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examining
Talamea's creation, but with the intent of trying to seduce the duchess in order to obtain her money. The Duchess purchases the statue and leaves the studio with her daughters and the Marquis after being promised it will be delivered to her. Alone, Talamea cannot bear to lose her beloved creation, and invokes the goddess Artea to bring the statue Adonis to life. Adonis is then forced to choose a life full of love but poverty with Talamea, or a life with riches with the Duchess. He decides he wants wealth more than love, and chooses a life with the Duchess.
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561:. The show gave its 500th performance on 7 January 1886; an event which was marked by the creation of 500 plaster statuettes of Dixon which were all sold that night. After the show continued to run, it became the first stage work in the history Broadway to be performed more than 500 times; an achievement which has led some musical theatre historians to call the work the "first hit musical. A cocktail, the
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player for Rice, singing a "high C" for an extended period; a feat which earned him plaudits in the press and made him an audience favorite. Adonis and
Rosette arrive to get married. Several songs ensue, including one that featured a mechanical donkey. The wedding is interrupted by the Marquis who stops the wedding after producing papers which challenge the impending marriage.
249:, Rice was the producer of the musical and Eller served as the show's music director for both the original 1884 Chicago production and the long-running Broadway production. James C. Scanlan was listed as the stage director of both the original Chicago and Broadway productions, and Dixey was also credited as director of the Broadway production.
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Meanwhile, a small-town miller, Bunion Turke, and his daughter, Rosetta are enjoying their lives in a small cottage. Rosetta is introduced through the song "I'm a Merry Little
Mountain Maid", which was one of the hit songs of the musical. The Marquis de Baccarat arrives in the village and attempts to
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The act opens with a humorous lament of the show business chorister; with each member of the chorus ensemble getting an opportunity for a short solo in which they sing of the perils of wishing to be a star only to end up in the chorus. The song featured the tenor Horace Frail, a longtime ensemble
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in New York City on
September 4, 1884. The actress Ida Smith changed her stage name to Ida Bell when it reached New York. The only cast changes were in the roles of Talamea and Artea. Jarbeau was unhappy with the size of her part, and left the production after its Chicago run. The actress Lillie
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The sculptress
Talamea has created a statue of a beautiful man called Adonis. The Duchess of Area and her four silly daughters, Nattie, Hattie, Mattie, and Pattie, visit Talamea's studio and admire her creation. The villain of the play, the Marquis de Baccarat, also arrives under the pretext of
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on 31 May 1886. The only cast changes from the New York production included Annie
Alliston in the role of the Duchess, and Emma Carson in the role of Artea. While Dixey's performance was well received, the show as a whole was not well reviewed in England and failed to repeat the success it had
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The scene begins the "Guards' March and chorus", in which the
Duchess's Guards are on parade as viewed from the elaborate gardens of her estate. This is followed by the "Duchess's Tigers"; a song which featured an octet of little boys. After this, Adonis sings the song "I'm Such a Susceptible
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in the role of the Adonis, the play parodies the
Pygmalion tale through a gender reversal in which the statue come-to-life is not female but male. In so doing the story is no longer one of the sexual objectification of a woman, but instead places a man as the embodied object of sexual desire.
497:(Marquis of Baccarat), George W. Howard (Bunion Turke), Jennie Reiffarth (Duchess of Area), Emma Stowe (Lady Nattie), Lillian Calef (Lady Hattie), Ida Smith (Lady Mattie), and Mollie Fuller (Lady Pattie). The role of Bunion Turke was played as a
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Adonis, an accomplished young gentleman of undeniably good family, insomuch as he can trace his ancestry back through the
Genozoic, Mesozoic, and Paleozoic period, until he finds it resting on the Archaean time. His family name, by the way, is
380:. Jealous of Adonis, the Marquis de Baccarat gets into a duel with Adonis and loses. Adonis meets Rosetta, falls in love, proposes, and they run off together. This upsets Bunion Turke, the Duchess, and Talamea who all have song laments.
263:'s first hit musical" because it was the first Broadway stage work, musical or otherwise, to surpass a performance count of 500 performances in a Broadway theatre. Other writers, however, have stated that
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that comes to life and finds human ways so unpleasant that he chooses to turn back into stone – after spoofing several famous personalities. Originally envisioned as a starring vehicle for the actor
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Dixey was forever after associated with the role of Adonis, and he returned to the part in several
Broadway revivals and national tours; including New York revivals in 1886, 1888, 1893, and 1899.
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and John Eller played a role in selecting and arranging this music by other composers, and they also both contributed some original music to the work. The work also included several
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on July 6, 1884 in a performance by Rice's Big Burlesque Company with conductor John Eller leading the musical forces. The original cast included Henry E. Dixey (Adonis),
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in which he purposely reversed the gender of the female statue come-to-life into a male statue. The work was specifically written as a starring vehicle for the actor
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which was published in October 1884 just a month after the Broadway run began, and Godfrey is listed as part of the original Broadway cast in Thomas S. Hischak's
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The Marquis de Baccarat forces Rosetta to marry him in secret. He attempts to dominate her after their marriage, but is thwarted by Rosetta's grit and wits.
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Grubb was hired for the role of Talamea for the New York production. Sources vary on the original cast member in the role of Artea with
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Talamea invokes the goddess Artea once again. Adonis transforms back into statue. A placard is hung around his neck saying "Hands off!"
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Marquis de Baccarat, a highly polished villain. It is well enough to describe his character, as no one would think it to look at him.
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Bunion Turke, father of Rosetta, an unblushing appropriator of the stock in trade of a well-known and worthy old histrionic miller.
