The Belle of Mayfair
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The Belle of Mayfair is a musical comedy composed by Leslie Stuart with a book by Basil Hood, Charles Brookfield and Cosmo Hamilton. It opened at the Vaudeville Theatre in London in 1906, produced by Charles Frohman. It ran for 431 performances and starred Edna May, Louie Pounds, Camille Clifford and Courtice Pounds. Phyllis Dare later took over the lead role. It also had successful Broadway and Australian runs.
The show is inspired by the Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet. Hood withdrew his name from the original production after Frohman started altering the text to suit casting changes that occurred during the run. Some of these changes resulted from disputes between the female leads and the management, one of which resulted in court action. Edna May stormed out of the production, and the role later made Phyllis Dare a star.
A young couple, Julia and Raymond, fall madly in love during a sham auction taking place at a bazaar held in a London private park. This causes alarm to Julia's father who does not like Raymond's family. Raymond's friends advise him not to worry about marriage and to enjoy himself instead, while Julia's high powered friends try to get him sent overseas as a diplomat. Julia's father tries to end the match by announcing that his daughter is going to become engaged to a conductor of a foreign band that is touring in the vicinity, and he is paid to become an admirer of Julia. As a result, Raymond threatens to elope with Julia. Much confusion ensues, with Raymond disguised as the bandleader, and Julia's friends advise her not to elope as the shock to her farther would be too much. As a result, Julia calls off the elopement but pleads with her farther to let her marry Raymond. Finally, the father gives his consent, and every one lives happily ever after.
