AustLit

Revue.

Although no details regarding this revue have been located, it was likely a pot pourri-style entertainment that drew on popular items (or requests) from the shows staged during the season.

Revue.

Revue.

Revue.

Described in the Sydney Morning Herald in 1932 as 'a musical comedy with an Eastern setting', Heads Off is said to have allowed Phillips 'full scope for his particular type of humour and together with with Messrs. Keith Connelly and Joe Lawman, provided a great deal of amusing farce' (1 February 1932, p.4).

Revue.

In its review of the 1932 Grand Opera production, the Sydney Morning Herald reports that 'The audience saw an entertainment as something of a colourful kaleidoscope, with Nat Phillips and his company producing in rapid succession a variety of bright turns and scenes. One of the features of the programme, with an effective stage setting, was the song scena in which Angela Parselles and Nita Carr appeared' (25 January 1932, p.4).

Peopled with a mixture of fairytale and nursery rhyme characters, including Boy Blue, Jack and Jill, and Tommy Tucker, this version of Beauty and the Beast is said to have judiciously combined elements of both the old and new pantomime traditions. The Sydney Morning Herald critic records that 'It is a bright show, with bright music, bright quips, clever dancing, colourful dresses, humour, skillfull acrobatics, clever children, and that inevitable ingredient of pantomime, diverting "animals"' (27 December 1930, p.10).

Although the exact authorship has not been ascertained, Nat Phillips's role as director suggests that he very likely made significant contributions to the story.

Revusical.

Stiffy and Mo are a couple of bell-boys at a hotel, who find themselves mixed up in the troubles of two young lovers, Helen and Frank, and Helen's father, Hiam Plaster. When the father arrives at the hotel, he is suspicious and demands to see his daughter. Stiffy and Mo help keep Frank hidden and then devise a plan to trick Mr Plaster into accepting Helen's relationship with Frank. As usual, however, the two larrikins manage to turn the situation upside down with their shenanigans. An Age review from 1925 proposes that the 'title could easily have been changed to "The Hotel Impossible" without altering the significance of the entertainment' (16 February 1925, p.11).

Songs known to have been incorporated into the 1924 production include 'I am the Manager,' 'We are a Couple of Bellboys,' and 'At the Grand.' The 1925 Bijou Theatre production included 'What'll I Do?' and 'Rose of the Rio Grande.'

The 1932 revival saw Joe Lawman take over the role previously played by Roy Rene (Mo) and Jack Kellaway ('Erb).

Revusical.

Revusical.

'The curtain was raised upon an oriental court scene with dancing girls waving palms and moving with sinuous grace for the amusement of the Rajah (Mark Erickson),' writes the Sydney Morning Herald critic:

Bert Le Blanc [Ike Cohen] and Jake Mack [Morris Levi] as the itinerant Jews who land in the precincts of the Rajah's court, and are held captive, succeeded in convulsing everybody with their clownish antics and irrelevant answers to the dignified questions of the Rajah. Evelyn Dudley as Balla, the Rajah's daughter, incurs her father's anger and is to be wed to one of the buffoons and the other is to be roasted alive. When asked the reason the Rajah replies 'Because it gives me pleasure,' and this expression is subsequently used by the victim in other situations with comic effect. Cyrene, the strange white girl (Winnie Knight) easily wins the love of the Rajah but when Levi claims her as his long-lost daughter there is a ludicrous scene as his majesty on bended knee craves the favour of the father's consent (20 November 1922, p.7).

Revusical.

Billed in Sydney Morning Herald advertisements as 'a score of merry men and maids and the niftiest little pony ballet that ever kicked across the footlights' (7 October 1922, p.2), the 1922 Grand Opera House 'musical comedy concotion', is described by the same paper's theatre as a series of incidents 'strung together in such a way as to produce very humorous character sketches and a great deal of clever and dexterous miming. The author's knack of adaptation in rhyme gave piquancy to the vocal pieces [and] several attractive ballet's were introduced' (9 October 1922, p.10).

Revusical.

Told in 'twenty scenes of sensation and splendor,' this version of Little Bo-Peep concerns the disappearance of her sheep, and their eventual discovery in spite of the evil machinations of King Spider. Featured specialty acts and scenes included 'Hunter and Bon in the Enchanted Castle,' 'The Magic Clock,' 'King Highty's Village,' 'The Astonishing Mushrooms,' 'The Swinging Demons,' 'Radio Land' and 'Maud, the Widow's Comical Cow.'

[Source: Australian Variety Theatre Archive]

Revusical.

The songs, dances, and improvised 'business' are loosely tied to a story concerning two Jewish sailors, Ike Cohen (Le Blanc) and Morris Levi (Mack), who are wrecked on the languorous island of Bong. They fall asleep and dream of becoming king and grand secretary respectively, and have, as one review notes, 'a right royal time' (Brisbane Courier 3 December 1917, p.9). For the 1919 Brisbane season, Le Blanc and Mack appeared as a couple of soldiers.