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Unhappy with his separation from Rosetta, Adonis begs Talamea to assist him in becoming a statue again. She eventually relents.
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Duchess of Area, aesthetic to the verge of eccentricity, rich to the verge of Millionairism, sentimental to the verge of gush.
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seduce Rosetta who resists. The miller interrupts and catches him physically accosting Rosetta. He chases the Marquis off.
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style entertainments which were envisioned, choreographed, and directed by Dixey. In addition to creating music for
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After playing for the summer of 1884 in Chicago, most of the same cast continued in the production when it reached
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stating it was the San Francisco based actress and singer Carrie Godfrey. Godfrey is also listed in the part in
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s performance record;breaking Broadway box-office records for profits, ticket sales, and performance longevity.
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Lady Pattie, daughter of the Duchess. She and her sisters Nattie, Hattie, and Mattie are professional beauties.
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Lady Mattie, daughter of the Duchess. She and her sisters Nattie, Hattie, and Pattie are professional beauties.
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Lady Hattie, daughter of the Duchess. She and her sisters Nattie, Mattie, and Pattie are professional beauties.
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Lady Nattie, daughter of the Duchess. She and her sisters Hattie, Mattie, and Pattie are professional beauties.
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closed on 17 April 1886 after running at the Bijou Theatre for 603 consecutive performances; making it the
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Statuette" which, while possessing original words, was set to the music of the Lord Chancellor's song from
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Broadway Plays and Musicals: Descriptions and Essential Facts of More Than 14,000 Shows Through 2007
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Broadway Plays and Musicals: Descriptions and Essential Facts of More Than 14,000 Shows Through 2007
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claiming it was the actress Louise Eissing, and William Gill biographer and music theatre historian
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The original 1884 Chicago and Broadway programs for the play described the characters as such:
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traveled to London after the play closed in New York. The play began a twelve-week run in the
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Rosetta, a simple village maiden, the happy possessor of a clear conscience and a strong will.
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Adonis on the Waves. Dixey starting for England amid the cheers of hosts of friends
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A History of the New York Stage from the First Performance in 1732 to 1901, Volume 1
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Talamea, a sculptor who, like most of her sex, is in love with her own creation.
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Gills, Bills, Sills, & Tills, homely rustics (who will perform a circus).
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259:. Some writers on musical theatre history have described the work as "
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Harry Miner's American Dramatic Directory for the Season of 1884-'85
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History of the Musical Stage 1870s-1880s: Burlesques and Pantomimes
225:. The work also used music by other classical music composers like
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Programme from limited engagement 1894 reunion at Palmer's Theatre
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The Historical Libretto Series: Adonis, 1884 Broadway Musical
237:. Original lyrics by Gill were put to this musical material.
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Gyles, Nyles, Myles, & Byles, ordinary everyday rustics.
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This scene has no plot but featured Adonis showing off his
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premiered in 1884 and was the first musical to surpass
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Act 2, scene 5: The Mystic Home of the Goddess of Art
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Amusements. Bijou Opera House (opening night review
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505:'s role of Dunstan Kirke in the very popular play
970:William B. Gill: From the Goldfields to Broadway
461:who had previously had success with the musical
449:for whom Gill had earlier written the 1883 play
471:and her producer husband, Alexander Henderson.
302:Artea, a Goddess, Patroness of the fine arts.
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347:Act 1, scene 1: Talamea's Studio in Athens
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356:Act 1, scene 2': Bunion Turke's cottage
255:was the longest running musical of the
1048:Ogasapian, John; Orr, N. Lee (2007).
1000:Hischak, Thomas S. (2009). "Adonis".
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936:The Reception of "Adonis" In England
1207:Musicals composed by Edward E. Rice
1071:Green, Stanley; Green, Kay (1996).
413:, and other random entertainments.
393:Act 2, scene 2: The Enchanted Wood
384:Act 2, scene 1: A country village
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489:(Talamea), Fatmah Diard (Artea),
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555:longest-running show on Broadway
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1074:Broadway Musicals, Show by Show
281:Character list and descriptions
1142:Image of original cast program
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1162:Longest-running Broadway show
1027:Broadway's Greatest Musicals
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1132:Internet Broadway Database
893:"Adonis - Imbibe Magazine"
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664:Ogasapian and Orr, p. 103
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451:Distinguished Foreigners
1096:Sheward, David (1994).
1050:Music of the Gilded Age
1008:McFarland & Company
776:Green & Green, p. 3
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417:Act 2, scene 4: Forrest
235:Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
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725:. Theatre Arts Press.
578:Gaiety Theatre, London
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148:in two acts with both
1054:Bloomsbury Publishing
983:10.4324/9780203953228
719:William Gill (2019).
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130:1899 Broadway revival
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227:Ludwig van Beethoven
68:Ludwig van Beethoven
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441:as a sex parody of
437:William Gill wrote
433:Performance history
329:The Plumed Knights.
923:The New York Times
864:Ganzl, p. 157, 162
841:The New York Times
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748:Laufe, p. 3
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1186:Categories
1166:1885–1893
903:2018-07-05
588:References
533:Kurt Gänzl
464:Evangeline
257:Gilded Age
243:vaudeville
160:that is a
122:production
116:production
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975:Routledge
593:Citations
499:burlesque
443:Pygmalion
290:'Marble'.
168:. Set in
146:burlesque
967:(2002).
940:Tid-Bits
622:"Adonis"
574:West End
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1130:at the
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191:Adonis
174:Adonis
170:Greece
154:lyrics
138:Adonis
89:Lyrics
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24:Adonis
162:spoof
141:is a
118:1886
112:1884
59:Music
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