The Dollar Princess

The Dollar Princess

Lily Elsie as Alice
Music Leo Fall
Jerome Kern
Lyrics Adrian Ross
George Grossmith, Jr.
Book A.M. Willner
Fritz Grünbaum
Basil Hood
George Grossmith, Jr.
Basis German operetta
Die Dollarprinzessin
Premiere 25 September 1909: Daly's Theatre, London
Productions 1909 West End
1909 Broadway
Gabrielle Ray as Daisy

The Dollar Princess is a musical in three acts by A.M. Willner and Fritz Grünbaum (after a comedy by Gatti-Trotha), adapted into English by Basil Hood (from the 1907 Die Dollarprinzessin), with music by Leo Fall and lyrics by Adrian Ross. It opened in London at Daly's Theatre on 25 September 1909, running for 428 performances. The London production starred Lily Elsie, Joseph Coyne, W. H. Berry and Gabrielle Ray. The young Gladys Cooper played a small role.

It also had a very successful run on Broadway, with a new book and lyrics by George Grossmith, Jr. and additional numbers by Jerome Kern, opening on 6 August 1909 and running for 288 performances. Valli Valli, Adrienne Augarde and Louie Pounds starred in the New York production.

In late Victorian and Edwardian Britain, "Dollar Princess" was the nickname given to American heiresses. Playgoer and Society Illustrated wrote, "To the average playgoer there is something very attractive in watching the antics of the vulgar when surrounded by the refinement of art which he can neither understand nor appreciate.... Miss Lily Elsie, as Alice, shows even an improvement on her performance in The Merry Widow. The inimitable Mr. Joseph Coyne has put a lot more into his part than was possible on the first night.... He is great! His American accent is a thing to listen to...."[1]

Roles and London cast list

Synopsis

English version

A young American oil tycoon, when recruiting domestic staff, takes on a succession of impoverished members of the European aristocracy. But the servants he selects are all very well connected. "Tho' we came here in the steerage, all are members of the peerage." His sister, who has money, later follows the course of true love and takes a job in another household pretending to be impoverished.

American version

Three plot lines take place concurrently: First, an American girl, the daughter of the President of the Coal Trust (the Dollar Princess), falls in love with a young Englishman and tries to win his heart. Meanwhile, the millionaire father has an affair with a supposed Countess, who turns out to be a lion tamer. Also, his niece, Daisy, marries a young Marquis, but she refuses to be anything but his friend.

Musical numbers

Act I - Conder's House in New York.
Act II - Garden Court, Conder's House.
Act III - Freddy's Bungalow in California.

See also

Die Dollarprinzessin, the original work.

Notes

  1. Playgoer and Society Illustrated, Vol I No 2, November 1909

References

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