chu chin chow
chu chin chow is too - thin chow. a tsingtao now would be better, somehow .
poster for the 1934 film “chu chin chow, ” starring anna may wong .
costume designs for “chu chin chow” as seen in the magazine “tatler, ” 1917 .
victor matrix b - 20314. chu - chin - chow / alice green; orpheus quartet
click to download 0. 6 mb pdf file chu chin chow libretto by oscar asche: download
click to download 0. 5 mb pdf file chu chin chow novel by william page: download
chu chin chow libretto and chu chin chow novel have been included in the book three musical plays. a printed copy of the book may be purchased at urltoken enter trutt in the search books box .
one of several adaptations of chu chin chow to bbc radio, this one credited to harold neden .
an adaptation of the musical play chu chin chow. chu chin chow... on ice ran for three months, and was aired on the bbc as part of its sunday - night theatre programming .
one of several bbc versions of chu chin chow, this adaptation was credited to alastair scott - johnson .
one of several bbc radio adaptations of chu chin chow, this time adapted by script - writer desmond davis .
feedback about' songs from chu chin chow', national programme daventry, 21. 35, 22 january 1939
one of multiple bbc radio adaptations of chu chin chow, this one credited to theatre historian w. macqueen - pope .
the play was novelised (as chu chin chow) by harold simpson (london: mills & boon, 1916) .
victor matrix b - 20314. chu - chin - chow / alice green; orpheus quartet - discography of american historical recordings
a burlesque of chu chin chow, which had recently closed in melbourne after a three - month season at the tivoli theatre .
inspired by the brisbane season of oscar asche' s famous musical extravaganza chu chin chow, which had closed the previous week .
1953: empire pool, wembley (england), 13 july - 19 september (as chu chin chow on ice) .
cast incl. victor macdonald (abu hasan / chu chin chow), jane hilary (zahrat - al - kulub) .
cast incl. inia te wiata (abu hasan / chu chin chow), patricia kerry (zahrat - al - kulub) .
label: broadcast twelve uk 5039. issued 1929 10
' selection from
chu chin chow
( parts i & 2)'
chu chin chow (1934): a robust operetta
. the new york times, 22 september 1934, accessed 2 august 2010
trutt, david (ed). introduction to
chu chin chow
novelization, p. 3, 2010, accessed 18 november 2010
sat 3 nov 1934 - the courier - mail (brisbane, qld. : 1933 - 1954) page 5 -
chu chin chow
dance
the courier - mail (brisbane, qld. : 1933 - 1954), sat 3 nov 1934, page 5 -
chu chin chow
dance
produced from the abc' s melbourne studios, chu chin chow was a radio adaptation of the long - running and highly successful stage play by oscar asche .
cast incl. lyn harding (abu hasan / chu chin chow), rosalinde fuller (zahrat - al - kulub), jerry verno (ali) .
the cobbler' s song: song from chu chin chow, a musical tale of the east / ​ told by oscar asche; music by frederic norton .
the cobbler' s song [ music ]: song from chu chin chow, a musical tale of the east / told by oscar asche; music by frederic norton .
cast incl. lyn harding (abu hasan / chu chin chow), rosalinde fuller (zahrat - al - kulub), mr jetsam (abdullah), kay bourne .
chu chin chow plays at the geelong performing arts centre on july 22 - 23, and has its melbourne season at the phoenix theatre in elwood from july 28 - 31 .
the show was briefly the third - longest - running show on broadway and the west end, after chu chin chow and oklahoma! . it was eventually surpassed by salad days .
the cobbler' s song [ music ]: song from chu chin chow, a musical tale of the east / told by oscar asche; music by frederic norton. - version details - trove
it is played in jazz style on mouth organ. the song was a reference to chu chin chow, a spectacular orientalist musical of the ali baba story, which was the biggest hit of the london theatre world from 1916 until the late 1940s. the show successfully toured usa and australia and spawned a gainsborough film (chu chin chow, oscar ashe, 1934) that was undoubtedly seen in india. 22 chu chin chow, the musical, permeated british popular culture and fashion of its day and its racist and orientalist tropes were exported around the world, as helen’s chin chin chu persona reflects. but the song itself, set to jaunty western jazz - style swing in a nightclub of jiving sailors, fuses several exotic worlds. with the saucy refrain' mera naam chin chin chu, hello mister, how - do - you - do?' helen is simultaneously a modern city girl and an oriental sexpot, with the arabian nights implicitly providing the bridge between the two .
in describing the show, ray adds, “it has been described as an ‘adult pantomime’… chu chin chow is like a saturday afternoon thrilling adventure musical – swashbuckling, funny, and completely over the top” .
discography of american historical recordings, s. v .
victor matrix b - 20314. chu - chin - chow / alice green; orpheus quartet ,
accessed july 9, 2018, urltoken .
victor matrix b - 20314. chu - chin - chow / alice green; orpheus quartet. (2018). in discography of american historical recordings. retrieved july 9, 2018, from urltoken .
the lead character, mame dennis, mentions in the novel auntie mame that she adored her time as a chorus girl in chu chin chow with her bosom buddy vera charles and tries to recreate the experience .
victor matrix b - 20314. chu - chin - chow / alice green; orpheus quartet .
discography of american historical recordings. uc santa barbara library, 2018. web. 9 july 2018 .
