The Passing Show of 1916 is a revue featuring the music of Sigmund Romberg and Otto Motzan, with book and lyrics by Harold Atteridge. It included the first George Gershwin songs introduced in a Broadway show.
It opened in the Winter Garden Theater on June 22, 1916 and played for 140 performances, closing on October 21, 1916. It was directed by Jacob J. Shubert and J. C. Huffman and choreographed by Allan K. Foster. The popular song "Pretty Baby" was included in the show.
The original The Passing Show was presented in 1894 by George Lederer at the Casino Theatre. It featured spoofs of theatrical productions of the past season. It was one of the first musical revues on Broadway and led the fashion for such productions. [1] The Casino Theatre produced a revue each summer thereafter for several seasons.
In 1912, Lee and Jacob J. Shubert began an annual series of twelve elaborate Broadway revues at the Winter Garden Theatre, using the name The Passing Show of 19XX, designed to compete with the popular Ziegfeld Follies. They featured libretti by Atteridge and music usually by Romberg, Gershwin or Herman Finck. Willie and Eugene Howard starred in many editions of the series (although not in 1916). Other stars included Charlotte Greenwood, Marilyn Miller, Ed Wynn, De Wolf Hopper, Charles Winninger, Fred Astaire and his sister Adele, Marie Dressler and Fred Allen. [2] Most of the shows were staged by J. C. Huffman. [3]
Otto Abels Harbach, born Otto Abels Hauerbach was an American lyricist and librettist of nearly 50 musical comedies and operettas. Harbach collaborated as lyricist or librettist with many of the leading Broadway composers of the early 20th century, including Jerome Kern, Louis Hirsch, Herbert Stothart, Vincent Youmans, George Gershwin, and Sigmund Romberg. Harbach believed that music, lyrics, and story should be closely connected, and, as Oscar Hammerstein II's mentor, he encouraged Hammerstein to write musicals in this manner. Harbach is considered one of the first great Broadway lyricists, and he helped raise the status of the lyricist in an age more concerned with music, spectacle, and stars. Some of his more famous lyrics are "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "Indian Love Call" and "Cuddle up a Little Closer, Lovey Mine".
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1926.
Sigmund Romberg was a Hungarian-born American composer. He is best known for his musicals and operettas, particularly The Student Prince (1924), The Desert Song (1926) and The New Moon (1928).
The Shubert family was responsible for the establishment of the Broadway district, in New York City, as the hub of the theatre industry in the United States. They dominated the legitimate theater and vaudeville in the first half of the 20th century, promoting entertainment attuned to popular taste.
The Passing Show of 1918 is a Broadway musical revue featuring music of Sigmund Romberg and Jean Schwartz, with book and lyrics by Harold Atteridge. The show introduced the hit songs "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" and "Smiles".
Bombo is a Broadway musical with a book and lyrics by Harold Atteridge and music by Sigmund Romberg.
Robinson Crusoe, Jr. is a musical with a book by Edgar Smith, lyrics by Harold Atteridge, and music by Sigmund Romberg and James Hanley.
Sinbad is a Broadway musical with a book and lyrics by Harold Atteridge and music by Sigmund Romberg, Al Jolson and others. Jolson plays a porter in old Bagdad where he meets a series of characters from the Arabian Nights, including Sinbad. He is transported to various exotic settings.
My Maryland is a "musical romance" with book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly and music by Sigmund Romberg, based on the play Barbara Frietchie by Clyde Fitch. The musical takes place in the towns of Frederick, Maryland and Hagerstown, Maryland.
The Passing Show was a musical revue in three acts, billed as a "topical extravaganza", with a book and lyrics by Sydney Rosenfeld and music by Ludwig Engländer and various other composers. It featured spoofs of theatrical productions of the past season. The show was presented in 1894 by George Lederer at the Casino Theatre. It was one of the first musical revues on Broadway and led the fashion for such productions. The Casino Theatre produced a revue each summer thereafter for several seasons.
Frederick A. Thompson, usually credited as Fred Thompson was an English writer, best known as a librettist for about fifty British and American musical comedies in the first half of the 20th century. Among the writers with whom he collaborated were George Grossmith Jr., P. G. Wodehouse, Guy Bolton and Ira Gershwin. Composers with whom he worked included Lionel Monckton, Ivor Novello and George Gershwin.
Miss 1917 is a musical revue with a book by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, music by Victor Herbert, Jerome Kern and others, and lyrics by Harry B. Smith, Otto Harbach, Henry Blossom and others. Made up of a string of vignettes, the show features songs from such musicals as The Wizard of Oz, Three Twins, Babes in Toyland, Ziegfeld Follies and The Belle of New York.
Harold Richard Atteridge, was an American composer, librettist and lyricist primarily for musicals and revues. He wrote the book and lyrics for over 20 musicals and revues for the Shubert family, including several iterations of The Passing Show.
Make It Snappy was a musical revue that ran for 96 performances at the Winter Garden Theatre in the 1922–23 Broadway season. It ran from 13 April to 1 July 1922. It starred Eddie Cantor, who introduced the hit songs "Yes! We Have No Bananas" and "The Sheik of Araby".
Jesse C. Huffman (1869–1935) was an American theatrical director. Between 1906 and 1932 he directed or staged over 200 shows, mostly for the Shubert Brothers. Many of them were musical revues, musicals or operettas. He is known for The Passing Show series of revues that he staged from 1914 to 1924 at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway, daring alternatives to the Ziegfeld Follies.
La Belle Paree was a musical revue that launched the legitimate theatre career of Al Jolson. The book was by Edgar Smith, music by Jerome Kern and Frank Tours and lyrics by Edward Madden. Billee Taylor provided additional music and lyrics, and M. E. Rourke and Frederick Day provided additional lyrics. It premiered on Broadway in 1911. The musical is set in Paris, France.
Americana is a musical revue in two parts, with book and lyrics by J. P. McEvoy, and music by Con Conrad with additional numbers by George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Philip Charig, James Hanley, B. G. DeSylva, Morrie Ryskind, Arthur Schwartz, Theo Goodwin, Joe Young, and Sam Lewis. The show was presented by Richard Herndon at the Belmont Theatre, and, after many postponements, opened July 26, 1926. The show was staged by Allan Dinehart with dance numbers by Larry Ceballos. The production was designed by John Held, Jr. It ran for 224 performances, closing in February 1927. The cast headlined Lew Brice, Roy Atwell, Betty Compton, Charles Butterworth and the Eddie Elkins Orchestra. The New York Times review called it a "witty, ingenious and sophisticated evening of fun-making, it made up in its abundant humor for more than it lacked in some other departments." The other departments referred to were lack of chorus girls and opulent settings.
Artists and Models was a series of five theatrical revues staged by brothers Lee and J. J. Shubert at the Shubert Theatre and other theaters operated by The Shubert Organization in New York City between 1923 and 1930.
The Whirl of the World is a musical revue in two acts with music by Sigmund Romberg and both book and lyrics by Harold Atteridge. The work also contained some additional songs by Harry Gifford and Fred Godfrey. The musical premiered on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre on January 10, 1914. It closed on May 30, 1914 after 161 performances. Produced by brothers Lee and Jacob J. Shubert, the production was staged by William J. Wilson and used costumes designed by Melville Ellis.