1492 Up to Date

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1492 Up to Date or Very Near It (sometimes titled 1492 [1] ) is a burlesque extravaganza created in 1892 in observance of the quadricentennial of Columbus's expedition to the New World. The libretto is by R. A. Barnet. [2] with music by Carl Pflueger. [3] Its Broadway production was presented by Edward E. Rice's "Surprise Party" in 1893. The plot centers on Columbus, but in burlesque style, it has little to do with his historical story. [4]

Contents

The show has been described as "a musical, historical, mellow drama [ sic ] that threw together bits of opera comique, comic opera, stereopticon projections, extravaganza, farce-comedy, vaudeville, local comedy, burlesque, and even minstrelsy." [5]

Productions

It was originally written for and presented by the Boston Independent Corps of Cadets in February 1892. [4] The show opened in New York City on May 15, 1893, at Palmer's Theatre, to a sold-out and overflowing audience, produced by Rice's Surprise Party. The New York Times called the show "wild nonsense" that provoked "wholesome laughter" with "manifest intelligence and abundant humor" and noted that, by the end, the audience was calling for half a dozen encores of each song. [6] It ran over two seasons, and in two different houses, for 452 performances. After this, it was performed in revival and toured for several years, with alterations and additional characters. During an 1895 revival, Queen Isabella was portrayed by Marie Dressler. [7]

Plot

King Ferdinand's treasurer complains that the kingdom is short of funds. The king has been out having too much fun all night. Queen Isabella and Columbus arrive, and both go mad. Soon Columbus is in front of the Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York amidst a crowd of colorful New York types, such as newsboys, chorus girls, vagabonds and vendors. Columbus and his entourage of Old World Spaniards are amazed at the behavior of the New Yorkers. When Columbus returns to Spain, the royal family is living in poverty, doing their own washing. The royal family is amazed and amused by the explorers' stories of the New World. All ends happily.

Characters and original cast

Songs

Act 1
Act 2
Act 3

Archival materials

Many of the original performance materials are housed in the library of the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

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References

  1. Much of the sheet music for the show, published by T. B. Harms, indicates the name of the show as 1492.
  2. WorldCat. Barnet, R. A. (Robert Ayres) 1850?-1933
  3. WorldCat. Pflueger, Carl 1850–1901
  4. 1 2 "Notes of the Stage", The New York Times, May 14, 1893, p. 13. Program for the Tremont Theatre in Boston indicates the show opened on February 8, 1892.
  5. Smith, Cecil Michener and Litton, Glenn. Musical Comedy in America (1981), Routledge, ISBN   0-87830-564-5, p. 26
  6. "1492 Is Funny", The New York Times, May 16, 1893
  7. Kennedy, Matthew. Marie Dressler Jefferson, N.C: McFarland, ISBN   0-7864-2844-9, 2006, p. 28.

Other sources

Further reading