what is the translation of the song by bang wa cherry, chin chin? it' s a song from one of the blade movies .
chu chin chow was also a popular choice for burlesque. australian variety performer and revusical writer / director billy maloney (q. v .), for example, celebrated the closure of the extravaganza' s brisbane season with his own take on the story: too thin chow (cremorne theatre, 25 june 1921). the character of chu chin chow was also incorporated into the elton black / frederick whaite pantomime robinson crusue, which was staged at the cremorne gardens theatre, brisbane, in december 1919 .
chu chin chow was very popular on bbc radio, and excerpts or individual songs from the production were frequently broadcast. the only bbc versions individually indexed on austlit are the ones that were full radio adaptations of the play .
meanwhile, in china, a furious battle rages. chu chin chow, a distinguished merchant, is killed by a band of thieves led by abu hassan. hassan assumes chu chin chow' s identity and proceeds to the palace in bagdad. the newly wealthy ali baba also arrives at the palace with his bejewelled wife. but ali drinks too much at the party and reveals the secret of his wealth to his brother, kazim the vizier (court minister) .
chu chin chow became, with the bing boys are here and the maid of the mountains, one of three hit shows most associated with the london musical stage during the conflict. surprisingly, each of the three belonged to a very different genre. the bing boys was a revue, starring george robey and including the sentimental hit song if you were the only girl in the world. by contrast, the maid was essentially an operetta, and chu chin chow is often considered an adult pantomime .
the well - known merchant kasim is preparing to give a lavish banquet for the wealthy chu chin chow, who is on his way from china. but the slave girl zahrat sends a secret message about this to the bandit chief abu hasan, and hasan and his gang of thieves rob and kill chu chin chow while he is still traveling. meanwhile, kasim' s brother ali baba discovers hasan' s secret cave, and helps himself to some of the thieves' treasure. while hasan impersonates chu chin chow at kasim' s court, kasim persuades his brother to tell him where his sudden wealth came from. even as the greedy kasim slips out to see what he can find at hasan' s cave, hasan is plotting further violence and thievery .
seemingly a distinct adaptation from the abc' s radio version of chu chin chow (which had been broadcast in 1932), this version was adapted for radio by british script - writer henrik ege, and included oscar asche in the role that he had originated .
asche, oscar (words) / norton, frederic (music): chu chin chow. a musical tale of the east. vocal score, london 1916, pp. 4 - 5. (available at urltoken urltoken, retrieved: 19 february 2014) .
. asche directed the musical and played the lead role of abu hasan, leader of the forty thieves (the
chu chin chow
of the title refers to the robber chief when impersonating one of his victims). besides asche, the production starred his wife ,
all
chu chin chow
tracks from 1959 recording except as indicated below. cover art is from 1980 reissue of 1961 recording .
the maid of the mountains
omits two tracks found on 1972 lp (the song of the vagabonds; pedro the fisherman) /
the well - known merchant kasim baba (brother of ali baba) is preparing to give a lavish banquet for the wealthy chu chin chow, who is on his way from china. abu hassan wishes to add to his riches the property of kasim and has installed the slave girl zahrat in kasim' s house as a spy. zahrat sends a message to abu hasan, letting him know about the banquet. hasan arrives at kasim' s palace in disguise as chu chin chow. his gang of thieves rob and slaughter chu chin chow while he is still traveling. meanwhile, kasim' s brother ali baba discovers hasan' s secret cave and helps himself to some of the thieves' treasure. while hasan impersonates chu chin chow at kasim' s court, kasim persuades his brother to tell him where his sudden wealth came from. even as the greedy kasim slips out to see what he can find at hasan' s cave, hasan is plotting further violence and thievery. zahrat gets her revenge on both hassan and his forty thieves, lovers are united, and all ends happily .
ali baba, a poor labourer, stumbles across hidden treasure belonging to the forty thieves and reinvents himself as a rich merchant. meanwhile, the leader of the thieves, abu hassan, posing as chinese emissary chu chin chow, has an evil plan to recover his loot and ruin bagdad .
if you were an officer in london on a short leave in 1916, the show you just had to see was chu chin chow. it kept running for years after the war, and held the box - office record for longest - running musical until cats overtook it in the nineties .
back at the palace, an extravagant slave auction takes place; the most valuable prize is zahrat. however, maryanna, accompanied by several policemen, interrupts proceedings. she identifies abu hassan as the fake chu chin chow. a major fight ensues and in the confusion abu hassan escapes with zahrat .
decided to try a different chinese, so visited chu chin chow. we had the all you can eat menu... the starters were good and so was the duck. the duck sauce was very thick and sticky, so was not a fan. the mains were disappointing... .
nearly three million people came to see it in britain, many more worldwide. the best songs from the show, such as anytime’s kissing time and the cobbler’s song became the top of the pops hits of their day. one hundred years on, how can we explain chu chin chow’s extraordinary impact ?
an hmv sound recording of chu chin chow (n. yr .) features the vocals of inia te wiata (chu chin chow), julie bryan (marjanah), barbara leigh, charles young, and the williams singers. the music is performed by michael collins and his orchestra, to orchestrations by brian fahey. the' vocal gems' presented are' i am chu chin chow',' here be oysters',' cleopatra' s nile',' when a pullet is plump',' corraline',' i love thee so',' i' ll sing and dance',' the robber' s march',' i long for the sun',' behold',' anytime' s kissing time',' the cobbler' s song',' we bring ye fruits', and' finale' (his masters voice, oclp 1269) .
