The Girl from Kay’s

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“The Girl from Kay’s” is an English musical comedy with music by Ivan  Caryll, Paul Rubens, Wilhelm Meyer Lutz and Edward Jones; lyrics by Adrian Ross, Claude Aveling ^[2] and Owen Hall. Cecil Cook’s book was said to be based on Leon Gandillot’s “La Mariee Recalcitrante” Ganzl, wrote that the libretto of “The Girl from Kay’s” was professedly based on a French farcical original but that original was never credited.^[3] Gandillot subsequently sued for unauthorised adaptation but lost.^[4]

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The play opened at the Apollo Theatre under the management of George Edwards on 15^th November 1902 closing on 23^rd January 1904 after a run of 432 performances.^[6] Despite keeping London entertained for over a year the expenses for the production resulted in a loss of £20,000 at the end of its run. A comparable run with such a loss was unheard of. A series of successful tours helped to restore the balance and the show was sent soaring into profit by the amazing reception of its American production. ^[7] The American production ran for 223 performances beginning 2^nd November 1903 at the Herald Square Theatre, New York and a short run of 18 performances at the same theatre finally closing 3^rd September 1904. ^{[8] [9]}

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Gabrielle Ray took over from Letty Lind in the role of “Ellen” near the end of the original run. ^[11]

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The original title was to have been “The Girl from Jay’s” however once Hall had announced the title he was immediately summoned by Jay’s Ltd; the Bond Street millinery firm. Far from being pleased at the publicity, they feared their exclusive image might be smirched by a possible association with the events in Hall’s play. Hall altered his shops’ name to “Kay’s” but nobody was fooled, and the touchy proprietors must have felt regret when the show became an enormous hit both sides of the Atlantic. ^[13]

The attitude of Jay’s wasn’t unusual, some designers were concerned that their society clients might be unwilling to patronise a couture house connected with actresses. A number of well-known London dressmakers gave up their stage work after they received the “Drawing Room Commissions that enabled them to call themselves “Court Dressmakers”. ^[14]

Hall also received a complaint from the church after Nora and Harry’s bridesmaids were christened with the name of an Anglican bishopric – Miss Ebor, Miss Ely, Miss Cantuar and Miss Sarum. The archbishop, having apparently no more wish for publicity that Jays Ltd. Had made a polite complaint and the bridesmaids became prosaically, Misses Racine, Hildesley, Mayen and Leslie. ^[15]

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References;     

^[1]   Colin Johnson’s Victorian and Edwardian Musical Shows http://www.halhkmusic.com/castlists/girlfromkays.html (accessed 15th June 2012)

^[2]  Wikipedia,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girl_From_Kays (accessed 15th June 2012)

^[3]   Ganzl, K. (1987) “The British Musical Theatre” Volume 1, 1865 – 1914, The Macmillan Press Ltd; Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire. (p 818)

^[4]   Ganzl, K. (1987) “The British Musical Theatre” Volume 1, 1865 – 1914, The Macmillan Press Ltd; Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire. (p 802)

^[5]   The Times – 17th November 1902

^[6]   Ganzl, K. (1987) “The British Musical Theatre” Volume 1, 1865 – 1914, The Macmillan Press Ltd; Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire. (p 818)

^[7]   Ganzl, K. (1987) “The British Musical Theatre” Volume 1, 1865 – 1914, The Macmillan Press Ltd; Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire. (p 804)

^[8]   Wikipedia,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girl_From_Kays (accessed 15th June 2012)

 ^[9]   Ganzl, K. (1987) “The British Musical Theatre” Volume 1, 1865 – 1914, The Macmillan Press Ltd; Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire. (p 819)

^[10] The Times – 10th September 1903

^[11]  Wikipedia,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girl_From_Kays (accessed 15th June 2012)

^[12]   The Times – 29th September 1903

^[13]  Ganzl, K. (1987) “The British Musical Theatre” Volume 1, 1865 – 1914, The Macmillan Press Ltd; Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire. (p 802)

^[14]   Berlanstein, L; Schweitzer, M; Stowell, S; (2012) “Staging Fashion 1880 – 1920, Jane Harding, Lily Elsie, Billy Burke” Yale University Press, New Haven / London (p 30)

^[15]   Ganzl, K. (1987) “The British Musical Theatre” Volume 1, 1865 – 1914, The Macmillan Press Ltd; Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire. (p 803)

^[16]   Ganzl, K. (1987) “The British Musical Theatre” Volume 1, 1865 – 1914, The Macmillan Press Ltd; Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire. (p 818 – 819)

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