No posts this weekend... sorry guys.

Hi all.

I am sorry to say that this weekend due to LibraryGirl and I going away there will be no updates... however please do look back on Monday when I will be posting the 21st of May in Theatrical History about Catherine Coleman.

So have a great weekend everybody and I will see you all again on Monday...

By the way has anyone seen Glee's version of 'Paradise by the Dashboard Light' it is horrific! Let me know what you think in the comment section below.

Xtofer

On this date in 1904 'Veronique' opens at the Apollo

Veronique is an Operetta that premiered in December 1898 in Paris, France. Written by Andre Messager it would prove to be his most popular piece and toured throughout Europe in the late 1890s before it was brought, in its original French version, to the Notting Hill Gate Coronet by Lady Gladys de Grey in 1903. The following year a production was put together which included a translation of the libretto by Henry Atkins who was best known for his WWI song 'Private Tommy Atkins'. It opened at the Apollo Theatre, London on the 18th May 1904, it would run for 496 performances.

17/5 1853 The first Matinee performance at Astley's Ampitheatre

On the 17th of May 1853 the first matinee performance occured at Atsley's Ampitheatre in London. Astley's was situated on Westminster Bridge road and was the home of the Circus. It was a very popular venue putting on many spectacles featuring animals including one performance in 1871 which featured several hundred human performers alongside 52 Horses, 15 Elephants, 2 Lions, Kangaroos, Reindeer and many more. To read some more in depth information and see some wonderful picture of this venue please click here.

Matinees would not become a staple of the theatrical timetable until 1873 when it was established at the Haymarket Theatre, London.

Sir John Hare born 16/5 1844

(Sir John Hare on a Cigarette Card picture from http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk)

Sire John Hare was born on the 16th of May 1844 in Giggleswick, Yorkshire. Hare's career began in Liverpool in 1864 before debuting on the London stage in 1865. He became a part of the company working with the Bancrofts at the Prince of Wales's Theatre in London. 10 years after his debut he was made manager of the Court theatre in Sloane Square. Hare founded a social club for actors called 'The Lambs' in London, it folded in 1877 but an American branch was founded in 1874 and is still running to this day. In 1888 Hare became the manager of the Garrick theatre, by 1897 he was the manager of the Globe Theatre. In 1907 he was knighted for his services to the Theatre. He retired from stage work in 1912 but made a few silent movies in the 1910s. Hare died in 1921 aged 77.

Stanley Lupino born on the 15th of May 1894

On the 15th of May 1894 the Music Hall performer and early film star Stanley Lupino was born. Lupino can explain the early part of him life in the following video from British Pathe. For those who wish not to hear him talk about it himself, I will do my best to describe the life of this wonderful performer. Lupino was born into the famous Lupino performing family, his father was the actor George Lupino and his brother was the famous Music Hall act 'Little Nipper' Lupino Lane, and made his debut as an acrobat in 1913. Stanley went onto work at Drury Lane in Pantomime and carve out a comic career. During the interwar years Lupino began writing his own shows to star in, first at the London Pavillion and then at the Gaiety Theatre, before beginning his film career with a film directed by his brother Lupino Lane. Thanks to the popularity of film Stanley became a well loved character and a crossover star who had a great future ahead of him but in 1942 at the age of 49 he suddenly passed away. He left a daughter, Ida, who was also an actress but developed into a great film director in the 1950s, she was one of the only female directors in Hollywood during that era, and was only the second woman to ever be inducted into the Director's Guild. 

STANLEY LUPINO

So what theatrical songs do you find yourself humming or singing uncontrollably?

If you are anything like me you will sometimes find yourself humming or singing uncontrollably and like me it will be a showtune. My favourite one to sing, especially at this time of year, is 'Poisoning Pigeons in the Park' from the 1980s revue show 'Tom Foolery'.

(Tom Lehrer performing Poisoning Pigeons in the Park)

I asked LibraryGirl the question and her answer was 'Hello' from 'The Book of Mormon'.

What I want to know from you my lovely readers is what songs do you find yourself singing or humming? Please leave your answers in the comment section below.

Xtofer

Still Waters Run Deep produced at The Royal Olympic on this day in 1855

On the 14th of May 1855 'Still Waters Run Deep' was produced at the Olympic Theatre, London. The play was written by Tom Taylor and was an adaptation of Charles de Bernards 'Novel of le Gendre.' Tom Taylor was a well known playwright who had his greatest success as a writer for Punch magazine. Taylor had over 100 plays produced but his most famous one is 'Our American Cousin' which was a massive success in the USA. It was declared to be one of the funniest plays written by the American critics although today the play is remembered as being the play that was on in the Ford Theatre the night Abraham Lincoln was shot.

Magic tricks are theatre 1

Since a very young age I have loved magic tricks. Paul Daniels was on television all the time when I was younger and his energy and funny voice, I was a child I thought his voice was funny, suckered me in and then voila he would dazzle me with some illusion. I have since seen him live twice and have always enjoyed being tricked by magicians and illusionists. Magic tricks are obviously a huge part of theatre as the greatest special effects have generally begun as tricks designed by magicians over the years for their stage shows. I will not go into detail about magic as I am just a fan but I will be on occasion posting videos of tricks I have seen that have obviously been used outside the magicians act, generally in the theatre. The first is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen, its a floating light bulb that lights up despite not being attached to any power source... that's fine I could probably explain that (if I wanted to ruin the fun) but the floating part... it is just insane... if you don't believe me just watch.

I give you Harry Blackstone Jr and the Floating light bulb illusion (the video is from 1977 but he had apparently been performing it since 1962)

I believe part of this illusion has recently been used in the Broadway Musical 'The Addams Family.'



On this day in Theatrical history William Farren, the second, born in 1786

On this day in 1786 William Farren the second was born into an acting family. His father was an actor and his brother Percy ran a troupe in Plymouth. William Farrens father had reached the pinnacle of his career in 1784 when he played Othello at Covent Garden, he would remain at Covent Garden until his death in 1795. Farren had been left £8000, the modern equivalent is seven hundred and ninety thousand pounds, by his father and so was able to start a career on the stage without worrying about his earnings. He would join his brothers troupe in Plymouth and debut on the stage of the Theatre Royal Plymouth in 1806 in the play 'Love a la Mode' by Charles Macklin. Moving on from this debut he carved a career from himself out of playing "crusty old bachelors, jealous old husbands, stormy fathers, worrying uncles or old fops" and reached the London stage in 1818 as Sir Peter Teazle in 'School for Scandal' at Covent Garden. Farren would then flit back and forth between the companies at Covent Garden and Drury Lane, although he did have a spell as the stage manager at the Haymarket, before falling ill onstage with paralysis in 1843. His popularity dropped after he came back from his illness due to the negative effect it had on all the aspects of his acting, so he moved into actor management and took over the Strand Theatre and later the Olympic theatre. Farren passed away at his home in Brompton Square in 1861.