although salad days was the first musical to break the chu chin chow record, the first play to break its record was abie' s irish rose in 1927. see :
abroad
, the manchester guardian june 2, 1927, proquest historical newspapers, the guardian and the observer, p. 15
besides the romantic and nostalgic fare, there were scores of productions that escaped wartime reality by inviting the audience into exotic scenery and settings. this was the case for one of the longest running productions of london' s west - end, the orientalist, pantomime - like musical comedy chu chin chow, written, produced and directed by oscar asche (1871 - 1936) at his majesty' s theatre which he had managed since 1907. it premiered on 3 august 1916 – at a time when the murderous battles of verdun and the somme were being fought – and remained on stage for the spectacular number of 2, 238 performances until 22 july 1921, the moment when adolf hitler (1889 - 1945) became the leader of the national socialist german workers party. the story of chu chin chow is based on the tale of ali baba and the forty thieves. “the immediate popularity of chu chin chow rested firmly on its fanciful visual elements – the sets, costumes and stage effects. ” [ 42 ] it was a big budget production with sumptuous stage sets and exotic costumes, big dance routines and a large cast including animals like a camel, a snake and a donkey. whereas the visual elements all aimed at conveying a most exotic scenery, the musical score of chu chin chow remained firmly rooted in mainstream english popular music of the time. [ 43 ] the first scene, set in the palace of kasim baba, the wealthy brother of ali baba who awaits the visit of the chinese merchant chu chin chow and is preparing a feast, began with the following song :
cast incl. arthur styan (abu hasan / chu chin chow), vera pearce (zahrat - al - kulub), gerald kay souper (kasim baba), charles h. workman (ali baba), maggie moore, frank cochrane, louie pounds, gregory stroud, winifred o' connor, frederick mackay .
ask a group of music theatre lovers what they know of chu chin chow, and the responses would likely range from, “did g & s write that? ”, to perhaps “yes – ah, is it famous for a long run in london? ”, or the more likely response, “never heard of it” .
so, why the title, you may ask? chu chin chow is the name of a chinese trader murdered by bandit abu hasan, while en route to kasim baba' s court for a lavish feast held in his honor. hasan gains access to kasim' s court by assuming the identity of his latest victim .
cast members have come to the show with varying degrees of knowledge about its story and background. summer bowen, who portrays zharat al - kulub, recalls her first exposure to the piece: “i first heard of chu chin chow in 2013 at an arts centre exhibition on australian war time music which featured a cast photo from the j. c. williamson production. shortly afterwards it was mentioned again in miriam gordon - stewart’s incredible recital “songs for robbie” based on the grandmother eileen robbins’ memoir. oscar ashe invited the 10 - year - old eileen to join the chu chin chow chorus at his majesty’s theatre but her parents objected to the racy costumes” .
he not only wrote the libretto for chu (frederic norton wrote the music) but produced, directed and starred in it as well, playing the part of abu hasan, the robber chieftain. hasan disguises himself as chu chin chow, a wealthy chinese merchant, whom his gang has already murdered, in order to gain entry into the house of kasim baba, brother of ali baba, with the intention of robbing his host during an auction .
everett, william a. : chu chin chow and orientalist musical theatre in britain during the first world war, in: clayton, martin / zon, bennett (eds .): music and orientalism in the british empire, 1780s to 1940s. portrayal of the east, aldershot; burlington 2007: ashgate, pp. 277 - 296 .
the penniless ali baba becomes a millionaire when he discovers the treasure cave of the forty thieves. the robber thief abbu hassan attempts to steal ali baba' s newly found fortune by posing as the chinese mandarin chu chin chow, whom the thief had previously killed. his evil plans are foiled in an act of revenge by the slave girl zahrat .
this is not to suggest that chu - chin - chow is unremittingly offensive or without merit. the atmosphere of intrigue is admirably captured by cinematographer mutz greenbaum (another german exile), who makes the most of the interplay of light and shadows, and anna may wong is compulsive viewing. it is just a little crude in its screen representation .
chu chin chow is based on the tale of ali baba and the forty thieves. the setting is themagnificent eastern palace of kasim baba who welcomes the chinese merchant chu chin chow. he is, in fact, not who he seems to be but the rascally abu hasan, a robber come to glean information that will enable him to rob his host. hasan has a slave, zahrat, already spying in the palace. she has made friends with kasim' s chief wife, alcolom, who in turn is loved by kasim' s poor brother, ali baba. another friend is the slave maid marjanah who loves ali' s son, nur al - huda. the downfall of kasim would solve a lot of problems !
australian born, oscar asche, created a sensation when he wrote chu chin chow. with music by frederic norton, it opened at his majesty’s theatre, london, on 31st august 1916 and ran for five years and a total of 2, 238 performances (more than twice as many as any previous musical), an astonishing record that stood until the 1950’s .
maryannna and her lover meet secretly. if only they could get married. but she is a slave and his father, ali baba would never allow it. returning from her tryst, maryanna overhears a conversation in chu chin chow' s room. she discovers that the chinese emissary is in fact the bandit abu hassan and his accomplice is the slave girl zahrat .
