John Hollingshead managed the Gaiety Theatre from 1868 to 1886 as a venue for variety, continental operetta, light comedy, and numerous musical burlesques composed or arranged by the theatre's music director, Wilhelm Meyer Lutz. Hollingshead called himself a "licensed dealer in legs, short skirts, French adaptations, Shakespeare, taste and musical glasses."[6] In 1886, Hollingshead ceded the management of the theatre to George Edwardes, whom he had hired in 1885. Edwardes expanded the burlesque format from one act to full-length pieces with original music by Lutz, instead of scores compiled from popular tunes, and choreography by the theatre's dance-master, John D'Auban.[7]Nellie Farren, as the theatre's "principal boy," and Fred Leslie starred at the Gaiety for over 20 years. Leslie wrote many of its pieces under his pseudonym, "A. C. Torr".[8] In the early 1890s, as Burlesque went out of fashion, Edwardes changed the focus of the theatre from musical burlesque to the new genre of Edwardian musical comedy.[9]
Critical receptionEdit
In the December 1890 issue of Punch magazine, the reviewer wrote, "In calling their burlesque Carmen up to Data possibly the two dear clever boys who wrote it intended some crypto-jocosity of which the hidden meaning is known only to the initiated in these sublime mysteries. Why 'Data'? On the other hand, 'Why not?' However attractive or not as a heading in a bill of the play, the Gaiety Carmen is, on the whole, a merry, bright, and light burlesque-ish piece."[10]
ReferencesEdit
Adams, William Davenport. A dictionary of the drama (1904) Chatto & Windus
Hollingshead, John. Good Old Gaiety: An Historiette & Remembrance (1903) London: Gaiety Theatre Co
NotesEdit
^Michael Christoforidis, Elizabeth Kertesz (2019). "Impersonating Carmen in Victorian London". Carmen and the Staging of Spain: Recasting Bizet's Opera in the Belle Epoque. Oxford University Press. ISBN9780195384567.
^Arthur Lloyd Music Hall site (on Gaiety) Cuttings 2009-02-12 at the Wayback Machine accessed 01 Mar 2007
^"Theatrical Humour in the Seventies", The Times, 20 February 1914, p. 9, col. D
^Stewart, Maurice. 'The spark that lit the bonfire', in Gilbert and Sullivan News (London) Spring 2003.
^Ganzl, Kurt, "Musicals", London: Carlton (1995), p. 56 ISBN0-7475-2381-9; Hyman, Alan, "The Gaiety Years", London: Cassell (1975), p. 64 ISBN0-304-29372-5
^"Carmen Up To Data, a Souvenir of the Gaiety Theater" January 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Grey Heron Prints
External linksEdit
Photo of E. J. Lonnen in the piece
New York Times review
October 17, 2023
carmen, data, musical, burlesque, with, score, written, meyer, lutz, seville, piece, spoof, bizet, 1875, opera, carmen, libretto, written, sims, henry, pettitt, florence, john, title, rolemusicmeyer, lutzlyricsg, sims, henry, pettittbookg, sims, henry, pettitt. Carmen up to Data is a musical burlesque with a score written by Meyer Lutz Set in Seville the piece was a spoof of Bizet s 1875 opera Carmen The libretto was written by G R Sims and Henry Pettitt 1 Carmen up to DataFlorence St John in the title roleMusicMeyer LutzLyricsG R Sims Henry PettittBookG R Sims Henry PettittProductions1890 West EndAfter a tryout in Liverpool in September 1890 the piece premiered at the Gaiety Theatre London on 4 October 1890 produced by George Edwardes 2 It starred Florence St John in the title role Letty Lind as Mercedes Jenny Dawson as Escamillo Maria Jones as Michaela Blanche Massey as Morales Horace Mills as Remendado E J Lonnen as Jose and Arthur Williams as Captain Zuniga 3 The piece was a success and toured throughout the English speaking world reaching Australia by 1892 4 Contents 1 Background 2 Critical reception 3 References 4 Notes 5 External linksBackground EditBizet s Carmen had