Keep it Dark single work   musical theatre   revue/revusical   humour  
Alternative title: Cohen and Levi in Paris
Issue Details: First known date: 1917... 1917 Keep it Dark
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

Revusical

Those two eccentric jokers, Ike Cohen (Le Blanc) and Morris Levi (Mack), are ensconced in the Lovey Dilly Hotel in Paris. They set out to see the sights of Paris, including a cabaret club, and create all sorts of mayhem and hilarity. The revusical included a burlesque on hotel-keeping methods.

The 1917 Brisbane season (Empire Theatre) included such songs as 'When the Sun Goes Down in Romany' (sung by Queenie Paul), 'The House on the Hill' (Carlton Chase), 'My Little Bon Bon Girl' (Ivy Moore), and the ragtime number 'Minstrel Band'.

Production Details

  • 1917: Majestic Theatre, Sydney, 14-20 July.

    • Director Bert Le Blanc; Producer Fullers Theatres Ltd.
    • Troupe Bert Le Blanc's Revue Stars.
    • Cast incl. Bert Le Blanc (Ike Cohen), Jake Mack (Morris Levi), Carlton Chase, Winnie Knight, Mike Connors, Queenie Paul, Ivy Moore, Clym Edgares, and the Pony Ballet (Kitty McGuire, Trixie Wilson, Marie Lannan, Dot Bellion, Lily Clarke, Annie Henry).
    • Although Keep it Dark was very likely staged in Sydney at the National Theatre (ca. August/September 1917) and possibly in Adelaide (ca. April/May 1917), no details have been located.

    1917: Empire Theatre, Brisbane, 24-30 November.

    • Director Bert Le Blanc; Producer Fullers Theatres Ltd; Proprietor Holland and St John.
    • Troupe Bert Le Blanc's Revue Stars.
    • Cast incl. Bert Le Blanc, Jake Mack, Queenie Paul, Ivy Moore, Clym Edgares, Carlton Chase, Mike Connors, Fred Witt, Winnie Knight [aka Mrs Bert Le Blanc], and the Pony Ballet.
    • Keep it Dark was the opening production for the 1917/18 Empire Theatre season.

    1918: Bijou Theatre, Melbourne, 16-22 February (as Cohen and Levi in Paris).

    • Director Bert Le Blanc; Producer Fullers Theatres Ltd.
    • Troupe Bert La Blanc's Musical Travesty Stars.
    • Cast incl. Bert Le Blanc, Jake Mack, Carlton Chase, Lilian Colenzo, Olga Ray, Mike Connors, Queenie Paul, Will Raynor, Nellie Fallon, Durham Marcel, Maud Miles, and the Pony Ballet.

    1918: Empire Theatre, Brisbane, 16-22 November.

    • Director Bert Le Blanc; Producer Fullers Theatres Ltd.
    • Troupe Bert Le Blanc's Musical Travesty Stars.
    • Cast incl. Bert Le Blanc, Jake Mack, Carlton Chase, Lilian Colenzo, Olga Ray, Mike Connors, Queenie Paul, Will Raynor, Ivy Moore, Nellie Fallon, Durham Marcel, Maud Miles, and the Pony Ballet (Violet Penson, Rita Penson, Vera Tandy, Rose Brennan, Hilda Lynn, Annie Henry).

    .

  • 1919: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, 29 March - ca. 4 April.

    • Director Bert Le Blanc; Producer Fullers Theatres Ltd.
    • Troupe Bert Le Blanc's Musical Travesty Stars.
    • Cast incl. Bert Le Blanc, Jake Mack, Mike Connors, Queenie Paul, Lance Vane, Jim Gerald, Essie Jennings, Lillian Colenzo, Nellie Fallon, Darcy Kellway, Neville Royal, and the Pony Ballet (Lucy Cliff, Annie Henry, Hilda Lynn, Rosie Downie, Thelma Gourley, Bertha Rush, Alma Hilson, Alice Lewis, Vera Tandy, Essie Davis).
    • Theatres in New South Wales were required to close from 3 April, due to the Spanish flu epidemic, thus forcing the Fullers to cancel the remainder of the Le Blanc season. The exact date of the troupe's final show is unclear, however, as there is no mention in advertising of the Travesty Stars being on the programme after 31 March (two days prior to the enforced closures).

    1922: Harry Clay's Sydney and Hunter Valley circuit, ca. July-August.

    • Director Bert Le Blanc; Producer Clay's Bridge Theatre Company.
    • Troupe Bert Le Blanc Revue Company.
    • Cast incl. Bert Le Blanc, Jake Mack, Charles Delavale, Elvie Stagpoole, Mark Erickson, Hartley Court, Winnie Knight [aka Mrs Bert Le Blanc], Dolly McIntosh, Molly Warren, Ernest Barraclough, Fred Garland, Nell Fleming, Dulcie Melva, Tilly Dalbro, Florrie Dalbro, Dot Neville, Germaine Casier, Rene Esler, Florrie Parkes.
    • Clay's circuit incl. Princess Theatre, Sydney, 29 July - 5 August.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

First known date: 1917
VIEW PUBLICATION DETAILS FOR ALL VERSIONS ()

Works about this Work

Bijou Theatre 1918 single work review
— Appears in: The Age , 18 February 1918; (p. 11)
— Review of Keep it Dark Bert Le Blanc , 1917 single work musical theatre A review of Cohen and Levi in Paris (Bijou Theatre, Melbourne), otherwise known as Keep it Dark.
Adelaide Atoms George , 1918 single work review
— Appears in: Australian Variety and Show World , 29 March 1918; (p. n. pag.)
— Review of Keep it Dark Bert Le Blanc , 1917 single work musical theatre
Empire Theatre 1917 single work review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 26 November 1917; (p. 9)
— Review of Keep it Dark Bert Le Blanc , 1917 single work musical theatre
Majestic Theatre Harry Kitching , 1917 single work review
— Appears in: Australian Variety and Show World , 18 July 1917; (p. n. pag.)
— Review of Keep it Dark Bert Le Blanc , 1917 single work musical theatre
Majestic Theatre Harry Kitching , 1917 single work review
— Appears in: Australian Variety and Show World , 18 July 1917; (p. n. pag.)
— Review of Keep it Dark Bert Le Blanc , 1917 single work musical theatre
Empire Theatre 1917 single work review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 26 November 1917; (p. 9)
— Review of Keep it Dark Bert Le Blanc , 1917 single work musical theatre
Adelaide Atoms George , 1918 single work review
— Appears in: Australian Variety and Show World , 29 March 1918; (p. n. pag.)
— Review of Keep it Dark Bert Le Blanc , 1917 single work musical theatre
Bijou Theatre 1918 single work review
— Appears in: The Age , 18 February 1918; (p. 11)
— Review of Keep it Dark Bert Le Blanc , 1917 single work musical theatre A review of Cohen and Levi in Paris (Bijou Theatre, Melbourne), otherwise known as Keep it Dark.
VIEW ALL WORKS ABOUT (4)

PeriodicalNewspaper Details

Note:
This entry has been sourced from research undertaken by Dr Clay Djubal into Australian-written popular music theatre (ca. 1850-1930). See also the Australian Variety Theatre Archive
Last amended 2 Jun 2014 08:19:24
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    France,
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    Western Europe, Europe,
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