George M. Cohan In America's Theater     |   home Stageography   |   What's New   |   George Washington, Jr.   |   The Merry Malones   |   Broadway Jones   |   45 Minutes From Broadway   |   About Me   |   The Little Millionaire   |   Little Nellie Kelly   |   The Tavern   |   Seven Keys To Baldpate   |   Ah, Wilderness!   |   Get Rich Quick Wallingford   |   The Royal Vagabond   |   Discography & Filmography   |   Early years: 1878-1900   |   Broadway Rise: 1900-1909   |   Broadway Emperor: 1910-1919   |   Decline & Fall: 1920-1929   |   Little Johnny Jones   |   I'd Rather Be Right   |   Broadway Legend: 1930-1978   |   Mailbag/Contact Me   |   Related Links   |   Articles & Thoughts   |   The Yankee Prince  The Royal Vagabond Opened: February 17, 1919 Cohan & Harris Theater, NYC                                                                                              Sheet Music Cover Original Cast: Stephen, Prince Of Bargravia.............................Frederick Stanley Princess Violetta..................................................Francis Demarest Princess Helena...................................................Grace Fisher "Hoppy" Hopkins..................................................Robinson Newbold The Queen............................................................Winifred Harris Colonel Petroff.....................................................John Goldsworthy Rozello..................................................................Mary Eaton Dradono................................................................Walter Palm Carlotta.................................................................Dorothy Dickson Josette..................................................................Edna Pierre Capt. Dantzig.......................................................Carl Hyson Synopsis: Stephen, the crown prince of Bargravia, escapes from his domineering Mother and falls in love with the innkeeper's daughter.  He's so in love with her that he becomes the leader of a group of rebels that meet at the tavern, just to be near her.  Joining him is his tutor, Professor "Hoppy" Hopkins who is engaged to the Queen's lady in waiting.  The Queen seeks to squash the rebellion and sends Colonel Petroff out to hunt down the rebels.  At the expense of his mother, Stephen wins the revolution and marries Anitza. Songs From The Show: Act I Opera Comic Opera* Love Of Mine Here Come The Soldiers* Democracy A Wee Bit Of Lace** Where The Cherry Blossoms Fall Finale Act II Opening Ensemble Royalty*** What You Don't Know Won't Hurt You Messenger*** In A Kingdom Of Our Own* Charming Act III Corornation Rehearsal Good-bye Bargravia* Specialty Finale   * indicates songs written by Cohan  ** indicates songs where Cohan wrote lyrics ***indicates songs Cohan co-wrote Critic's Corner: "The real humor of "The Royal Vagabond," which is aptly classified as a "Cohanized opera comique," lies in the fact that it's original absurd sentimentality is kept constantly in view.  Mr. Cohan did not make the mistake of obliterating the victim whom he set out to hold up to ridicule.  A good share of the melodious score by Dr. Anselm Goetzl he retained.  The threat of the mildewed plot by William Cary Duncan and Stephen Ivor-Szinney he carefully preserved.  But the irreverent process of contrasting the first with his own up-to-date syncopated numbers and puncturing the second with sophisticated comment he evoked something that is in effect a fresh and novel style of musical comedy fun." Louis V. DeFoe, The New York World Robinson Newbold, Frederick Stanley,                 and Roger Gray Cohan's Recollection: "I revamped the score, interpolated a half dozen new numbers, rewrote the book, twisted the story upside down, poked fun at the whole idea, turned the operetta into a jazzy musical show, renamed it "The Royal Vagabond," and produced it at the Cohan & Harris Theater.  It was a smashing success and everybody was satisfied.  It took me twenty-five years to get even with the Witmarks, and that's the way I did it."                                                           Dorothy Dickson performs "Charming" at                                                                              the close of Act II Notes: "The Royal Vagabond" gave Cohan great personal satisfaction because he finally got to even the score with Isidore Witmark who had published Cohan's first song, "Why Did Nellie Leave Her Home?"  When Witmark published the song (1893), he neglected to tell the young Cohan, that he had the lyrics to the song completely rewritten.  Now, Witmark came to the established Cohan and asked his opinion on a new show that he was going to produce.  Cohan rewrote the whole play (its original title was "Cherry Blossoms" and Cohan considered it one of the worst operettas he had ever read).  Cohan quickly turned the play into a satire on the operetta craze that had been popular since Victor Herbert and "The Merry Widow." Edna Pierre, Frances Demarest, & Gladys Zell perform "A Wee Bit Of Lace" "The Royal Vagabond" was an instant success from the minute it opened in New York.  Audiences everywhere were humming the Cohan tune, "In A Kingdom Of Our Own, " and laughing at the antics of Robinson Newbold (who's intra-theatrical humor stole the show).  Cohan himself even stepped in as Hoppy Hopkins during the troubles of the Actor's Equity Strike.  "The Royal Vagabond" became one of the best shows of the 1919 season. Also in the cast was Mary Eaton who went on to star in "The Ziegfeld Follies of 1921," and 1922, as well as "Kid Boots" with Eddie Cantor.  She entered films in the late 1920's with "The Coconuts," starring The Marx Brothers, and "Glorifying The American Girl" (both 1929) which was one of Ziegfeld's few forays into film. Winifred Harris and Company