The Musicals We Left Behind Trivia Quiz

Answer: Little Women

With songs which include "When They Play the Polka", "Bread and Cheese and Kisses" and "The Wonder of Spring", this musical covers a period of twelve months starting Christmas Eve 1863.
As a musical it opened in the West End of London in late 1955 closing the following spring after 141 performances. I can find no record of it being revived since then. That is not to say it has not been performed by amateur societies around the world, but neither have I found any evidence that it has.

Answer: Ace Of Clubs

The musical "Ace of Clubs" involves the stereotypes of underdressed dancing girls in a nightclub run by a crooked manager who in turn is involved with a criminal gang. Add a hero in the form of Harry, a sailor who stops one of the show girls from being assaulted and the misplaced proceeds of a robbery mixed with a touch of farce and this show is the result.
Incidentally the song "Chase Me Charlie" is about a cat serenading another cat.
The show ran for just over 200 performances in the West End at the start of the 1950s.

Answer: Grab Me A Gondola

Allegedly inspired by the appearance of Diana Dors at the Venice Film Festival, this show features a starlet, a journalist chasing a story about said starlet, the neglected girlfriend of the journalist and a playboy Prince who wines and dines the neglected girlfriend.
The show ran for a year and a half in the West End with nearly 700 performances.
Carissima is also set mainly in Venice, where an Italian singer returns home to avoid the attention of an American radio producer. She follows him and fails to recognise him in his guise of a gondolier, all follows on from there.

Answer: You'll Find Me at Maxim's

The song "You'll Find Me at Maxim's" is from the operetta "The Merry Widow", which, as with "The Gypsy Princess", is from the genre of music described as
Viennese Operetta. These are often (and appropriately) set in Vienna, as is this show. Another well-known example is "Die Fledermaus".
All becomes resolved in this story when it is revealed that Prince Peter's mother, Prince Karen, was also a showgirl in the past. So if it was alright for them, why such a hue and cry about the prince marrying a commoner. Such is the plot of a musical.
"The Gypsy Princess" opened in Vienna and on Broadway during World War 1 and in London in the 1920s.

Answer: Dear Miss Phoebe

This is based on the play "Quality Street" written by James Barrie, author of Peter Pan. Phoebe and her sister have lost all their money by listening to bad investment advice. By pure coincidence, this advice came from the soldier that Phoebe is in love with.

In financial difficulties, Phoebe and her sister have started a school. Increasing the complications, the soldier (Valentine) saw through the disguise early on in proceedings but Phoebe has not realised this. The show ran for nearly 300 performances in the West End at the beginning of the 1950s, making it less successful than the original play was in the first half of the twentieth century.

Answer: The Lisbon Story

There are also two films called "The Lisbon Story", a 1946 production which seems to be based on the musical and a 1994 film which has no connection to the show whatsoever beyond the title.
Back to the musical, Lisbon is where the parted lovers (singer Gabrielle and spy David) are reunited; they then are involved in an attempt to evacuate a scientist and his daughter from occupied France. The finale of the show has Gabrielle performing on a stage in France, pretending to be the daughter of the scientist who is in reality being spirited away with her father. As the stage goes dark the sounds of gunshots, bombs falling and the French national anthem are heard, leaving the final fate of Gabrielle unresolved.

"Blitz!" is set during World War 2, but was written some years later by Lionel Bart and is set purely in London. "Scapa" is a musical version of a play called "Seagulls Over Sorrento", again set in World War 2 but both play and the musical version were written after the end of the war as well as being set in Scapa Flow, Scotland. The musical "Wedding in Paris" has no connection with World War 2.

Answer: Irma la Douce

Another farce (if the impoverished student manages to obtain the money why does he need the disguise?) but such are the plots of musicals. Originating from France, it was first produced in Paris in 1956 followed by runs in London and New York.
"Irma-la-Douce", the sweet Irma, is the prostitute at the centre of the show and Nestor the poor student who has fallen in love with her.
Songs from the English version of the show include, "Irma-la-Douce" sung by the title character and "Our Language of Love" sung by Irma and Nestor.
The film of the same name, a non-musical comedy with Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine, although derived from the show is very different in many respects.

Answer: The White Horse Inn

The title of the show, "The Water Gipsies", refers to the iterant life on the canal barges. Jane, the younger daughter of the musician (Albert) has three suitors but finally decides on Fred, the simple but earnest barge hand.
The song "The Little Boat" refers to the canal barge and "Clip Clop" refers to the horse that tows it. The third listed number from the show, "You Never Know with Men" is sung by the older daughter, Lily, who has no faith in men. She enjoys their company but doesn't expect them to be reliable.
The musical (and a film) are based on a novel by Alan Patrick (AP) Herbert, who was also involved with the adaption from his book to the stage version.

The song "The White Horse Inn" is from the musical of the same name, another lesser known show.

Answer: Not in Front of the Waiter

The show "Not in Front of the Waiter" is set in a café, the only set for its entire length of half an hour. It opens with a couple entering and being seated under the aspidistra. During the first conversation and songs we learn that these two are married, but not to each other and they are about to embark on an affair.
Then enters a second couple who are seated on the other side of the aspidistra and are in the same position with regards to having an affair. The catch being that these two are the spouses of the first two.
Then the waiter turns out to be an estranged relative of two of the other characters.

Answer: Underneath the Arches

One of the best remembered of the songs of Flanagan and Allen is "Underneath the Arches" so it might not be a total surprise that this song was used as the title of the musical. The show features many of their best-known songs and some wonderful set pieces of the seven principals.
Apart from Bud Flanagan and Chesney Allen, the accompanying "Crazy Gang" included within the show are "Nervo and Knox" (Jimmy Nervo and Teddy Knox), "Naughton and Gold" (Charlie Naughton and Jimmy Gold) , and "Monsewer" Eddie Gray (Edward Earl Gray).

The main plot of the show starts with Chesney Allen sitting in a dressing room with Bud and announcing his retirement on health grounds. The rest of the show follows: reminisces of their lives and careers until we return to the initial setting.