chu chin chow was a version of the arabian nights ’ ali baba and the 40 thieves tale, put together by actor, director and sometime playwright asche as a vehicle for himself and his wife, actress lily brayton, and produced in wartime london at his majesty’s theatre on 31 august 1916 – in the theatre which normally housed the respected dramatic productions of beerbohm tree .
staged with a sumptuous extravagance, it proved to be one of the phenomena of the british stage of the early part of the century. the show’s initial london run of 2, 235 performances set a london long - run record for a musical which survived for some forty years, and chu chin chow went on to be an international hit in english - speaking theatres .
did the immediate pre ww2 cast of chu chin chow include two german born players felix slawinski and or arno franz koehler (kohler); if so in what capacity and what became of them. it seems that they were part of the 1939 australian tivoli tour and that they did not return to the uk before the outbreak of hostilities. any help is much appreciated .
everett, william a. : chu chin chow and orientalist musical theatre in britain during the first world war, in: clayton, martin / zon, bennett (eds .): music and orientalism in the british empire, 1780' s - 1940' s. portrayal of the east, farnham 2007, pp. 277 - 296, here p. 277 .
asche’s wife lily brayton also appeared in the show, as hasan’s beautiful captive, zahrat al - kulub. “mr oscar asche, like venice of old, seems to hold the gorgeous east in fee and to draw upon its treasures at will. he dipped into them generously in kismet but in chu chin chow he pours them out by the bucketful, ” enthused one reviewer .
generally described as an' oriental extravaganza', chu chin chow remains arguably the greatest overseas theatrical success written by an australian. although never achieving the same level of critical acclaim for its narrative and dramatic sensibilities as asche' s previous success, kismet, the production was viewed on both sides of the atlantic (and in australia) as having set a new benchmark as spectacle and as entertainment. two of the clauses in the contract between asche and english producer sir herbert beerbolm - tree (who ended up owning 25 percent of the show) stipulated that chu chin chow could remain at his majesty' s indefinitely on two conditions: that the receipts did not fall below £2500 for two consecutive weeks and that asche continued to play the lead role .
“chu chin chow” was first staged at the hippodrome in 1949 but it returned even more spectacularly on ice for the christmas season in 1953 / 1954, with a huge cast of over 100. there was a production by the birmingham and midland operatic society in november, 1958 and an expensively re - staged version in october, 1959, starring new zealand singer inia te wiata .
so, if like this writer, you were until now unfamiliar with the rare gem that is chu chin chow, it will certainly be worth a trip to geelong or to elwood to take it in. “chu chin chow is a pantomime for adults full of gorgeous colour and music, very much like the 1940s old - hollywood film “the thief of bagdad”, says bowen, “if you haven’t read the original arabian nights, you might be surprised by the violent plot that has been watered down in popular film adaptations in the same way you might be shocked by the original brothers grimm fairytales in german. sexual tension simmers throughout, slaves and harems are the norm, and because love is bought with ‘a bidder’s gold’ two couples yearn for each other for afar” .
chu chin chow urltoken i wanted to see this flick, because i was curious to see an adaptation of the most popular brit musical ever (or one of them, anyway), and because it had anna may wong in the cast. i was expecting a tale of the mystic orient, but got a loose adaptation - musicalization of ali baba and the 40 thieves instead .
the wealthy merchant kasim baba (brother of ali baba) is preparing to give a lavish banquet at his home for a wealthy chinese merchant, chu chin chow, who is on his way from china. the robber chieftain, abu hasan, wishes to add to his riches the property of kasim. abu hasan forces his captive, the beautiful zahrat al - kulub, to spy for him in kasim' s house, disguised as a slave girl, by holding her lover hostage. she is nearly found out several times. zahrat sends a message to abu hasan, letting him know about the banquet. hasan arrives at kasim' s palace in disguise as chu chin chow, whom his gang has robbed and murdered. he tries to glean information that will enable him to rob his host .
cast incl. oscar asche (abu hasan / chu chin chow), doris champion (zahrat - al - kulub), wensley russell (ali baba), helen debroy somers (marjanah), william dewhurst (kasim baba), lawrence shirl (khuzaymah), dorothy dewhurst, stuart kern, ellis j. preston, savana, betty williamson, james johnson, dacia johnson, horace custins .
in the kitchens of the palace, a huge feast is prepared in honour of a visiting chinese dignitary called chu chin chow. ali baba, a cheeky servant, goes off to the forest to get more chickens. meanwhile beautiful slave maryanna, who pines for her lover, is bossed around by her demanding and pampered mistress, while zahrat, another slave girl, conspires with arch villain abu hassan .
one of the earliest british attempts at a grand scale musical! and it' s a bit stuffed. trying to hard with the musical numbers, almost over - shadowing the ali baba & forty thieves tale in the process. cool seeing anna may wong get a decent part, but even the asian - american actress had to play second fiddle to the extravaganza that was chu chin chow (1934) .
sadly, despite the great commercial success of chu, asche later became bankrupt, largely because of his heavy gambling. he died in 1936, aged 65. chu was revived in the darkest days of the second world war and again played its part in lifting morale .
a souvenir programme, the birmingham and midland operatic society presents by arrangement with samuel french ltd ‘chu chin chow’ in aid of cancer relief and other charities. the front cover is yellow and has six illustrations of scenes from the show down the left - hand side. the inside contains a cast list, photographs and advertisements. programme cost one shilling. the show commenced on 17 november 1958 and ran for two weeks .
