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IN DAHOMEY

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

• Je-Je, a Caboceer (Governor of a Province)
• Menki, Messenger of the King
• Mose Lightfoot, Agent of Dahomey Colonization Society and Hamilton Lightfoot's brother
• Shylock Homestead, called "Shy" by his friends
• Rareback Pinkerton, "Shy's" personal friend and advisor
• Hustling Charlie, promoter of the "Get-the-Coin" Syndicate
• George Reeder, proprietor of an intelligence office, one of the "Get-the-Coin"
• Dr. Straight in name only, street fakir, another "Get-the-Coinist"
• Hamilton Lightfoot, President of the Dahomey Colonization Society—henpecked, light and easy
• Me Sing, a Chinese cook
• Archie Brown, a sailor boy, the son of an old acquaintance of Mrs. Stringers
• Leather, a bootblack
• Henry Stampfield, a letter carrier
• Messenger Rush, but not often
• James, a butler
• Officer Still
• Helper to the Doctor
• Cecilia Lightfoot, Hamilton's second wife, Rosetta's stepmothe
• Madame Flash
• Mrs. Stringer, dealer in forsaken patterns, and interested in the Dahomey scheme
• Rosetta Lightfoot, a troublesome young thing, Hamilton's pride
• City folks, country folks, lady folks, men folks, old folks, young folks and others

Scenes and settings

• Prologue: Garden of the Caboceers, Dahomey.
• Act 1: Public Square, Boston
• Act 2
  • Scene 1: Exterior of Lightfoot's Home, Gatorville, Florida.
  • Scene 2: Road, one and a half miles from Gatorville.
  • Scene 3: Interior of the Lightfoot home.

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

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

Act 2

Scene 1

9. "Why Adam Sinned" (Music and Lyrics by Alex Rogers.) - Rosetta
10. "Chin Chin" - Mr Singh
11. Selection - Rosa
12. "Society" (Music by Will Marion Cook and Will Accooe.) - Girls' Chorus
    

Scene 2

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

Scene 3

11. "A Rich Coon's Babe" - (Music and Lyrics by Alex Rogers) - Rosetta, Male Double Quartette
12. "A Dream of the Philippines" - Rareback Pinkerton, Shylock, Rosetta, Dancing Filipino Misses
13. "Dear Luzon" (Music by Tom Lemonier.) - Rareback Pinkerton, Shylock, Rosetta, Dancing Filipino Misses
14. 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

• Shylock Homestead, called "Shy" by his friends
• Rareback Pinkerton, "Shy's" personal friend and advisor
• Cicero Lightfoot, president of a colonization society
• Dr. Straight in name only, street fakir
• Mose Lightfoot, brother of Cicero, thinks Dahomey a land of great promise
• George Reeder, keeps an intelligence office
• Henry Stampfield, letter carrier, with an argument against immigration
• Me Sing, keeps a chop suey factory
• Hustling Charley, proprietor of Got-the-Coin Syndicate
• Leather, a bootblack
• Officer Still
• Messenger Rush, but not often
• Bill Primrose
• Cecilia Lightfoot, Cicero's wife
• Mrs. Stringer, dealer in foresaken patterns, also editor of fashionnotes in "Beanville Agitator:'
• Rosetta Lightfoot, a troublesome young thing

Colonists, natives, etc.:

Scenes and setttings

• Act 1: Public Square, Boston
• Act 2:
  • Scene 1: Exterior of Lightfoot's Home, Gatorville, Florida.
  • Scene 2: Road, one and a half miles from Gatorville.
  • Scene 3: Interior of the Lightfoot home.
• Act 3:
  • Scene 1: Swamp in Dahomey.
  • Scene 2: Garden of Caboceer, governor of a province. Execution tower in the distance.

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.

3. 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..."
4. Ensemble Song - "There's a bright ray of sunshine, Molly Green; pure as the light of day time, she's a dream..."
5. 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.

6. 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..."
7. Song and Chorus - "Dar's a charmin' dark eyed little lassie dat I know, who wid' tender teasin' glances sets my heart a glow..."
8. 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..."
9. Ensemble - Hamilton, Pansy, Leather and Chorus - "To get in high society you need a great reputation, don't cultivate sobriety but rather ostentation..."
10. 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..."
11. Chorus and Solo - Pinkerton - "He is the greatest thing, and known afar; the black folks always sing, he is the Czar..."
12. 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..."
13. March - "On Emancipation Day"
14. Cake Walk - "Chocolate Drops"
15. Jig
16. Cake Walk - "Happy Jim"
    

Characters (vocal score)

• Je-Je (a caboceer)
• Menuki (Messenger of the King)
• Shylock Homestead (called "Shy" by his friends)
• Rareback Pinkerton ("Shy's" personal friend and adviser)
• Hamilton Lightfoot (president of a colonization society)
• Dr. Straight (in name only, a street fakir)
• Moses Lightfoot (brother of Hamilton, thinks Dahomey a land of great promise)
  
• George Reeder (proprietor of an intelligence office)
• Henry Stampfield (letter carrier, with an argument against immigration)
  
• Me Sing a Chinese cook)
• Hustling Charley (promoter of Get-the-Coin Syndicate)
• Leather (a bootblack)
• Officer Still
• White Wash Man
• Messenger Rush (but not often)
• Pansy (Daughter of Cecilia Lightfoot, in love with Leather)
• Cecilia Lightfoot (Hamilton's wife)
• Mrs Stringer (dealer in forsaken patterns, also editor of fashion notes in "Beanville Agitator")
• Rosetta Lightfoot (a troublesome young thing)

Synopsis of Scenes (Vocal Score)

• Prologue - Garden of the Caboceer (Governor of a Province).
• Act 1 - Public Square, Boston. Three months later.
• Act 2
  • Scene 1 - Exterior of Lightfoot's Home, Gatorville, Florida.
  • Scene 2 - Road, one and a half miles from Gatorville.
  • Scene 3 - Interior of Lightfoot's Home.