The Candy Shop
1909 musical comedy
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The Candy Shop is a two-act musical comedy, with music and lyrics by John Golden and libretto by George V. Hobart, first performed April 27, 1909 at the Knickerbocker Theatre in New York.[1]
| The Candy Shop | |
|---|---|
| Music | John Golden |
| Lyrics | John Golden |
| Book | George V. Hobart |
| Productions | Knickerbocker Theatre, New York 1909 |
The production ran for 49 performances, closing on June 12, 1909. Produced by Charles Dillingham, the production was directed by William E. MacQuinn and staged by Fred G. Latham; scenic design by Homer Emens and John H. Young, with costumes designed by Elsie DeWolfe.[2] The cast featured Ida Adams, Maude Fulton and William Rock[3] (a vaudeville duo then known as Rock & Fulton) and received mixed [4] to positive reviews, with one paper describing the show as "a stage reproduction of a Coney Island scene a thing of vivid color, life, and comics."[5]
After closing, a condensed version of the show was performed at Bay State Hospital in Boston for a wealthy patient.[6] The musical is associated with the songs "Oh You Candy Kid"[7] and "Googy-oo",[8] however neither song appears in the vocal score or other performance references.[9] The musical also features a song that employs negative stereotypes of Chinese people, part of an offensive yet persistent "enthusiasm for Chinese-themed entertainments, especially during the first two decades of the twentieth century".[10]
The story features the adventures of Jack Sweet, son of a candy shop owner, after his father accuses him of theft.[11]
Still images from the production are available via the New York Public Library.[12]
List of musical numbers
Act 1 (The Candy Shop)
- Opening Chorus (Working, clerking, selling candies, etc.)
- "Now That I've Got It, I Don't Want It " (Solo and Chorus) - John, Girls
- "Just We Two" (Duet) - Jack, Hilda
- "Honey Bunch" (Solo and Ensemble) - Jack, Sue, Settle
- "I've Been Married Once" (Solo) - Saul
- "In Vaudeville" (Duet and Ensemble) - Gilbert, Hilda
- "You're My Girl" (Duet) - Gilbert, Hilda
- Finale (Who Among You Stole That Jewel?) - Entire Company
Act 2 (Coney Island)
- Opening Chorus (There Is an Island) - Entire Company
- "By Wireless" (Double Octette) - Boys, Girls
- "Help! And the Villain Goes to Jail" (Solo and Chorus) - Sally Ann
- "Chinese Love Song" (Duet) - Gilbert, Hilda
- "Mr. Othello" (Solo) - Mrs Gregory
- "Meet Me Down on the Corner" - Gilbert, Sally Ann
