The Oolah
| The Oolah | |
|---|---|
 Marie Jansen as Tourouloupi in The Oolah | |
| Written by | Charles Lecocq's La Jolie Persane, English libretto by Sydney Rosenfeld and J. Cheever Goodwin |
| Date premiered | 13 May 1889 |
| Place premiered | Broadway Theatre (41st Street) |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | comic opera |
The Oolah is an 1889 comic opera which starred Francis Wilson and Marie Jansen on Broadway.
The opera is an adaptation of Charles Lecocq's La Jolie Persane, with a liberal adaptation of the libretto by Sydney Rosenfeld,[1] and revisions by J. Cheever Goodwin.[2][3] Jansen's rendition of the song, "Be Good", was considered too suggestive by some.[4]
The Oolah opened at the former Broadway Theatre on 41st Street on May 13, 1889. The show marked Wilson's debut as a manager of his own company and as a Broadway star.[1][5][6] A letter opener souvenir was given out to ticket holders at the 100th performance.[7] It had a successful run of 154 performances and 22 weeks,[8] closing on October 12,[9] and then went on tour.[2]
Original Broadway cast
- Boolahgoolah, the Oolah – Francis Wilson
- The Prince of Eriven – Hubert Wilke
- Akhalzakek – Charles Plunkett
- Nejef – Thomas H. Persse
- The Cadi – Harry MacDonough
- The Fig Dealer – Benjamin F. Johnson
- The Barber – Carlo Segelini
- The Tailor – W. Carr
- The Watchman – Henry Hoffman
- The Baker – H. Ledbury
- Darinoora – Laura Moore
- Bampoora – Elma Delaro
- Altoora – Ida Fitzhugh
- Shimrana – Ida Kissing
- Velis – Josie Winner
- Tourouloupi – Marie Jansen[2]
References
- ^ a b (12 May 1889). Mr. Wilson's New Venture, The New York Times
- ^ a b c Wilson, Francis. Recollections of a Player, pp. 56-63 (1897)
- ^ (Dec. 1896). The Stage, Munsey's Magazine, p. 371
- ^ "The Oolah" Will Have Fiftieth Performance, The Evening World (noting that 50th show will be Monday July 1, 1889; citing most popular songs as The Little Peach, a Wilson-Jansen duet (the lyrics for this song came from Eugene Field); "Nobody Knows"; and "Be Good", "Marie Jansen's much discussed effort.")
- ^ (13 May 1889). Advertisement, The Sun (New York), p. 6, col. 4 (advertisement for opening night)
- ^ Dale, Alan (14 May 1889). "The Oolah" (review), The Evening World
- ^ Letter Opener
- ^ (6 October 1889). Francis Wilson, Manager; The Career of "The Oolah" and its Coming Tour in the Country, The New York Times
- ^ (12 October 1889). Advertisement, The Evening World (advertisement for "farewell night")
External links
- Oolah Sheet Music, via Google books (1889) (alternate scan, with "Casino Theatre" reference on front cover corrected)