Then They Woke Up single work   musical theatre   revue/revusical   humour  
Issue Details: First known date: 1917... 1917 Then They Woke Up
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

Revusical.

The songs, dances, and improvised 'business' are loosely tied to a story concerning two Jewish sailors, Ike Cohen (Le Blanc) and Morris Levi (Mack), who are wrecked on the languorous island of Bong. They fall asleep and dream of becoming king and grand secretary respectively, and have, as one review notes, 'a right royal time' (Brisbane Courier 3 December 1917, p.9). For the 1919 Brisbane season, Le Blanc and Mack appeared as a couple of soldiers.

One of the songs incorporated into the 1917 Brisbane season was 'By the Blue Aegean Sea', sung in commemoration of the 'brave men who fell at Gallipoli and in recognition of Heroes Day' (Brisbane Courier 3 December 1917, p.9). The Brisbane Courier notes that in the 1919 production, 'the opening number "Gee! This is a Lonesome Town", seemed to be the key to a very dull proposition, but there was little lonesomeness in the air when things began to develop' (p.9). Other songs incorporated into the storyline included 'Great Big Wonderful Baby' and 'I Want to Go to Tokyo'.

Production Details

  • 1917: Majestic Theatre, Adelaide, 7-13 April.

    • Director Bert Le Blanc; Producer Fullers Theatres Ltd.
    • Troupe Bert Le Blanc's Travesty Stars.
    • Cast incl. Bert Le Blanc (Ike Cohen), Jake Mack (Morris Levi), Carlton Chase, Winnie Knight [aka Mrs Bert Le Blanc], Mike Connors, Queenie Paul, Ivy Moore, Clym Edgares, and the Pony Ballet.

    1917: Majestic Theatre, Sydney, 2-8 June.

    • Director Bert Le Blanc; Producer Fullers Theatres Ltd.
    • Troupe Bert Le Blanc's Travesty Stars.
    • Cast incl. Bert Le Blanc, Jake Mack, Carlton Chase, Winnie Knight [aka Mrs Bert Le Blanc], Mike Connors, Queenie Paul, Ivy Moore, Clym Edgares, and the Pony Ballet (Kitty McGuire, Trixie Wilson, Marie Lannan, Dot Bellion, Lily Clarke, Annie Henry).
    • This was the production chosen by the Fullers and Bert Le Blanc to headline the grand opening of the Majestic Theatre, the Fullers' newly built theatre in Newtown.

    1917: National Theatre, Sydney, 11-17 August.

    • Director Bert Le Blanc; Producer Fullers Theatres Ltd.
    • Troupe Bert Le Blanc's Travesty Stars.
    • Cast incl. Bert Le Blanc, Jake Mack, Carlton Chase, Winnie Knight [aka Mrs Bert Le Blanc], Mike Connors, Queenie Paul, Ivy Moore, Clym Edgares ; and the Pony Ballet (Kitty McGuire, Trixie Wilson, Marie Lannan, Dot Bellion, Lily Clarke, Annie Henry).

    1917: Empire Theatre, Brisbane, 1-7 December (return season: 2-8 March 1918).

    • Director Bert Le Blanc; Producer Fullers Theatres Ltd; Proprietor Holland and St John.
    • Troupe Bert Le Blanc's Travesty Stars.
    • Cast incl. Bert Le Blanc, Jake Mack, Carlton Chase, Winnie Knight [aka Mrs Bert Le Blanc], Mike Connors, Queenie Paul, Ivy Moore, Clym Edgares, and the Pony Ballet.

    .

  • 1918: Bijou Theatre, Melbourne, 2-8 March.

    • Director Bert Le Blanc; Producer Fullers Theatres Ltd.
    • Troupe Bert Le Blanc Revue Company.
    • Cast incl. Bert Le Blanc, Jake Mack, Carlton Chase, Mike Connors, Queenie Paul, Lillian Colenzo, Winnie Knight [aka Mrs Bert Le Blanc], Sid Garti, Harry McDonna, Leslie Jephcott, Olga Ray, Will Raynor, Nellie Fallon, Durham Marcel, Maud Miles, and the Pony Ballet (Violet Penson, Rita Penson, Vera Tandy, Rose Brennan, Hilda Lynn, Annie Henry).

    1919: Empire Theatre, Brisbane, 4-10 Jan.

    • Director Bert Le Blanc; Producer Fullers Theatres Ltd.
    • Troupe Bert Le Blanc Revue Company.
    • Cast incl. Bert Le Blanc, Jake Mack, Lillian Colenzo, Mike Connors, Queenie Paul, Bert Ray, Winnie Knight [aka Mrs Bert Le Blanc], Lance Vane, Will Raynor, and the Pony Ballet.

    1920: Queensland regional tour, ca June-July.

    • Director Bert Le Blanc; Producer George Marlow and Birch and Carroll.
    • Troupe Bert Le Blanc's Travesty Stars.
    • Cast incl. Bert Le Blanc, Jake Mack, Arthur Elliott.
    • Tour itinerary incl. The Bungalow, Maryborough (9-10 June).

    1921: Lyric Theatre, St Kilda (Melbourne), 22-28 October.

    • Director Bert Le Blanc; Producer William Anderson; Lessee Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Music Director George Powell.
    • Troupe The Who's Who Costume Revue Entertainers (aka Travesty Stars).
    • Cast incl. Bert Le Blanc, Jake Mack, Sydney Hollister, Dan Weldon, Frank Graham, Clarice Norman, Jean Maynard, Alice Walton, Winnie Knight [aka Mrs Bert Le Blanc], Fred Deal, Harry Vernon, Mary Anderson, Nora Marrs, Sylvie Millers, May Down.

    1922: Grand Opera House, Sydney, 28 October - 3 November.

    • Director Bert Le Blanc; Producer George Marlowe.
    • Troupe Bert Le Blanc Revue Company.
    • Cast incl. Bert Le Blanc, Jake Mack, Charles Delavale, Elvie Stagpoole, Mark Erickson, Hartley Court, Fred Garland, Winnie Knight [aka Mrs Bert Le Blanc], Dolly McIntosh, Molly Warren, Ernest Barraclough, Nell Fleming, Dulcie Melva, Tilly Dalbro, Florrie Dalbro, Dot Neville, Germaine Casier, Rene Esler, Florrie Parkes.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

Works about this Work

The Empire Theatre 1919 single work review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 6 January 1919; (p. 9)

— Review of Then They Woke Up Bert Le Blanc , 1917 single work musical theatre
The Empire 1917 single work review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 3 December 1917; (p. 9)

— Review of Then They Woke Up Bert Le Blanc , 1917 single work musical theatre
The Empire 1917 single work review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 3 December 1917; (p. 9)

— Review of Then They Woke Up Bert Le Blanc , 1917 single work musical theatre
The Empire Theatre 1919 single work review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 6 January 1919; (p. 9)

— Review of Then They Woke Up Bert Le Blanc , 1917 single work musical theatre

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 30 May 2014 10:40:53
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