To-Night's the Night is a 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...

 composed by 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....

, with lyrics by Percy Greenbank

Percy Greenbank

Percy Greenbank was an English lyricist, best known for his contribution of lyrics to a number of successful Edwardian musical comedies in the early years of the 20th century. His older brother, lyricist Harry Greenbank, had a brilliant career in the 1890s that was cut short by his death at the...

 and Rubens, and a book adapted by Fred Thompson

Fred Thompson (writer)

Frederick A. Thompson, usually credited as Fred Thompson was an English writer, best known as a librettist for about fifty British and American musical comedies from World War I to World War II. Among the writers with whom he collaborated were George Grossmith Jr., P. G. Wodehouse, Guy Bolton and...

. Two songs were composed by Jerome Kern

Jerome Kern

Jerome David Kern was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over 100 stage works, including such classics as "Ol' Man River", "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man", "A...

. The story is based on the farce Les Dominos roses (Pink Dominoes).

The musical was produced by George Grossmith, Jr.

George Grossmith, Jr.

George Grossmith, Jr. was a British actor, theatre producer and manager, director, playwright and songwriter, best remembered for his work in and with Edwardian musical comedies...

 and Edward Laurillard

Edward Laurillard

Edward Laurillard was a cinema and theatre producer in London and New York during the first third of the 20th century...

. It opened at the Shubert Theatre

Shubert Theatre (Broadway)

The Shubert Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 225 West 44th Street in midtown-Manhattan, New York, United States.Designed by architect Henry Beaumont Herts, it was named after Sam S. Shubert, the second oldest of the three brothers of the theatrical producing family...

 in New York on December 24, 1914. It then was produced at the Gaiety Theatre

Gaiety Theatre, London

The Gaiety Theatre, London was a West End theatre in London, located on Aldwych at the eastern end of the Strand. The theatre was established as the Strand Musick Hall , in 1864 on the former site of the Lyceum Theatre. It was rebuilt several times, but closed from the beginning of World War II...

 in London, opening on April 18, 1915 and running for a very successful 460 performances. Grossmith starred in the piece with Leslie Henson

Leslie Henson

Leslie Lincoln Henson was an English comedian, actor, producer for films and theatre, and film director. He initially worked in silent films and Edwardian musical comedy and became a popular music hall comedian who enjoyed a long stage career...

. Grossmith told The New York Times

The New York Times

The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...

 that the musical was the first Gaiety Theatre Company production presented in New York before opening in London.

Roles and original cast

• Montagu Lovitt-Lovitt – James Blakeley
• Henry (His Nephew) – Leslie Henson
  Leslie Henson
  Leslie Lincoln Henson was an English comedian, actor, producer for films and theatre, and film director. He initially worked in silent films and Edwardian musical comedy and became a popular music hall comedian who enjoyed a long stage career...
  
  
• Pedro (A Tango Teacher) – Max Dearly
• Robin Carraway – Vernon Davidson
• Alphonse (Head Waiter at Covent Garden) – Robert Nainby
• Albert – Victor Gouriet
• Lord Ridgemount – Stanley Brightman
• Policeman – Forest Smith
• The Hon. Dudley Mitten – George Grossmith, Jr.
  George Grossmith, Jr.
  George Grossmith, Jr. was a British actor, theatre producer and manager, director, playwright and songwriter, best remembered for his work in and with Edwardian musical comedies...
  
  
• June – Haideè de Rance
• Beatrice Carraway (Robin's Wife) – Julia James
• Victoria (Her Maid) – Moya Mannering
• Daisy De Menthe (Of the Piccadilly Theatre) – Madge Saunders
• Angela Lovitt-Lovitt (Montagu's Wife) – Gladys Homfrey
• Lady Pussy Preston, Lady Edith Taplow, Mimi Skeats, The Hon. Baby Vereker, Avice Carlton, Yvette La Plage (Guests at the Carraways) – Peggy Kurton, Barbara Dunbar, Judith Nelmes, Doris Stocker, Elsie Scott and Adrah Fair
• Attendants at Covent Garden – Dorothy Devere and Vera Davis
• Alice (Maid at Daisy's) – Cynthia Murray

Musical numbers

ACT I - The Carraway's House at Maidenhead.

• No. 1 - Opening Chorus - "Life is very jolly down at Maidenhead..."
• No. 2 - Song - Carraway & Chorus - "Hullo! little ladies, now you can't complain, here's your faithful Robin..."
• No. 3 - Trio - Beatrice, Henry, & Montagu - "No one can afford to be too fussy, prim, and proper..."
• No. 4 - Duet - June & Pedro - "You foreigners have romantic ways, when merely paying a call..."
• No. 5 - Song - Dudley & Chorus - "If by some delightful chance at a dinner or a dance some delicious girl you meet..."
• No. 6 - Trio - Victoria, Henry, & Pedro - "You're looking very sweet, can't we arrange to meet somewhere by and by? ..."
• No. 7 - Song - Montagu & Girls - "I never had such a rotten time in all my blessed life..."
• No. 8 - Duet - June & Dudley - "Got the cutest little way, like to watch you all the day..."
• No. 9 - Finale Act I - "Tonight's the night of the new revue which ev'ryone should see..."

ACT II - Scene 1 - Foyer of the Boxes, Royal Opera House.

• No. 10 - Opening Chorus - "Oh, the Mannequin, Mannequin, Mannequin, Mannequin Ball! ..."
• No. 11 - Song - June & Chorus - "I know a man (he lived across the street) who once composed a real good..."
• No. 12 - Song - Victoria - "I'm rather fond of someone who's very fond of me..."
• No. 13 - Song - Pedro & Chorus - "I'm a very contented chap, bright and gay, tout à fait..."
• No. 14 - Duet - Beatrice & Dudley - "Once there was one little pair of boots..."
• No. 15 - Quartet - Dudley, Carraway, Henry & Pedro - "Nowadays we're told not to be so lazy..."

ACT II - Scene 2 - Covent Garden Market.

ACT II - Scene 3 - Daisy's Flat in Mount Street.

• No. 16 - Waltz Song - June & Chorus - "It's long after twelve, time that the moon went home to bed..."
• No. 17 - Song - Dudley & Chorus - "Why people rave about wonderful nights is one thing I never could see..."

Addenda:

• No. 18 - Extra Song - Pedro - "If from your window you just take a peep, on a warm sunny day..."
• No. 19 - Extra Song - Henry - "I once made Mama a promise I would never flirt again..."

External links

• Song list and links to Midi files, lyrics and cast list