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Cover to Vocal ScoreThe Sunshine GIrl

A musical play in 2 Acts. Book by Paul A Rubens and Cecil Raleigh; Lyrics by Paul A Rubens and Arthur Wimperis; Music by Paul A Rubens.

Gaiety Theatre, London - 24 February, 1912 (336 perfs)

Knickerbocker Theatre, New York - 3 February, 1913 (181 perfs)

Synopsis

Delia Dale is a worker in the "Sunshine" Soap Factory at Port Sunshine and is in love with Vernon Blundell, one of her workmates. But Vernon is really the heir to the whole place who, by terms of his inheritence, has to go five years without getting engaged or married. He wants to be loved for himself, not his position, so he gets his friend Lord Bicester to pose as head of the establishment which he continues as a humble workman. Bicester, however, os recognised by his finacée, Lady Rosabelle and by ex-cabby Floot and his wife, Brenda. The complications that follow provide fine opportunities for comedy

Cast and Original performers:

Lord Bicester (Known as "Bingo", a young stockbroker) - George Grossmith Jr
Vernon Blundell - Basil Foster
Commodore Barker (known as "Nosey", Commodore of the Blundell Line of Boats) - George Barrett
Hodson (Chief manager of the Works) - Tom Walls
Stepnyak (Manager of the Foreign Department) - Robert Nainby
Dever Willie Stephens/W. Jackson

Managers of the various Departments of Works

Whitley - George Grundy
Telfridge - Joseph Grande
Garing - Spencer Lloyd
Williams - Oswald Collins
Nelgrove - Garry Lynch

Clarence (A Footman) - Fred Raynham

Floot (an ex-four-wheeler driver) - Edmund Payne

Lady Rosabelle Merrydew (Lord Bicester's finacée) - Olive May/Gwendoline Brogden/Crissie Bell
Marie Silvaine (Head of the Packing Department at the Works )Mabel Sealby
Emmeline (A workgirl )Violet Essex

Head of the Various Departments

Sybil - Irene Warren
May - Blanche Stocker
Lucy - Avice Kelham
Violet - Elsie Collier
Lily - Marie Mitchell
Kit - Olive Wade

Miss Molyneux - Gladys Wray
Hon Miss Grey - Pattie Wells/Violet Norton
Brenda Blacker (Floot's wife, calling herself by her maiden name) - Connie Ediss
Delia Dale (of the Perfume Department at the works) - Phyllis Dare (Ethel Lawson)

Major Lascelles - Arthur Wellesley
Bobbie McLeod - G. Comyn
Policemen - Charles Russ and James Redmond
Sailor - Austin Camp
Daisy - Kitty Lindley/out
Violet - Florence Reade
Lady Clare - Dorothy Fane/Patience Seymour
Miss Rivers - Ethel Lawson/Daisy Waller
Miss Pontifex - Genie Birch/Kitty Lindley
Miss Meadows - Marjorie Michie/out
Beryl - Connie Stuart
Mary - Gladys Squier

 

Musical Numbers:

ACT I.

  1. OPENING CHORUS ... (When you want a cake of soap)
  2. SONG (Marie) AND CHORUS ... "Get a move on " ... (There's a little fable)
  3. DUET (Delia and Vernon) ... "Love" ... (There is a fever that few understand)
  4. SONG (Lord Bicester) ... "The other chap" ... (Two young chaps may be sent, perhaps)
  5. DUET (Mrs. Blacker and Parker) ... "The Kitchen Range" ... (It was "leg-o'-mutton-day" when first I
    met you)
  6. CHORUS OF WELCOME ... (Here comes our new proprietor)
  7. DUET (Lord Bicester and Delia) ... "Ladies" ... (Ladies, you were born to rule us)
  8. DUET (Marie and Floot) ... "When the ladies have their way" ... (Man's no longer Lord of all Creation)
  9. OCTET ... "Men of Business" ... (Each one of us has a special occupation)
  10. SONG (Mrs. Blacker) and CHORUS ... "Brighton" ... (Lots of people nowadays they go abroad)
  11. SONG (Delia) and CHORUS ... "A Tiny Touch" ... (You should always try to look your very best)
  12. FINALE ... (Now, Mister Blundell, we wait for your instructions)

ACT II.

  1. OPENING CHORUS ... (Every kind of party we have read about)
  2. SONG (Emmeline) and CHORUS ... "Here's to Love" ... (Here's to love and laughter)
  3. QUARTET (Marie, Mrs. Blacker, Floot and Lord Bicester) ... "The Butler" ... (When there's a party held upstairs)
  4. SONG (Delia) and CHORUS OF COUNTY LADIES ... "Take me for—" ... (There lived a little lady once)
  5. SONG (Floot) ... "Lazy" ... (The art of being lazy is a science)
  6. SONG (Lord Bicester) and CHORUS ... "Little girl, mind how you go" ... (When a man sees a maid)
  7. DUET (Lord Bicester and Floot) ... "In your defence" ... (We get some funny cases to attend to)
  8. SONG (Lady Rosabelle) and CHORUS of WORKGIRLS ... "Miss Blush" ... (There lived a little lady)
  9. DUET (Delia and Lord Bicester) ... "The Argentine" ... (Wouldn't it be jolly?)
  10. SONG (Mrs Blacker) and CHORUS ... "I've been to the Durbar" ... (I've had a trip on board of a ship)
  11. FINALE ... (Little girl, little girl)