1. prelude 2. here be oysters 3. i am chu chin chow 4. cleopatra' s nile 5. i' ll sing and dance 6. corraline 7. when a pullet is plump 8. i love thee so 9. behold 10. robbers' march 11. i long for the sun 12. mahbubah 13. i built a fairy palace in the sky 14. anytime' s kissing time 15. cobbler' s song 16. we bring ye fruits 17. finale 18. i am chu chin chow / olive oil 19. behold [ revival cast ] 20. cleopatra' s nile [ alternate version ] 21. when a pullet is plump 22. anytime' s kissing time [ alternate version ] 23. i love thee so [ alternate version ] 24. cobbler' s song [ alternate version ]
on thursday, august 31, 1916, with the bloody battle of the somme raging in france, a new show opened at his majesty’s theatre in london. it is fair to say that it caused a bigger sensation than any other musical in history. chu chin chow, a spectacular retelling of the story of ali baba and the forty thieves, has been described as “one of the greatest successes in the history of popular musical theatre” .
chu chin chow is a musical comedy written, produced and directed by oscar asche, with music by frederic norton, based, with embellishments, on the story of ali baba and the 40 thieves. the play premiered at his majesty’s theatre in london on august 31, 1916 and ran for five years and a total of 2, 238 performances (more than twice as many as any previous musical), a record that stood for nearly forty years .
presented in two acts, the story concerns abu hasan, an intrepid merchant - pirate who masquerades in various extravagant disguises (including that of a hebrew damascene and a grecian prince), so that he and his forty brigands can plunder and humiliate the wealthy despots of the east, enriching hasan' s already overflowing and legendary cave. for this particular adventure, he becomes the great chu chin chow of china as a means of gaining access to the palace of kasim baba. a secondary theme concerns the two lovely slave girls (zahrat and marjanah, the latter in love with nur - al - hudra) who are determined to win their freedom. zahat discovers abu hasan' s true identity after' chu chin chow' kills kasim, while marjanah stumbles on the secret password for his hideout (' open sesame'). she is then able to set in motion the opportunity they need. the women counter chu chin chow' s cunning with feminine guile and create the opportunity they need by bargaining with the brigand chieftain. abu hasan attempts to overcome their plan by attending the wedding of marjanah and nur disguised as a wealthy oil merchant, whose forty jars of' oil' actually hold forty brigands. zahat discovers both his identity and evil plans, and kills his men by pouring boiling oil over them. she then finishes the job by stabbing abu hasan to death .
a pall mall gazette critic described the production as' a romantic drama founded... on the story of the forty thieves as it appears in sir richard burton' s authentic translation of the arabian nights' (26 august 1916, p. 6). the same newspaper also noted that gossip suggesting that asche had either planned an art - pantomime (' a great symbolic play with an important character embodying the principal of universal evil') or gone back to burton' s original were clearly inaccurate.' there is not the remotest likeness between [ chu chin chow ]', notes the gazette,' and anything farther off than the familiar stage - chinoiserie of good old english musical comedy and comic opera. chu chin chow as... played by mr asche is just the commander of the forty thieves disguised as a kind of rutland - barrington mandarin' (1 september 1916, p. 6) .
cast incl. oscar asche (abu hasan / chu chin chow), lily brayton (zahrat - al - kulub), frank cochrane (kasim baba), courtice pounds (ali baba), j. v. bryant (nur - al - huda), violet essex (marjanah), norman williams, william holles, james herbert, aileen d' orme (kasim baba' s head wife), sydney fairbrother (mrs ali), annie moore .
chased from london by the bombs after 80 performances, it returned, partly recast, the following year for another 158 nights. in 1953 chu chin chow was given as an ice - rink production at london’s empire pool, wembley. elliott, comstock and gest produced chu chin chow in new york the year after its london opening. tyrone power (hasan), henry e dixey (ali), florence reed (zahrat), kate condon (alcolom) and tessa kosta (marjanah) featured, the london designs were repeated, and alexis kosloff arranged new parades and dances for what looked like being another successful production. however, management went awry and, after a transfer, less than three months into the run, to the century theater, the expensively staged show closed after 208 performances, still in the red. it was left to a highly successful post - new york tour to recoup and add considerable profits to the producers’ outlay .
even during the world war ii air raids on london, the production never fell below the minimum box - office take, while asche presented the character of abu hasan on stage for all but a couple of weeks of the london run. during his absence, which came about on his physician' s orders, the role was taken up by e. lyall swete, who subsequently went on to direct the american production (starring tyrone power as abu hassan / chu chin chow). chu chin chow ran for five years in london (2, 238 performances), a record that lasted almost forty years. it also opened for six months on broadway in 1917 - 18, and was successfully staged in australia. the royalties alone made asche a millionaire. the new york season and asche' s 1920 - 23 australian tour were essentially replicas of the london show, with the scenery and costumes made by the original producers and transported by ship .
chu - chin - chow' s story derives from the arabian nights (a thousand and one nights) collection of short stories. however, among the several' enhancements' are two interesting plot inventions. the chinese merchant, who happens to be visiting bagdad, adds a layer of political intrigue and is also a way of drawing on a particular stereotype of the chinese villain popular in early british and american films and literature (notably with sax rohmer' s fu manchu). the fact that chu - chin - chow isn' t chinese but someone masquerading as chinese is irrelevant, because abu hassan only has to portray the sneer, evil intentions and cruelty to reinforce the type in popular imagination. structurally, the character' s story gives the film tension, scope and forward momentum leading from battle to crisis and culminating in the final, spectacular court fight. it also at a stroke implicates the whole of the east in this particular vision .