first been produced in English in London in 1878 at Her Majesty s Theatre starring Selina Dolaro and Durward Lely An earlier burlesque of Carmen called Carmen or Sold for a Song by Robert Reece had also been produced at the Folly Theatre in 1879 and several other burlesques followed 5 Burlesque of opera or classical works was popular in Britain from the 1860s to the 1880s Other examples at the Gaiety include The Bohemian G yurl and the Unapproachable Pole 1877 Blue Beard 1882 Ariel 1883 by F C Burnand Galatea or Pygmalion Reversed 1883 Little Jack Sheppard 1885 Monte Cristo Jr 1886 Miss Esmeralda 1887 Frankenstein or The Vampire s Victim 1887 Mazeppa Faust up to Date 1888 Ruy Blas and the Blase Roue 1888 Cinder Ellen up too Late 1891 and Don Juan 1892 with lyrics by Adrian Ross 3 John Hollingshead managed the Gaiety Theatre from 1868 to 1886 as a venue for variety continental operetta light comedy and numerous musical burlesques composed or arranged by the theatre s music director Wilhelm Meyer Lutz Hollingshead called himself a licensed dealer in legs short skirts French adaptations Shakespeare taste and musical glasses 6 In 1886 Hollingshead ceded the management of the theatre to George Edwardes whom he had hired in 1885 Edwardes expanded the burlesque format from one act to full length pieces with original music by Lutz instead of scores compiled from popular tunes and choreography by the theatre s dance master John D Auban 7 Nellie Farren as the theatre s principal boy and Fred Leslie starred at the Gaiety for over 20 years Leslie wrote many of its pieces under his pseudonym A C Torr 8 In the early 1890s as Burlesque went out of fashion Edwardes changed the focus of the theatre from musical burlesque to the new genre of Edwardian musical comedy 9 Critical reception EditIn the December 1890 issue of Punch magazine the reviewer wrote In calling their burlesque Carmen up to Data possibly the two dear clever boys who wrote it intended some crypto jocosity of which the hidden meaning is known only to the initiated in these sublime mysteries Why Data On the other hand Why not However attractive or not as a heading in a bill of the play the Gaiety Carmen is on the whole a merry bright and light burlesque ish piece 10 References EditAdams William Davenport A dictionary of the drama 1904 Chatto amp Windus Hollingshead John Good Old Gaiety An Historiette amp Remembrance 1903 London Gaiety Theatre CoNotes Edit Michael Christoforidis Elizabeth Kertesz 2019 Impersonating Carmen in Victorian London Carmenand the Staging of Spain Recasting Bizet s Opera in the Belle Epoque Oxford University Press ISBN 9780195384567 Adams p 255 a b Programme for Carmen up to Data Archived 2008 12 10 at the Wayback Machine Theatre in Melbourne 1892 Archived 2009 02 16 at the Wayback Machine Mel Moratti s Gilbert and Sullivan Down Under site Adams pp 254 55 Arthur Lloyd Music Hall site on Gaiety Cuttings Archived 2009 02 12 at the Wayback Machine accessed 01 Mar 2007 Theatrical Humour in the Seventies The Times 20 February 1914 p 9 col D Stewart Maurice The spark that lit the bonfire in Gilbert and Sullivan News London Spring 2003 Ganzl Kurt Musicals London Carlton 1995 p 56 ISBN 0 7475 2381 9 Hyman Alan The Gaiety Years London Cassell 1975 p 64 ISBN 0 304 29372 5 Carmen Up To Data a Souvenir of the Gaiety Theater Archived January 18 2008 at the Wayback Machine Grey Heron PrintsExternal links EditPhoto of E J Lonnen in the piece New York Times review Sketches of the production Information about Burlesque from the PeoplePlay UK website Poster and further information from the PeoplePlay UK website Images of the characters Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Carmen up to Data amp oldid 1172793875, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
