David Braham
Encyclopedia
David Braham was a London
-born musical theatre composer most famous for his work with Edward Harrigan
and Tony Hart
. He is considered as "the American Offenbach
".
in 1838. As a young man, he aspired to become a professional musician and began studying the harp
. However, because he was unable to get his bulky instrument on board a stagecoach
, he later switched to the violin
. He proved to be an adept violinist, performing in concerts at a young age.
The Braham family immigrated to New York City
when David was at the age of 15. Upon arriving in New York, Braham began working as a violinist in the orchestra accompanying the Pony Moore Minstrels. He also played in the pit orchestra
s of various New York auditorium
s and led a military band
.
The first Broadway musical to feature music by David Braham was Pluto, produced by William Horace Lingard at the Theatre Comique in 1869. Braham's success as a composer continued through the early 1870s
, during which time he wrote numbers for such performers as James McKee, then-child star Annie Yeamans, and P. T. Barnum
performer Major Tom Thumb.
In 1873, David Braham collaborated with Edward Harrigan
and Tony Hart
on the song The Mulligan Guard, with music by Braham and lyrics by Harrigan. The song was presented on July 15, 1873 as part of a vaudeville sketch which featured Harrigan and Hart wearing unusual American Civil War
-era military costumes.
This collaboration marked the first of many between Braham, Harrigan, and Hart. From that point onwards, Braham became firmly associated with the two. Although he did go on to write melodies for other lyricists, his success in Broadway theater came almost entirely as a result of his Harrigan and Hart scores. In November 1876, Harrigan married Braham's daughter Annie.
The success of The Mulligan Guard led to a series of burlesque
s which would become known as the "Mulligan plays". The Mulligan plays focused on the everyday life of New York City, appealing to a variety of racial groups, including Irish American
s, German American
s, and African American
s.
The first of these Mulligan plays was The Mulligan Guard's Ball, followed by The Mulligan Guard's Picnic, The Mulligan Guard's Chowder, The Mulligan Guard's Christmas, and various others. Although most of the Mulligan plays followed the same naming pattern, the final two shows in the series were titled Cordelia's Aspirations and Dan's Tribulations. The Mulligan plays featured several popular songs, all of which were written by Braham, including The Pitcher of Beer and Hats Off to Me.
David Braham died in 1905. On May 21, 1906, Harrigan produced a revival of Old Lavender, a musical he and Braham had written together. In 1985, a musical titled Harrigan 'n Hart was produced at the Longacre Theatre
, featuring songs by Harrigan and Braham.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-born musical theatre composer most famous for his work with Edward Harrigan
Edward Harrigan
Edward Harrigan was an American actor, playwright, theatre manager, and composer. Harrigan and Tony Hart formed the first famous collaboration in American musical theatre.-Life and career:...
and Tony Hart
Tony Hart (theater)
Tony Hart Tony Hart Tony Hart (born Anthony J. Cannon (July 25, 1855 – November 4, 1891) was an American actor, comedian and singer.He was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, and is best known for working with Ned Harrigan, in the late 19th century. Together they became a fixture at the Theatre...
. He is considered as "the American Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach was a Prussian-born French composer, cellist and impresario. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s–1870s and his uncompleted opera The Tales of Hoffmann. He was a powerful influence on later composers of the operetta genre, particularly Johann Strauss, Jr....
".
Early life (1838–1873)
David Braham was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1838. As a young man, he aspired to become a professional musician and began studying the harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
. However, because he was unable to get his bulky instrument on board a stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
, he later switched to the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
. He proved to be an adept violinist, performing in concerts at a young age.
The Braham family immigrated to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
when David was at the age of 15. Upon arriving in New York, Braham began working as a violinist in the orchestra accompanying the Pony Moore Minstrels. He also played in the pit orchestra
Pit orchestra
A pit orchestra is a type of orchestra that accompanies performers in musicals, operas, and other shows involving music. In performances of operas and ballets, the pit orchestra is typically similar in size to a symphony orchestra, though it may contain smaller string and brass sections, depending...
s of various New York auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
s and led a military band
Military band
A military band originally was a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the title of Bandmaster or Director of Music...
.
The first Broadway musical to feature music by David Braham was Pluto, produced by William Horace Lingard at the Theatre Comique in 1869. Braham's success as a composer continued through the early 1870s
1870s
The 1870s continued the trends of the previous decade, as new empires, imperialism and militarism rose in Europe and Asia. America was recovering from the Civil War. Germany declared independence in 1871 and began its Second Reich. Labor unions and strikes occurred worldwide in the later part of...
, during which time he wrote numbers for such performers as James McKee, then-child star Annie Yeamans, and P. T. Barnum
P. T. Barnum
Phineas Taylor Barnum was an American showman, businessman, scam artist and entertainer, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and for founding the circus that became the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus....
performer Major Tom Thumb.
Harrigan and Hart (1873–1885)
Edward Harrigan
Edward Harrigan was an American actor, playwright, theatre manager, and composer. Harrigan and Tony Hart formed the first famous collaboration in American musical theatre.-Life and career:...
and Tony Hart
Tony Hart (theater)
Tony Hart Tony Hart Tony Hart (born Anthony J. Cannon (July 25, 1855 – November 4, 1891) was an American actor, comedian and singer.He was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, and is best known for working with Ned Harrigan, in the late 19th century. Together they became a fixture at the Theatre...
on the song The Mulligan Guard, with music by Braham and lyrics by Harrigan. The song was presented on July 15, 1873 as part of a vaudeville sketch which featured Harrigan and Hart wearing unusual American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
-era military costumes.
This collaboration marked the first of many between Braham, Harrigan, and Hart. From that point onwards, Braham became firmly associated with the two. Although he did go on to write melodies for other lyricists, his success in Broadway theater came almost entirely as a result of his Harrigan and Hart scores. In November 1876, Harrigan married Braham's daughter Annie.
The success of The Mulligan Guard led to a series of burlesque
Burlesque
Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects...
s which would become known as the "Mulligan plays". The Mulligan plays focused on the everyday life of New York City, appealing to a variety of racial groups, including Irish American
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
s, German American
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
s, and African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s.
The first of these Mulligan plays was The Mulligan Guard's Ball, followed by The Mulligan Guard's Picnic, The Mulligan Guard's Chowder, The Mulligan Guard's Christmas, and various others. Although most of the Mulligan plays followed the same naming pattern, the final two shows in the series were titled Cordelia's Aspirations and Dan's Tribulations. The Mulligan plays featured several popular songs, all of which were written by Braham, including The Pitcher of Beer and Hats Off to Me.
Late life (1884–1905)
The last Mulligan play to be produced was Dan's Tribulations on April 7, 1884. Shortly after it opened, the New Theatre Comique, at which many of the Harrigan and Hart shows had been produced, burned down. In 1885, Harrigan and Hart separated, and neither they nor Braham were ever able to singularly attain the same level of success that they had achieved as a team.David Braham died in 1905. On May 21, 1906, Harrigan produced a revival of Old Lavender, a musical he and Braham had written together. In 1985, a musical titled Harrigan 'n Hart was produced at the Longacre Theatre
Longacre Theatre
The Longacre Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 220 West 48th Street in midtown Manhattan.-Theatre History:Designed by architect Henry Beaumont Herts in 1912, it was named for Longacre Square, the original name for Times Square...
, featuring songs by Harrigan and Braham.