first, there were the amazing sets and imaginative staging, which helped transport london theatregoers to the colourful world of the arabian nights. we are used to lavish productions in the west end today but audiences in 1916 would never have seen anything quite to match chu chin chow. the “musical tale of the east” had a budget of £5, 300, the equivalent of about £2. 9 million today. there was a huge cast that included live camels, donkeys, poultry and snakes .
cast incl. oscar asche (abu hasan / chu chin chow), doris champion (zahrat - al - kulub), wensley russell (ali baba), kitty reidy (marjanah), cecil humphreys (kasim baba), herbert browne (nur - al - huba), george ide (abdullah), peal ladd (alcolm), mason wood (the cobbler), ian mclean (omar), eardley turner (omar' s father), frank charlton, jessie page .
the cry this morning should be
the redcoats are coming !
britain' s long - heralded invasion of the american film market has begun with the offerings at the roxy of
chu chin chow ,
a tuneful, spectacular and robust adaptation of the oscar asche comic operetta which, in its original form, ran for more than 2, 000 performances in london several years ago and for 208 when it was produced here by morris gest in 1917 - 18. view full article in timesmachine »
1. prelude 2. here be oysters 3. i am chu chin chow 4. cleopatra' s nile 5. when a pullet is plump 6. serenade 7. mahbubah 8. i' ll sing and dance 9. i long for the sun 10. robber' s march 11. i love thee so 12. behold! 131. anytime' s kissing time 14. the cobbler' s song 15. i built a fairy palace 16. we bring you fruits 17. finale
herbert wilcox made a silent film version of chu chin chow in 1923 but, after the coming of sound, a second version was made with george robey starred as ali baba and thelma tuson as a richy funny alcolom. anna may wong played the melodrama of zahrat with conviction, whilst fritz kortner gave a burlesque stage performance as hasan in what was, otherwise, one of the best filmed musicals of its time. sydney fairbrother and frank cochrane (just the cobbler this time) both put their unequalable original performances on celluloid .
with a new book written by melvyn morrow (dusty, shout) based on the smash hit that ran for 2238 performances on the west end, chu chin chow is proudly presented by gsov - gilbert & sullivan opera victoria in this, its centenary year, and will take you on a magic carpet ride with perilous quests, forbidden lovers, treacherous assassins, and high slapstick comedy coupled with some of the best theatre songs ever written, including anytime’s kissing time, the cobbler’s song, we are the robbers of the woods and corraline .
chu chin chow have joined our just - eat family, meaning you have another takeaway menu to browse and the chance to become a food critic for the evening. browse the menu from starters to desserts and see what tickles your taste buds. located on 7 cat hill, barnet, you could also choose to collect your order at a time that suits you if you would prefer a leisurely stroll or drive to collect. don’t forget to let us know if you enjoyed your meal and just - eat experience by leaving feedback. bon appetite !
cast incl. arthur styan (abu hasan / chu chin chow), helen temple (zahrat - al - kulub), charles h. workman (ali baba), ida griffin (marjanah), gerald kay souper (kasim baba), george wignail (the cobbler), maggie moore, pearl ladd (alcolom), h. tucker (omar), fred mackay (nu - al - huda), mary jordan, winifred o' connor, suzanne bennett, gloria spurling, ethel keys, myrtle greenhill, louie pounds .
not seen in melbourne for over half a century, gsov is presenting chu chin chow in the centennial year of its first production, 2016, as a musical within a play. written by melvyn morrow, and directed and choreographed by robert ray, the new version sees great fun in oscar asche, selling his musical to the management of j. c. williamson’s. he describes the action with great flair and panache, and takes part himself. out of his imaginative descriptions, real singers and dancers emerge, and act out scenes and songs from the musical .
cast incl. tyrone power (abu hasan / chu chin chow), florence read, (zahrat - al - kulub), albert howson (kasim baba), henry dixy (ali baba), kate condon (alcolom), tessa kosta (marjanah), george rasely (nur - al - huda), lucy beaumont, albert moore, robert lee hill, francis j. boyle, matty thomas, frank mccormack, ida mulle, katherine galanta, harda daube, gordon staples, olive prosser, george bell, josephine emory, lester sweyd, felice de gregorio, richie ling .
a ticket for chu was the thing to buy for a family member on leave from the front. it was also the favourite show for a soldier to take his sweetheart to before he returned to battle .
between in town in 1892 and the maid of the mountains in 1917, this new style of musical theatre became dominant on the musical stage in britain and the rest of the english - speaking world. the success of in town and a gaiety girl (1893) led to an astonishing number of hits, the most successful of which included the shop girl (1894), the geisha (1896), florodora (1899), a chinese honeymoon (1901), the arcadians (1909), our miss gibbs (1909), the quaker girl (1910), chu chin chow (1916) and the maid of the mountains .
