LITTLE NEMO A Musical comedy in 3 acts, 11 scenes. Music by Victor Herbert; Book and Lyrics by Harry B. Smith; based on the cartoons of Windsor McKay, Little Nemo in Slumberland by permission of the New York Herald New AmsterdamTheatre, New York - 20 October, 1908 - 23 January, 1909 (111 perfs) SYNOPSIS Little Nemo goes to Slumberland to recover the elixir of youth stolen by Dr. Pill's dancing missionary. A storm carries Nemo to a cannibal island, where his tin soldiers fend off the hungry natives. He awakes and is told he must stay in his room because he has been naughty, but King Morpheus of Slumberland appears to conduct him on more adventures. Story of the cartoon The strip cartoon related the dreams of a little boy: Nemo (meaning "nobody" in Latin), the hero. The last panel in each strip was always one of Nemo waking up, usually in or near his bed, and often being scolded (or comforted) by one of the grownups of the household after crying out in his sleep and waking them. In the earliest strips, the dream event that woke him up would always be some mishap or disaster that seemed about to lead to serious injury or death, such as being crushed by giant mushrooms, being turned into a monkey, falling from a bridge being held up by "slaves", or gaining 90 years in age. The adventures leading to these disasters all had a common purpose: to get to Slumberland, where he had been summoned by King Morpheus, to be the "playmate" of his daughter, the Princess. Sometime during early 1906, Nemo did indeed reach the gates of Slumberland, but had to go through about four months of troubles to reach the Princess. His problem was that he kept being awakened by Flip, who wore a hat with "Wake Up" written on it. One sight of Flip's hat was enough to take Nemo back to the land of the living during these early days. Although at first an enemy, Flip went on to become one of the recurring heroes. The others included: Dr. Pill, The Imp, the Candy Kid and Santa Claus as well as the Princess and King Morpheus. MUSICAL NUMBERS Act I 1. Opening Chorus 2. Song - Princess - "To find a playmate for the little princess, we assemble today." 3. Song - Candy Kid and Chorus - "There's a land of childhood fancies that is filled with old romances." 4. Entrance and Song - King Morpheus - "I'm just about the jolliest King that ever was on view." 5. Trio - Dr. Pill, King and Missionary - "If you think you are ill, you go in for a pill, or a tonic, a drug or a plaster." 6. Central Park Scene 7. Trio - Nemo, Princess and Flip - "Let's go a-driving in the Park, just like the grown-ups do." 8. Newspaper Song - Dr. Pill, Flip and Missionary - "Political conventions are a joke, that we must own." 9. Valentines 10. Song for the Valentine's Fairy - "Are you looking for a Valentine, a sentimental token." 11. March of the Valentines 12. "Melodramatic Music" - Song - Princess - "Won't you be my Valentine, Nemo dear? I am here." 13. Finale Act I - "With banners streaming, with lances gleaming, lead our little Nemo off to Slumberland." Act II
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