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IN DAHOMEY

ind-po

A "New" Version of the Musical Farce in 2 Acts, a Prologue and 4 Scenes; Book by Jesse A. Shipp. Music by Will Marion Cook. Lyrics by Alex Rogers. Additional music by James Vaughan.

Grand Opera House, New York - 27th August - 10th September, 1904 (17 perfs)

Cast

Scenes and settings

Musical Numbers

Prologue

  1. "The Attuck's March" (Overture)
  2. "(My) Dahomian Queen" (Song) (Music by J. Leubrie Hill. Lyrics by Frank Shylock.) - , Archie, Female soloist and Chorus
  3. "Caboceers' Choral" - Chorus

Act 1

  1. "Swing Along" (Opening Chorus) (Music and Lyrics by Will Marion Cook.) - Company
  2. "When the Moon Shines (on the Moonshine)" (Music by James Vaughan. Lyrics by Alex Rogers.) Leather, Chorus
  3. "Me an de Minstrel Ban"' - (Music by James Vaughan. Lyrics by Alex Rogers.) Rareback Pinkerton, Chorus
  4. "(On) Broadway in Dahomey (Bye and Bye)" (Music by Al Johns. Lyrics by Alex Rogers.) - Shylock, Rareback Pinkerton, Chorus
  5. "Un Oncore" (Entre Act/Waltz) - Shylock

Act 2

Scene 1

  1. "Why Adam Sinned" (Music and Lyrics by Alex Rogers.) - Rosetta
  2. "Chin Chin" - Mr Singh
  3. Selection - Rosa
  4. "Society" (Music by Will Marion Cook and Will Accooe.) - Girls' Chorus

Scene 2

  1. "I May Be Crazy But I Ain't No Fool" (Music and Lyrics by Alex Rogers.) - Shylock

Scene 3

  1. "A Rich Coon's Babe" - (Music and Lyrics by Alex Rogers) - Rosetta, Male Double Quartette
  2. "A Dream of the Philippines" - Rareback Pinkerton, Shylock, Rosetta, Dancing Filipino Misses
  3. "Dear Luzon" (Music by Tom Lemonier.) - Rareback Pinkerton, Shylock, Rosetta, Dancing Filipino Misses
  4. Finale - Shylock, Rareback Pinkerton, Company

Note

An earlier version of In Dahomey opened 18th February 1903 at the New York Theatre as Dahomey. It ran for 53 performances, followed by a national and European tour. Paul Laurence Dunbar was the credited lyricist.

Dahomey

A Musical Farce in 3 Acts, 5 Scenes. Book by Jesse A. Shipp. Music by Will Marion Cook. Lyrics by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Additional music and lyrics by James Vaughan and Alex Rogers.

New York Theatre - 18tb February - 4th April, 1903 (53 perfs)

Cast

Colonists, natives, etc.:

Scenes and setttings

Musical Numbers

  1. "Dat Gal of Mine" (Medicine Fakir Quartette) (Music and Lyrics by Benjamin L. Shook.) Male Quartet
  2. "Organ Quartette" - Colonists
  3. "Molly Green" (Mollie Green) (Song) (Lyrics by Will Marion Cook and Cecil Mack.) - Company
  4. "When Sousa Comes to Coontown" (Music by James Vaughn and Tom Lemonier. Lyrics by Alex Rogers.) - Rareback Pinkerton, Company
  5. "(On) Broadway in Dahomey (Bye and Bye)" (Music by Al Johns. Lyrics by Alex Rogers.) - Shylock, Rareback Pinkerton, Chorus
  6. "Leader of (the) Colored Aristocracy" (Lyrics by James Weldon Johnson.) - Cecilia, Company
  7. "Society" (Music by Will Marion Cook and Will Accooe.) - Chorus
  8. "The Jonah Man" (I'm a Jonah Man)(Song) (Music and Lyrics by Alex Rogers.) - Shylock
  9. "I Want to Be a Real Lady" (Music by Tom Lemonier. Lyrics by Alex Rogers.) - Rosetta
  10. "The Czar" (Chorus and Solo) (Music by John H. Cook and Will Marion Cook. Lyrics by Alex Rogers.) - Rareback Pinkerton, girls, Company
  11. "(On) Emancipation Day" - Shylock, Rareback Pinkerton, Company
  12. "Caboceers',Choral" - Company
  13. Finale - Company

Musical Numbers - First lines (from vocal score)

Overture

Prologue - Garden of the Caboceer (Governor of a Province).

  1. Opening Song and Chorus - "In Dahomey so grand, just alongside the strand, lives a Moorish maid so near and dear to me..." (soloist unspecified)
  2. Caboceers' Entrance - "Hm...... We are the loyal subjects of King Eat-em-All, the ruler over all our states, both great and small..."

Act I - Public Square, Boston. Three months later.

  1. Opening Chorus - "Swing along, chillun, swing along de lane; lif' yo' head and yo' heels mighty high. Swing along, chillun, 'taint a-goin' to rain..."
  2. Ensemble Song - "There's a bright ray of sunshine, Molly Green; pure as the light of day time, she's a dream..."
  3. Song - Shylock, Pinkerton and Chorus - "If we went to Dahomey, suppose the King would say, we want a Broadway built for us, we want it right away..."

Act II - (1) Exterior of Lightfoot's Home, Gatorville, Florida. (2) Road, one and a half miles from Gatorville. (3) Interior of Lightfoot's Home.

  1. Song and Chorus - "Crazy for the stage was Carrie Brown, she work'd in a dry goods store up town. Ev'ry time a play open'd on Broadway..."
  2. Song and Chorus - "Dar's a charmin' dark eyed little lassie dat I know, who wid' tender teasin' glances sets my heart a glow..."
  3. Song - Cecilia and Chorus - "To be the leader of the color'd aristocracy is my ambition ... I have a longing just the same as all the quality for recognition..."
  4. Ensemble - Hamilton, Pansy, Leather and Chorus - "To get in high society you need a great reputation, don't cultivate sobriety but rather ostentation..."
  5. Song - Shylock - "My hard luck started when I was born, leas' so the old folks say. Dat same hard luck been my bes' fren' up to dis very day..."
  6. Chorus and Solo - Pinkerton - "He is the greatest thing, and known afar; the black folks always sing, he is the Czar..."
  7. Song and Chorus - "Streets are gay, on dey way, all de alleys done turn'd out, Mistah Giles wid Miss Liles make a figure widout doubt..."
  8. March - "On Emancipation Day"
  9. Cake Walk - "Chocolate Drops"
  10. Jig
  11. Cake Walk - "Happy Jim"

Characters (vocal score)

Synopsis of Scenes (Vocal Score)