written in 1916 by geelong - born actor / director oscar asche, chu chin chow is a retelling of ‘ali baba and the 40 thieves’. the gilbert and sullivan society of victoria (gsov) are proud to present the show in its 100 th anniversary year. director and choreographer robert ray is all too familiar with the challenges which arise from staging a rarely seen gem. ‘it is such an unknown work to all of us, ‘says ray. ‘much easier to do hello dolly or the mikado as it is all there. with chu chin chow finding the orchestral parts alone took us about six months. then finding a way to do it today to today’s audiences. the dialogue is a bit dated, a mixture of biblical and elizabethan speak, with ye’s and yea’s. melvyn morrow wrote a new version which overcomes many of the problems. it is a play circa 1923, about staging the show in australia. there are many delicious references to the bard of j. c. williamson’s for example. also in 1916, it was a very, very lavish show, with over 90 in the cast. the challenge was to do it with a set and costume budget of $ 2200, and about one third of the cast size. the original production was spectacular, with even live snakes on stage! ” .
chu chin chow is the oldest established chinese restaurant in hampton court. our longevity and excellent reputation shall become apparent the moment you step inside our family run restaurant. we take pride in welcoming our customers, helping with the choice of dishes and ensuring that your visit is memorable; something that our regular customers will testify to. we have an extensive range of dishes creating the authentic tastes from the provinces of canton, beijing and szechuan, all freshly prepared and cooked by our experienced chefs. dishes are prepared using fresh, simple ingredients, cooked briefly in very little oil to retain essential nutrients, minerals and vitamins so your meal is not only delicious but healthy too .
' he came, like another eastern, king david, to a good old age, full of riches and honour. but none can ever reign in his stead. there is left a gap in the life of london, and indeed of the country, which nothing can adequately fill, for chu chin chow had become in truth part of the national life. country cousins set out upon the desperate adventure of their first visit to the metropolis with the firm determination to see it come else what may. it had supplanted in their hearts the place usually reserved for the abbey or the tower. it had become a tradition which nothing can adequately fill' (qtd in brisbane courier 24 september 1921, p. 13) .
frederick norton' s musical score was described by asche as' the most important feature of the production. it is not incidental music at all. in fullness and elaboration it is indeed, an opera score' (pall mall gazette 18 august 1916, p. 9). songs known to have performed in the london production are' i am chu chin chow',' i love thee so',' i' ll sing and dance',' i long for the sun',' behold',' anytime' s kissing time',' the cobbler' s song',' serenade',' song of the scimitar', and' i built a fairy palace in the sky.'
a musical tale of the east by oscar asche set to music by frederic norton presentation written by henrik ege characters in the order of their appearance the story - teller, bruce winston robbers, dancers, servants, slaves, etc. the bbc theatre chorus (trained by charles groves), and the bbc theatre orchestra (leader, tate gilder), conducted by mark h. lubbock the programme arranged and produced by gordon mcconnel with the musical collaboration of gwen williams none who saw it will ever forget the tuneful and spectacular mélange that was chu chin chow. produced at the end of august in 1916, chu chin choic ran at his majesty' s theatre for just under five years, its total of 2, 238 performances created a record that has never been broken. the broadcast tonight will concentrate chieflv on the music. the dialogue of the play will be omitted, but the plot will be explained by a story - teller, who will link together the various musical excerpts that will be heard. all the best - known songs in the score will be included, and henrik ege, who has been responsible for many adaptations, has written the narration in the idiom set down by oscar asche in the original book .
it was a post - war boast of chu chi chow ’s producer, oscar asche, that tickets for the show had been particularly sought after by troops on leave, though one critic wryly commented that men ‘gladly’ returned to the trenches to escape it. [ 5 ] perhaps one of the attractions was the chorus of pretty slave girls who, for the period, were very scantily dressed. following complaints of ‘near nudity and non controlled breast movement’, the play was investigated by the lord chamberlain’s office. [ 6 ]
the chinese community have also been portrayed in several musicals that have been staged at the hippodrome. for years, the most famous and popular was “chu chin chow”, first performed at her majesty’s theatre in the west end in august, 1916. it ran for five years and 2, 238 performances, more than twice the previous run for a musical at that time, and its record stood until “salad days” from 1954. a huge hit with servicemen on leave in ww1, it boasted a dozen lavish scenes, spectacular sets and lighting effects and was inspired by the then english taste for all things oriental. one of the attractions was the chorus of girls, scantily dressed for the time, who performed as slaves; there was also a camel, donkey, poultry and snakes .
although king george v had decreed that the royal household would be teetotal for the duration of the conflict, his subjects declined such abstemiousness and still flocked to the music halls and musical theatres, where the escapist fantasy chu chin chow, premièred on 3 rd august 1916, became an instant hit. the show was described as a combination of musical comedy and pantomime, a big - budget spectacle costing £5, 300, with over a dozen scene changes, fantastic sets, big dance routines and exotic costumes. [ 4 ] loosely based on the story of ali baba, critics praised the show’s visuals: the acting and plot were almost entirely incidental. nevertheless, many of the songs became hits, and the cobbler’s song and any time’s kissing time entered the popular repertoire of ballad singers .
the show returned briefly to the strike - brothered broadway of 1919 (century theater 8 august, 33 performances) with lionel braham, don ferrandou and marjorie wood featured, and eugene cowles (abdallah) and albert howson, of the famous howson family (kasim) in supporting rôles. asche himself later took chu chin chow to his native australia, but only after hugh d mackintosh had already mounted a version there, with ex - savoy star c h workman (ali), vera pearce (a zahrat who sang better than any other female member of the cast !), louie pounds (alcolom) and maggie moore (mahbubah) amongst the cast and original cast member frank cochrane restaging asche’s direction. ward’s version played nearly three months in melbourne before moving on to sydney’s grand opera house (26 march 1921) .
