The Girl in the Taxi is a three-act musical comedy written by Stanislaus Stange, with music by Benjamin Hapgood Burt. Set in New York City, it is one of several adaptations of Le Fils à papa, a French comedy by Antony Mars and Maurice Desvallières. The 1910 Broadway production was produced by Albert H. Woods and directed by Carter DeHaven; the latter of whom also performed the role of Bertie Stewart.
| The Girl in the Taxi | |
|---|---|
| Music | Benjamin Hapgood Burt |
| Lyrics | Benjamin Hapgood Burt |
| Book | Stanislaus Stange |
| Basis | Le Fils à papa |
| Premiere | January 16, 1910: Cort Theatre, Chicago |
Cast and characters
editThe characters and cast from the Broadway production are given below:[1]
| Character | Cast |
|---|---|
| Mariette | Jeannette Bageard |
| Mary Peters | Fremont Benton |
| John Stewart | Frederick Bond |
| Policeman | Joseph Clark |
| Percy Peters | Morgan Coman |
| Bertie Stewart | Carter De Haven |
| Walter Watson | Frank Farrington |
| Alexis | Max Freeman |
| Frederick Smith | John Glendinning |
| Mignon | Laura Guerite |
| Dr. Paul | Clifford Heckinger |
| Clara Stewart | Jessie Millward |
| Emile | Jerome Nelson |
| Rosie | Katherine Smythe |
| Mademoiselle Irma | Grace Walton |
History
editAntony Mars and Maurice Desvallières wrote Le Fils à papa, a three-act French comedy, in 1906. In early 1910, English-American author Stanislaus Stange adapted the play into an English-language musical comedy with songs by composer Benjamin Hapgood Burt.[a] Stange's adaptation premiered at the Cort Theatre in Chicago on January 16, 1910.[2] After running in Chicago and Boston, The Girl in the Taxi appeared on Broadway at the Astor Theatre on October 24, 1910.[1] It played there for six weeks with 48 performances.[3]
Notes
edit- ^ Also in 1910, Le Fils à papa was separately adapted by Jean Gilbert into a German operetta called Die keusche Susanne (Chaste Susanne). In 1912, Frederick Fenn and Arthur Wimperis adapted the operetta to English as a musical, which was also called The Girl in the Taxi. In 1913, Mars and Desvallières adapted the operetta back into French as La chaste Suzanne.
References
edit- ^ a b "Girl in the Taxi a Frisky Comedy". The New York Times. October 25, 1910. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Hammond, Percy (January 17, 1910). "The Girl in the Taxi". The Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Bloom, Ken (2012) [2004]. Broadway: An Encyclopedia. New York: Routledge. p. 39. ISBN 978-0-4159-3704-7.