One of the songs incorporated into the 1917 Brisbane season was 'By the Blue Aegean Sea', sung in commemoration of the 'brave men who fell at Gallipoli and in recognition of Heroes Day' (Brisbane Courier 3 December 1917, p.9). The Brisbane Courier notes that in the 1919 production, 'the opening number "Gee! This is a Lonesome Town", seemed to be the key to a very dull proposition, but there was little lonesomeness in the air when things began to develop' (p.9). Other songs incorporated into the storyline included 'Great Big Wonderful Baby' and 'I Want to Go to Tokyo'.

Revusical.

Set aboard the S.S. Maysail, this Stiffy and Mo musical comedy revue concerns newlyweds Tom and Eva, her brother John and his wife, Sarah (a stewardess), and Fred (a friend).

One of the songs presented in the original 1916 production was 'In Dixie Land' (sung by Freda Hilston). The 1922 production's 'musical cargo' included 'Embarking Passengers' (the crew), 'Soldier Boy' (Keith Connolly), 'Rubber Band' (Queenie Paul and men), 'Would Goes ? ? ? ?' [sic] (Mike Connors), 'Bright Eyes' (Conners and Paul), 'Isle of Golden Dreams' (Doris Davis and girls), 'Moonlight' (Queenie Paul and girls), an unidentified quintet (Connors, Paul, O'Brien, Rene, and Phillips), 'Molly On The Trolly' (Doc O'Brien and girls), and 'All Aboard' (company).

Revusical.

This 'bright musical travesty' (Age 24 July 1915, p.16) is advertised in 1917 as 'A confusion of girls, gowns and giggles... [who] all travel to the Exposition in search of money and excitement. See Ike and Morris get the money. See the others get the excitement" (Brisbane Courier 22 December 1917, p.2). A review of the 1918 Brisbane production further indicates that action takes place at the Panama Exposition in San Francisco (Brisbane Courier 30 December 1918, p.5).

Among the musical highlights of the 1915 production were two songs performed by Carrie Moore: 'Boys of the Expedition' and 'I've got a Motor Bike'. The first number was performed by Moore in front of a moving picture depicting a march past by the first Expeditionary force. She sang the second song while driving across the stage on a motor bike attended by a group of chorus girls. The Age review of the Bijou production also notes that 'a number of catchy songs rendered by other members of the company were duly applauded [and that] there were fresh dancing specialties and pretty ballets' (26 July 1915, p.14).

Revusical.

Arguably one of Bert Le Blanc's most popular creations, Fuzzy Wuzzy was staged regularly by his Travesty Stars between 1915 and ca. 1922. The action is set in a bank, with Ike Cohen and Morris Levi putting in and taking out 'mornings and evenings'. The Truth newspapers indicates that the narrative allowed 'good choruses, splendid solos, clever dancing and amusing patter [to be] worked in' (12 March 1916, p.7). As such, it was variously described as a 'revue', a 'musical extravaganza' (Truth 1 April 1916, p.7), 'the quintessence of musical comedy... crammed full with tuneful musical numbers' (Brisbane Courier 17 December 1917, p.11), and 'a musical travesty' (Brisbane Courier 9 December 1918, p.5).

The principal characters are Ike Cohen and Morris Levi (on business and pleasure), General Steele and his four daughters, Percy Cheatem (a bad-un), Harvard Yale (educated), and the society women Lady Grafter and Lady Fleecem.

Although there would likely have been quite a number of changes to the revusical over the years, the latter versions probably share a foundation with the 1915 production. Specific comedy routines and songs, however, would have been reworked in order to provide topicality and social relevance.

Songs incorporated into the 1918 production included 'Dance that Dengozo with Me' and 'In a Bungalow Where the Red Roses Grow' (sung by Lilian Colenzo); 'Lonesome Baby' (Olga Ray); 'The Strains of a Wedding March', 'Where the River Shannon Flows', and 'Summer Moon' (Mike Connors); and 'The Deathless Army' (Will Raynor).

The plot involves the seduction of an innocent clergyman by a woman who has already murdered her first husband.

'Lucas List [...] is a Iothario of means, who seeks to cast off one victim, Ruth Wright [...], and to get into his possession her cousin, Ruby Wright [...], a school teacher, engaged to be married to Robert Ray, a mate in the merchant service [...]. Hay is made to suspect his sweetheart, and while under the influence of drink he is persuaded into marrying Ruth Wright. The latter refuses to terminate her relations with Lucas List. Ruby Wright visits List's house at night to get her cousin away, and being found there by Robert Ray, saves her cousin at the sacrifice of her own reputation. Dismissed from her post of school teacher, Ruby is sheltered by Madame de Meral [..], an agent of List, and taken to London. A timely escape is made from de Meral s house, with the help of a crippled boy, and safety is found in a London cellar. Here the pair, in the last stage of exhaustion from starvation, are found by List. Io save the cripple's life Ruby consents to go with List to his hotel, where Ruth armed with a knife has secreted herself. A quarrel follows, and List is fatally stabbed. Ruby believes herself to be the murderess, and is arrested but a dying confession by Ruth saves her and in the end Ruby and Robert Ray are happily married.'

Source:

'Driving a Girl to Destruction', The Sydney Morning Herald, 19 June 1911, p.5.