another reason why chu became such a hit was the timing. in the summer of 1916, britons wanted something to take their minds off the war. an uplifting musical that combined comedy with some great songs and a fantastic plot in an exotic setting fitted the bill perfectly .
chu also caused controversy with its rather revealing female costumes, described by tatler magazine as “very suitable to the sultry climate of old bagdad”. today, we would not feel particularly shocked by the scanty outfits but remember this was 1916, only 15 years after the death of queen victoria .
the show was indeed ‘a beauty show – of scene and person, of dress and undress, ’ but it also had a fine strong story, familiar and happy characters and characterizations, and attractive songs which helped to ensure its survival after that first lavish production. grossmith and laurillard took the show to the provinces with a cast headed by bobbie comber (ali), henry latimer (hasan) and madge mcintosh (zahrat), and chu chin chow kept up a provincial presence in britain for many years until, in 1940 (3 july), it was brought back to london for a second wartime run with the famous melodrama villain lyn harding as hasan, rosalinde fuller as zahrat, jerry verno as ali, kay bourne as alcolom, dennis noble as nur al - huda and with sydney fairbrother repeating her original rôle as ali’s shrewish and ill - fated wife, mahbubah.
chu chin chow is a musical comedy written , produced and directed by oscar asche , with music by frederic norton , based ( with minor embellishments ) on the story of ali baba and the 40 thieves . the piece premièred at his majesty 's theatre in london on 3 august 1916 and ran for five years and a total of 2,238 performances ( more than twice as many as any previous musical ) , an astonishing record that stood for nearly forty years until salad days . the show 's first american production in new york , with additional lyrics by arthur anderson , played for 208 performances in 1917 – 1918 , starring tyrone power . it subsequently had successful seasons elsewhere in america and australia , including in 1919 , 1920 , 1921 and 1922 . a silent film of the musical , starring betty blythe , was produced in 1925 using some of the music . a talking film , with the score intact , was made by the gainsborough studios in 1934 , with george robey as ali baba , fritz kortner as abu hasan , anna may wong as zahrat al-kulub , frank cochrane reprising his stage role of the cobbler , and laurence hanray as kasim . the show toured the british provinces for many years . it returned to london in 1940 for 80 performances , when it was interrupted by the london bombing but then returned in 1941 for another 158 nights . in 1953 , an ice version was produced at london ’s empire pool , wembley , starring tyrone power , which also toured the provinces and abroad . occasional productions are still mounted , including one in july 2008 by the finborough theatre in london , england . 
chu chin chow is a musical comedy written, produced and directed by oscar asche, with music by frederic norton, based (with minor embellishments) on the story of ali baba and the 40 thieves. the piece premièred at his majesty's theatre in london on 3 august 1916 and ran for five years and a total of 2,238 performances (more than twice as many as any previous musical), an astonishing record that stood for nearly forty years until salad days. the show's first american production in new york, with additional lyrics by arthur anderson, played for 208 performances in 1917 – 1918, starring tyrone power. it subsequently had successful seasons elsewhere in america and australia, including in 1919, 1920, 1921 and 1922. a silent film of the musical, starring betty blythe, was produced in 1925 using some of the music. a talking film, with the score intact, was made by the gainsborough studios in 1934, with george robey as ali baba, fritz kortner as abu hasan, anna may wong as zahrat al-kulub, frank cochrane reprising his stage role of the cobbler, and laurence hanray as kasim. the show toured the british provinces for many years. it returned to london in 1940 for 80 performances, when it was interrupted by the london bombing but then returned in 1941 for another 158 nights. in 1953, an ice version was produced at london ’s empire pool, wembley, starring tyrone power, which also toured the provinces and abroad. occasional productions are still mounted, including one in july 2008 by the finborough theatre in london, england.
chu chin chow is a musical comedy written, produced and directed by oscar asche, with music by frederic norton, based (with minor embellishments) on the story of ali baba and the 40 thieves. the piece premièred at his majesty's theatre in london on 3 august 1916 and ran for five years and a total of 2,238 performances (more than twice as many as any previous musical), an astonishing record that stood for nearly forty years until salad days. the show's first american production in new york, with additional lyrics by arthur anderson, played for 208 performances in 1917 – 1918, starring tyrone power. it subsequently had successful seasons elsewhere in america and australia, including in 1919, 1920, 1921 and 1922. a silent film of the musical, starring betty blythe, was produced in 1925 using some of the music. a talking film, with the score intact, was made by the gainsborough studios in 1934, with george robey as ali baba, fritz kortner as abu hasan, anna may wong as zahrat al-kulub, frank cochrane reprising his stage role of the cobbler, and laurence hanray as kasim. the show toured the british provinces for many years. it returned to london in 1940 for 80 performances, when it was interrupted by the london bombing but then returned in 1941 for another 158 nights. in 1953, an ice version was produced at london ’s empire pool, wembley, starring tyrone power, which also toured the provinces and abroad. occasional productions are still mounted, including one in july 2008 by the finborough theatre in london, england.