The Happy Day is an English musical comedy

Musical theatre

Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...

 in two acts by Seymour Hicks

Seymour Hicks

Sir Arthur Seymour Hicks , better known as Seymour Hicks, was a British actor, music hall performer, playwright, screenwriter, theatre manager and producer. He married the actress Ellaline Terriss in 1893...

, with music by Sidney Jones

Sidney Jones

James Sidney Jones , usually credited as Sidney Jones, was an English conductor and composer, most famous for producing the musical scores for a series of musical comedy hits in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods....

 and Paul Rubens

Paul Rubens (composer)

Paul Alfred Rubens was an English songwriter and librettist who wrote some of the most popular Edwardian musical comedies of the early twentieth century. He contributed to the success of dozens of musicals....

, and lyrics by Adrian Ross

Adrian Ross

For the NFL player see Adrian Ross Arthur Reed Ropes , better known under the pseudonym Adrian Ross, was a prolific writer of lyrics, contributing songs to more than sixty British musical comedies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...

 and Rubens. It was produced by George Edwardes

George Edwardes

George Joseph Edwardes was an English theatre manager of Irish ancestry who brought a new era in musical theatre to the British stage and beyond....

's company (by the estate's executor, Robert Evett

Robert Evett

Robert Evett was an English singer, actor, theatre manager and producer.-Acting career:In 1892 Evett joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company on tour in The Vicar of Bray, playing the Reverend Henry Sandford, the tenor lead. In 1893, Evett added the role of Oswald in Haddon Hall...

) and was directed by Evett. The musical opened at Daly's Theatre

Daly's Theatre

Daly's Theatre was a theatre in the City of Westminster. It was located at 2 Cranbourn Street, just off Leicester Square. It opened on 27 June 1893, and was demolished in 1937.-Early years:...

 in London on 13 May 1916 and ran for 241 performances. It starred Winifred Barnes and Jose Collins

Jose Collins

Jose Collins was an English actress and singer celebrated for her performances in musical comedies and early motion pictures.-Life and career:...

, and later Bertram Wallis

Bertram Wallis

Bertram Wallis was an English actor and singer known for his performances in plays, musical comedies and operettas in the early 20th century, first as leading men and then in character roles. He also later appeared in several film roles.-Early years:Wallis was born in London...

 joined the cast.

The Happy Day opened during World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 in the same year as three other tremendously successful shows in London: Chu Chin Chow

Chu Chin Chow

Chu Chin Chow is a musical comedy written, produced and directed by Oscar Asche, with music by Frederic Norton, based on the story of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves...

, Theodore & Co

Theodore & Co

Theodore & Co is an English musical comedy in two acts with a book by H. M. Harwood and George Grossmith, Jr. , with music by Ivor Novello and Jerome Kern and lyrics by Adrian Ross and Clifford Grey. It was produced by Grossmith and Edward Laurillard, opening at the Gaiety Theatre on 19 September...

and The Bing Boys are Here

The Bing Boys Are Here

The Bing Boys Are Here, styled "A Picture of London Life, in a Prologue and Six Panels," is the first of a series of revues which played at the Alhambra Theatre, London during the last two years of World War I. The series included The Bing Boys on Broadway and The Bing Boys are There. The music...

. Audiences, including servicemen on leave, wanted light and uplifting entertainment during the war, and these shows delivered it. The show was Jones's last success.

Two of the popular songs from The Happy Day were "Bohemia" and "I Don't Seem to Want You When You're With Me".

Roles and original cast members

• Charles, Prince of Galania – Arthur Wontner
• Sir Dennis O'hagan (His A.D.C.) – Frank Wilson
• Earl of Anglemere (The Princess's Equerry) – Thorpe Bates
• General Count Ivan Tobolsk (The Inspector-General)
• M. Drinkavink (The Director of the Casino)
• M. Oppinoff (The Chancellor of the Exchequer)
• M. Limitski (The Public Trustee)
• Walter (of London) – Lauri De Frece
• The Captain – G. P. Huntley
• Mary, Princess of Valaria – Winifred Barnes
• The Countess Tobolsk (Mistress of the Robes) – Rosina Filippi
• The Lady Diana Brooke (A Maid of Honour) – Nellie Taylor
• Luna L'etoile
• Ma Petite (of the Opera House) – Unity Moore
• Camille Joyeuse (a Queen of Bohemia) – Jose Collins
  Jose Collins
  Jose Collins was an English actress and singer celebrated for her performances in musical comedies and early motion pictures.-Life and career:...
  
  
• Ladies of the Bedchamber, Courtiers, Soldiers, Peasants, Dancers, Guests, Servants, etc.

Musical Numbers

Act I

• INTRODUCTION... (The Clock upon the palace tow'r)
• SONG (Diana)... "The Happy Day "... (Wake, wake, for the sun is high)
• CONCERTED NUMBER (Girls)... "The Trousseau"... (Her Highness's Trousseau)
• MARCH AND SOLO (Anglemere) ('Tis to-day I leave you for ever)
• CHORUS .. . (Assemble here to greet the bridegroom)
• DUET (Diana and Denis) .. "England" .. .. .. (Come back again to the isle of the sea)
• TRIO (Oppinoff, Limitsky, and Drinkavink)... "Hang together" (We are in for dirty weather)
• SONG (Anglemere) .. .. "Truant Love " .. .. (Cupid's terribly interfering)
• CHORUS OF PEASANTS AND DANCE "Little Mother" .. .. (Little Mother of our land)
• SONG (Mary) "As poor as that" .. .. (When you've always had lots of money)
• SONG (Anglemere). .. "Yours to the end" .. (Nothing I ask you now to give)
• FINALE (Mary and Anglemere) .. "Free" .. .. (Come away, and leave them all behind you)

Act II

• OPENING CHORUS (It is jolly when you're dancing)
• SONG (Camille) AND CHORUS... "Bohemia"... (Come away to the land of joy)
• SONG (Ma Petite) AND CHORUS... "Marching with the Band" (What is that music I hear in the street?)
• CHORUS OF GENDARMES AND DANCE... (We've come here by the orders)
• SONG (Mary) .. .. "I Dream, I Dream of you" (Shall I ever discover ?)
• DUET (Mary and Camille) "Queen of Joy" ... (Oh, I know why you're here)
• DUET (Ma Petite and Walter) "Peter Piper" ... (Mr. Peter Piper was a pocket sniper)
• SONG (Camille) AND CHORUS .. "The Seasons" ... (When the Summer's blue above)
• FINALE... (I liked you first in the Summer)

Addenda

• SONG (Mary)... "I met Someone"... (Something's gone wrong with me)
• SONG (Anglemere) AND CHORUS "Love and War"... (Always ready when the challenge comes)

External links

• Vocal score of The Happy Day