China Rose (operetta)

China Rose is an operetta in two acts with music by A. Baldwin Sloane, and both lyrics and book by Harry L. Cort and George E. Stoddard. The work premiered in Boston at the Hollis Street Theatre on Christmas Eve of 1924.[1] On December 30, 1924 portions of the work were performed by a live orchestra on WNAC (1260 AM) radio in Boston.[2]

The production moved to Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on January 19, 1925. In the midst of its Broadway run the production transferred twice, first to Wallack's Theatre and then the Knickerbocker Theatre. The production ended its run at the latter theatre on May 9, 1925; closing after 120 performances.[3]

The Broadway production was directed by R. H. Burnside and co-produced by Martin Beck, John Cort, and Charles Dillingham.[3] It starred baritone J. Harold Murray as Cha Ming, the Prince of Manchuria, and Olga Steck as the prince's love interest, Ro See, a.k.a the "China Rose". It was the final stage work created by A. Baldwin Sloane.[4]

References

1. ""China Rose" Playing in Boston". Fitchburg Sentinel. December 27, 1924. p. 1.
2. "Tonight On the Radio". Newburyport Daily News. December 30, 1924. p. 8.
3. Dan Dietz (10 April 2019). "China Rose". The Complete Book of 1920s Broadway Musicals. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 244-246. ISBN 9781538112823.
4. Gerald Martin Bordman, Richard Norton (2010). American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle. Oxford University Press. p. 452. ISBN 9780199729708.