THE CABARET GIRL A musical comedy in 3 acts by George Grossmith and P. G. Wodehouse. Music by Jerome Kern. Winter Garden Theatre, London : Opened 19th September, 1922; closed 11th August, 1923 (361 performances) SYNOPSIS Marilynn Morgan is a chorus girl who tries to get a job in the glamorous troupe of the All Night Follies at the same time, pursuing her love affair with the aristocratic hero, Jim Paradine. Involved in their affairs are the producers of the cabaret, Messrs Gravvins and Gripps. They drss up a lot of peasants as aristocrats with the aim of impressing Marilynn's young man's parents into consenting to a wedding. It all backfires and Marilynn flees back to London, and showbusiness, where she gets her cabaret job and her young man comes to claim her, family, or inheritance or no. STORY The hero, James (“Jim”) Paradene is the nephew of the Marchioness of Harrogate. He has been left a small fortune by his father, on condition that he must marry a lady who meets with the approval of the Marchioness and her son, the Marquis of Harrogate. Unfortunately, Jim wishes to marry Marilynn Morgan, but his trustees disapprove of her because she is a chorus girl. Act 1: The Showroom of Messrs Gripps & Gravvins, Music Publishers, Bond Street Jim comes to the offices of Gripps and Gravins looking for a song to sing at his local village concert. When Marilynn also arrives, to audition for a cabaret that Gripps and Gravvins are producing, Jim tries to persuade her to give up her career and settle with him in the country, but she refuses and suggests that they should part. Jim, however, has an idea: if he and Marilynn pretend to be married, his trustees will no longer be able to withhold their approval. Gravvins has “a little place in the country”, “The Pergola” at Woollam Chersey, Hertfordshire, and invites the young couple to visit it. Act 2: “The Pergola”, Woollam Chersey Jim and Marilynn arrive at “The Pergola” in the guise of a honeymoon couple. The plan is that Gravvins will invite the local aristocracy to a garden party, to meet the honeymoon couple, with the intention that the Marchioness will be impressed with Marilynn’s social standing. But all the notables of the district are away on holiday, so the members of the Gripps & Gravvins cabaret troupe are enlisted to impersonate them. Gravvins himself takes the part of the local vicar, but the plot is unmasked when the real vicar appears. Marilynn, thoroughly embarrassed, admits her part in the deception and announces that she will have nothing more to do with Mr James Parradine, before fleeing the scene. Act 3: “All Night Follies” at The Cabaret Marilynn is performing in the Gripps & Gravvins production, “All Night Follies”, at The Cabaret, where Jim comes looking for her. He has realised that he cannot expect Marilynn to give up the bright city lights and is prepared to go along with her wishes if she will agree to marry him. The curtain falls before the Marchioness and her son have given their approval, but as she has expressed admiration for Marilynn and he has fallen for the charms of Lily de Jigger, another member of the cast, a happy ending seems probable.
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