The Century Girl is a musical comedy revue with music by Victor Herbert and Irving Berlin, and lyrics by Henry Blossom and Berlin.
It opened November 6, 1916, at the Century Theatre on Broadway and ran until April 28, 1917, totaling 200 performances. Rather than having a cohesive plot, the show was a mixture of musical and vaudeville performances.
Production Charles Dillingham and Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. produced the show. Staging was by Edward Royce, Leon Errol, and Ned Wayburn, with set design by Joseph Urban. Max Hoffman directed the orchestra.
The show had a runtime of over four hours. On its opening night, the show began at 8:25pm and ended at 12:58am. This was actually an improvement from the show's time prior to its premiere. It had originally been scheduled to open on October 16, but was delayed in order to cut down the show while maintaining the lineup of actors and performers. Cuts continued to be made after the premiere, resulting in several actors, including Marie Dressler, being let go.
Performances included a "Stone Age romance", an Alice in Wonderland musical number, a number featuring animals and hunters, and a skit with actors portraying Herbert and Berlin.
The Century Girl was the only successful show produced at the Century Theatre (previously the New Theatre). After the show's closure, the theatre was sold and later demolished, being replaced by the Century Apartments.
Cast +1916 BroadwayHuntress/ColumbineBillie AllenEmil KlutzSam BernardEva Brown/Lame DuckHazel DawnVictor Herbert/LionArthur CunninghamWill B. Rich/County ConstableJames DoyleWood B. Rich/County ConstableHarland DixonThe Diver/Waldorf DryginskuLeon ErrolJack of DiamondsMarion FairbanksJack of ClubsMadeline FairbanksHunter/Howell LauderIrving FisherChicken/Peggy O'BrienElsie JanisHuntress/Harlequin/Queen MermaidVera MaxwellCatherine of Russia/American Gold/the PhilippinesMargaret MorrisIrving Berlin/FoxJohn SlavinKing of HeartsLilyan TashmanMessengerFrankie BaileyAnna PavloaferSam BarndooroffMarie YoungJane BlissDormouseDorothea CamdenJokerClara CarrollHelen of Troy/Spanish LaceMarjorie CassidyBarbara Fritchie/Irish Lace/Porto RicoEvelyn ConwayCleopatra/French LaceSemone D'HerlysQueen of SpadesEthel DonaldsonAce of Hearts/English LaceMartha ErlichMarie Antoinette/King of ClubsFlo HartMike DebiteskyHarry KelloskiTurkeyCathryne Rowe PalmerAliceYvonne SheltonQueen of ClubsKatherine KohlerQueen Boadicea/Alaska/Belgian LaceMay LeslieHawaii/Joan of Arc/American SilverHazel LewisTiger ButlerGus Minton
Songs
Alice in Wonderland The Ballet Loose The Birth of the Century Girl The Century Girl The Chicken Walk/That Broadway Chicken Walk/Jungle Ball Finale He Likes Their Jukelele Humpty Dumpty It Takes an Irishman to Make Love Kiss Me Again/Kiss Me Once More The Music Lesson/Herbert-Berlin Duet On The Train of a Wedding Gown The Romping Redheads The Stone Age The Toy Soldiers Uncle Sam's Children Under the Sea When Uncle Sam is Ruler of the Sea You Belong to Me
Reception The New York Times and critics from other publications reviewed the show positively.
External links The Century Girl at the IBDB
References