Are You There?

, but was unsuccessful, and ran for only 23 performances before closing on 23 November.

There was considerable pre-opening-night publicity in the press emphasizing the involvement of Leoncavallo, given the success in London of his opera "Zingari" the previous year [Kurt Gänzl, 1986, p. 1097] A few days before the opening, "The New York Times" quoted the producer, Ned Weyburn, as saying: "Signor Leoncavallo was eager to write a farcical musical play to demonstrate that he could do it as well as grand opera. The music reminds me of Victor Herbert at his best, although the style is Leoncavallo's own." [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9402E2DB133FE633A25754C2A9669D946296D6CF Wayburn's ("sic") London Show] , "The New York Times", October 27, 1913, p. 4] It had, in fact, very little music, and rumours on the opening night suggested that it was an expansion of a short musical sketch by the composer into two acts. The first night proved extremely unsuccessful, being met by loud "boos". Ned Weyburn was reportedly dragged to the stage, where he attempted to give a speech amongst the jeers, and claimed the audience was "unable to appreciate a real novelty". The star (and wife of Albert de Courville), Shirley Kellogg, said that the cast had done their best, and that she was disappointed that the audience, who had always supported her in her days as a star, were so vehemently against this production. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E04E4DB1E3BE633A25751C0A9679D946296D6CF Boos for 'Are you There?'; London Gallery Dislikes It; Won't Let American Producer Speak] , "The New York Times", November 2, 1913, p. C4.]

References

*Kurt Gänzl, "The British Musical Theatre", 1986, Oxford University Press, pp. 1097-1098.
*Denis Arnold, "The New Oxford Companion to Music", 1983, Oxford University Press, p. 1058. ISBN 0193113163