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The Girl Behind the Counter

Musical farce in 2 Acts. Music Howard Talbot , Lyrics Arthur Anderson, additional lyrics by Percy Greenbank; Book Arthur Anderson & Leedham Bantok

Wyndham's Theatre, London - 21 April, 1906. (141 perfs)
Herald Square Theatre, Broadway: Opened 1st October, 1907; closed 6 June, 1908 (282 performances)

Synopsis (Original)

Winnie Willoughby's mother wishes her to marry the frightful 'Johnnie', the Viscount Gushington but Winnie has other ideas. Amkng her ideas is the fancy to play at shop-girl and she persuades Millie MOstynm manageress of the Maison Duval, to let her take on the flower stall at the establishment.

Her first customer is Hayden Coffin, recently and richly returned from the goldfields of Africa. But troublke is afoot. Winnie has been keeping her eyes on Chatlie instead of her till and it is found that ten pounds is missing. Winnie is sacked.

In the second act, at a fancy ball, Winnie sets out to prove her innocence and to get her father's approval of Charlie as a husband. She achieves both: the real culprit in the affair of the £10 note is the shop boy, Adolphus Dudd, who wanted the cash to impress his sweetheart at the ball; and Winnie's father is caught being flirtatious with Ninette, an emplyee of the Maison Duval, which puts him in no position to refuse his concent to Winnie.

Musical numbers

Original Version included

1. In the Land Where the Best Man Wins - Charlie Chetwynd
2. Someday - Charlie Chetwynd
3. I Mean To Marry a Man - Winnie
4. The Greenaway Girl
5. Ze Enterpraising Frenchman

Act I - The "Maison Duval."

1. Opening Chorus - "Hurry, scurry, to and fro..."
2. Song - Duval and Chorus - "Oh! ze managère discreet, 'e is very 'ard to beat..."
3. Song - Gussie - "It's jolly nice to be as deuced popular as I am..."
4. Song - Winnie - "Why should a maid bestow her hand..."
5. Duet - Dudd and Susie - "I mean to start a fancy shop..."
6. Concerted Number - Customers and Chorus - "They've been shopping till they're dropping..."
7. Song - Charlie and Chorus - "A land there is o'er the ocean wide..."
8. Duet - Winnie and Charlie - "Won't you buy a spray, or a choice bouquet..."
9. Song and Dance - Ninette and Chorus - "I'm a little lady who is rather fascinating..."
10. Finale Act I - "Here's a situation! If her tale be true..."

Act II - The Baron's Court Exhibition. "The Rose Carnival."

11. Opening Chorus Act II - "The Exhibition buildings are en fête tonight..."
12. Song - Millie and Chorus of Girls - "In a sleepy country hamlet, in the drowsy vale of Kent..."
13. Duet - Susie and Dudd - "We are orthodox types of an era gone by..."
14. Duet - Ninette and Duval, with Chorus - "We paid our fares and climbed the stairs..."
15. Song - General Sir Wilkie Willoughby,and Chorus - "In good Queen Bess's glorious time..."
16. Duet - Winnie and Charlie - "When you are by my side a king am I..."
17. Song - Charlie - "My heart is yours alone, dear..." (composed by Leslie Stuart under the name of Augustus Barratt)
18. Duet - Millie and Gussie - "When you're my little wife..."
19. Song - Dudd and Chorus - "If there hadn't been an apple on the tree." (by A. J. Mills and Bennett Scott)
20. Song - Ninette and Chorus - "Come with me, if you are melancholic..."
21. Finale Act II - "So come along, and join the merry throng..."
22. Duet - Millie and Gussie - "I'm glad you take my wooing in this unromantic way..."

Cast

• Henry Schniff, a soldier of misfortune, dazzled by the sudden transition from a half bedroom existence in Gower street to a butterfly life in Easy street
• Mrs. Henry Schníff, formerly Mrs. Willoughby, his former landlady and present spouse, in whom the unexpected accession wealth has awakened a desire for social conquest
• Winnie Willoughby, her daughter, with rather sound ideas concern­ing life in general, and matrimony in particular
• Millie Mostyn, over­lady at The Universal,' an American department store in London
• Ninette Valois, of the millinery department of the same
• Susie Scraggs, assistant cashier
• Mrs. M. Whittington
• Mrs. Crossley-Shoppington
• Dudley Cheatham, cashier at The Universal, imbued with American ideas of high finance
• Lord Augustus Gushington. familiarly known as Gussie - the proprietor of an empty purse, an empty title, and an equally empty head
• Charley Chetwynd, a self-made young millionaire
• Henri Duval, expert in millinery and lingerie, and manager of The Universal
• John Blobbs, a waiter at the Jardin de Paris
• Maggie, of the wrap­ping department of The Universal
• Hon. Aubrey Battersea, Lord Rumbold - friends of Lord Gushington
• Original English Pony Ballet: French Milliners, Zylophone Girls, Salvation Army Lassies
• Ponsonby, a chauffeur
• Shoppers: Lottie Munn, Dottie Styles, Daisy Lyons, Hattie Tryon, Tríxie Coates, Kitty Ermine
• Patrons of The Universal: Mrs. Canby Dunn, Lady Stonybroke, Mrs. C.O.D. Billings, Mrs. Mark Down, Mrs. Uneeda Wafer
• The Hon. Eunice Byington
• Lady Cheapington-Jones
• Lady Bargyn-Hunter
• Salesladies: Vera Leight, Winnie Fellows, Willa Ketchum, Grace Church, Ida Knowington, Rita Ruffhouse, Maida Mantell, Hope Gonne, Tessie Tardington,
• Cash Girls: Sallie Sample, Tessie Temple, Winnie Wimple, Rhode Rimple.
• Montmorency, footman for Mrs. Schniff:
• DeBelleville, porter for Millie Mostyn
• Waiters: Hawkins, Bliffkins, Simkins, Tompkins, John L. Fitz Corbet
• Booth Attendants: Louis: Radford D'Orsay, Francois: J. J. McDonald

American Version

Scenes and Settings

Act I: Interior of The Universal, an American department store in London
Act 2: The Jardin de Paris, at Hammersmith, devoted to the first-class entertainment of second-class people.

Musical Numbers

ACT 1

1. Opening Chorus - Ensemble
2. The Entreprising Frenchman - Henri Duval, Chorus
3. Flirting - Dudley, Susie
4. Eh? Ah? Oh! - Mrs Henry Schiff
5. Shopping Shoppers, Chorus
6. (The Best I Get Is) 'Much Obliged to You' - Millie (Music and Lyrics by Benjamin Hapgood Burt.)
7. The Bandbox Girl - Ninette
8. Pony Ballet
9. Won't You Buy? - Winnie, Charlie
10. Finale

ACT 2

11. Frivolity (The Frivolity March)- The Pony Ballet
12. I Want to Marry a Man (I Mean to Marry a Man) - Winnie
13. (Any Time You're) Passing By - Millie
14. When You Steal a Kiss or Two (Making Love) - Ninette (Music and Lyrics by Kenneth S. Clarke.)
15. The Cherry in the Glass - Charlie (Music by Paul Lincke. Lyrics by Will D. Cobb.)
16. Now I've Married a Millionaire - Mrs Henry Schiff
17. The Way of Trade - Susie, Dudley, Pony Ballet, Chorus
18. Finale