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The New Aladdin is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts by James T. Tanner and W. H. Risque, with music by Ivan Caryll, Lionel Monckton, and additional numbers by Frank E. Tours, and lyrics by Adrian Ross, Percy Greenbank, W. H. Risque, and George Grossmith, Jr. It was produced by George Edwardes at the Gaiety Theatre, opening on 29 September 1906 and running for 203 performances.
The London production starred Grossmith, Harry Grattan (who also choreographed), Lily Elsie, Edmund Payne and Gaby Deslys (making her London debut). Gertie Millar, the established star of the Gaiety soon became available and replaced Elsie in the leading role, but shortly thereafter The Merry Widow made Elsie a big star.
The Aladdin story had been dramatised extensively in England before and was very popular in pantomime versions, but this was the first book musical on the subject.
P. G. Wodehouse wrote a comic dramatisation of the creation of The New Aladdin called "The Cooks and the Gaiety Broth" as part of Plum Punch: The Life of Writers.
Cast
- Genie of the Lamp – George Grossmith, Jr.
- Cadi (A disgraced ambassador) – Arthur Hatherton
- Ebenezer (Lally's uncle) – Harry Grattan
- General Ratz (Imperial aide-de-camp) – Robert Nainby
- The Lost Constable – Alfred Lester
- The Ideal Man – Charles Brown
- Billy Pauncefort, Reggie Tighe, Tony Cavendish (The Romano party) – Eustace Burnaby, J. R. Sinclair, S. Hansworth
- A tax collector – J. W. Birtley
- Tippin (Ebenezer's page) – Edmund Payne
- The Princess – Adrienne Augarde
- Laolah (Cadi's daughter) – Olive May
- Jennie (Maid to the Princess) – Jean Aylwin
- Mrs. Tippin – Winifred Dennis
- Winnie Fairfax – Kitty Mason
- Flo Cartaret – Doris Beresford
- Di Tollemache – Enid Leonhardt
- Kit Lomax – Tessie Hackney
- Vi Cortelyon – Gladys Desmond
- May Warrener – Florence Lindley
- Nan Jocelyn – Violet Walker
- Madge Oliphant – Edna Loftus
- Millie Farquhar – Minnie Baker
- The Charm of Paris – Gaby Deslys
- Spirit of the Ring – Connie Ediss
- Lally (Ebenezer's nephew) – Lily Elsie (replaced by Gertie Millar)
Musical numbers
External links
- Song list, lyrics and links to Midi files and cast list
- Describes replacement of Elsie by Millar in the original production
- Photos of Millar in The New Aladdin
- Drawing of Deslys in The New Aladdin
- Photos of Elsie in The New Aladdin
- com/ArchivePressText2003/20030628.html Describes Deslys's London debut in The New Aladdin
- Wodehouse's dramatisation of the creation of The New Aladdin
- List of musicals opening in London in 1906