferred to

Terry's Theatre Terry's Theatre was a West End theatre in the Strand, in the City of Westminster, London. Built in 1887, it became a cinema in 1910 before being demolished in 1923. History The theatre was built in 1887, near Fountain's Court, on the site of a ...

, running for a total of 421 performances, which was a very successful run at the time.

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

created the title role, and Furneaux Cook and

E. J. Lonnen Edwin Jesse Lonnen (1860 – 31 October 1901), credited as "E. J." or "Teddy", was an English actor, comedian and singer known for his performances in Victorian burlesque, musical burlesques, operettas and Edwardian musical comedy, musical com ...

were in the cast.

Mabel Love Mabel Love (16 October 1874 – 15 May 1953), was a British dancer and stage actress. She was considered to be one of the great stage beauties of her age, and her career spanned the late Victorian era and the Edwardian period. In 1894, Winston ...

, Geraldine Ulmar and Florence St. John joined the cast as replacements. The piece was produced in 1894 in New York at the Garden Theatre and has enjoyed various tours and revivals over the years.

Roles and original cast

*O'hoolegan (Private Detective to Silas Block) –

*Capt. Joseph H. Slammer (of the S.S. "Chocktaw") – Harry Parker *The Mayor of Cadiz – Henry Wright *Don Juan (of the Spanish Police) – George Tate *Hotel Proprietor – Roland Carse *Silas Block (a Millionaire) – Furneaux Cook *Pedro, Sebastian, Lopez (Spanish Officers) – Kate Dudley, Vinnie Cassell, Blanche Winter *Vigilant Cutter (2nd. Officer of the S.S. "Chocktaw") – Maude Vernon *The Second Mrs. Block – Adelaide Newton *Hannah (Slammer's Daughter) – Maud Leicester *Pepita –

Eva Moore Eva Moore (9 February 1868 – 27 April 1955) was an English actress. Her career on stage and in film spanned six decades, and she was active in the women's suffrage movement. In her 1923 book of reminiscences, ''Exits and Entrances'', she des ...

*Guinevere Block – Maud Holland *Mercedes – Rose Hamilton *Lola – Cissie Cranford *Salambo Smith – Dora Thorne *Mysotes Calhoun – Millie Marsden *Little Christopher –

Musical numbers

Act I - The Great Square of Cadiz *No. 1 - Chorus - "Here in Cadiz flags are flying, from each steeple bells are ringing" *No. 2 - Soloist and Chorus - "Columbus was a famous man who lost himself at sea" *No. 3 - Christopher - "Oh! sailor King, who won renown unfading till the world shall end" *No. 3a - Guinevere - "A pussy cat sat by a silver stream - purr! - singing away in a dainty dream - purr!" *No. 4 - Chorus - "In an unconventional way they attend the fête today" *No. 5 - Air de Ballet *No. 6 - Soloist and Male Chorus - "When you're strolling home to bed thro' the long deserted street" *No. 7 - Christopher and Chorus - "When the flow'rets droop in the noonday sun, and softly the song-birds trill" (also published as "Lazily, Drowsily - siesta song")"Lazily, Drowsily - siesta song", London: Hopwood & Crew, 1893. *No. 8 - Guinevere and Christopher - "If in your dreams my face you see, dream on, true heart, for I am near" *No. 9 - Finale Act I - "Oh, yes! oh, yes! Oh, yes! oh, yes! The dancing girls will give a show before they start for Chicago!" Act II - The Midway Plaisance, Chicago Exhibition *No. 10 - Chorus of Foreigners - "We are foreigners come from afar, yes, we are" *No. 11 - O'Hoolegan and Two Flunkies - "I'm a swell, as you see by my manners and air" *No. 12 - Christopher, Guinevere, and Mr. & Mrs. Block - "If you wish at the moment to shine in Society" *No. 13 - Christopher and O'Hoolegan - "There's nothing half so sweet in life, they say, as wedded bliss" *No. 14 - Duet and Dance - "We are the Sisters Giggle, you know us at a glance" *No. 15 - Chorus of Germans and Turks - "Ve vas Deutsche frauleins, as you all can see" *No. 16 - Dance *No. 17 - "Rumpty Tumpty" Song - (possibly sung by Christopher) - "I am a jolly sort of chap, a fav'rite ev'rywhere" *No. 18 - Plantation Song - "Oh! honey, my honey, 'tis a dark and stilly night, and only the stars can see" *No. 19 - Dance - Tarantella *No. 20 - Finale Act II - "All hail! All hail! All hail! Great Christopher Columbus!"

Notes

External links

Song list with links to Midi files and cast list
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English-language operas English comic operas Operas 1893 operas Operas by Ivan Caryll Operas by Gustave Kerker Works by George Robert Sims