The Royal Chef; or, The Mythical Isle of Oolong is a musical extravaganza (comic opera) in three acts with book by George E. Stoddard and music by Ben M. Jerome. The lyrics are by Charles S. Taylor. It opened at the Lyric Theatre, New York, on 1 September 1904 where it lasted just 17 performances.

Dramatis Personæ

MIDI Files

ACT I   -   Exterior, Rajah's Palace, on the Mythical Isle of Oolong.

• No. 1 - Opening Chorus - "We are ladies fair of this beautiful Isle, our gowns you see have plenty of style;  our aim in life, as you can see, is to look as sweet..."
• No. 2 - Song - Mito and Chorus - "Oh, I am Mito the great, in defiance even of fate, I kill them dead who would slay me instead, because I would rule in state..."
• No. 3 - Song - Princess Teto and Chorus - "Once a little frog sat on a log;  thoughtfully he winked his eye;  he did not bewail 'cause he had no tail..."
• No. 4 - Song - Parkes and Chorus - "In our dear native land far, far across the sea, where freedom defies all restraint;  each subject bows only to sweet liberty..."
• No. 5 - Rajah's Entrance - "Hail the Rajah, good and great; brave and proud he comes in state.  Greatest he in all the land, ruling with a master hand..."
• No. 6 - Song - Rajah and Chorus - "As Rajah of this beautiful Isle, I am proud ... and to myself I secretly have vowed ... if foes should ever cross the main..."
• No. 7 - Song - Lemphauser and Chorus - "I come from Chicago, that place that is famed for its Y.M.C.A. institutions, where men have the right to go 'round..."
• No. 8 - Trio - Lemphauser, Kitty and Teto - "I dreamed I met a pretty maid that filled my soul with bliss.  She pouted up her cherry lips, and told me I might kiss..."
• No. 9 - Finale Act I - "Let all Oolong with praise resound, a Royal Chef our Rajah's found.  If he had been a moment late, starvation would have been our fate..."

ACT II   -   The Interior of the Rajah's Palace.

• No. 10 - Opening Chorus - "Oh, glorious sun, send down your rays from above upon your subjects here below, and give to us throughout our days thy love..."
• No. 11 - Duet - Teto and Parkes - "What color eyes do you love best? .. Well, really, I can't say .. Surely you're speaking now in jest .. Why so, my girlie gay? ..."
• No. 12 - Duet - Kitty and Mito - "Once upon a time, in a distant southern clime, a maiden and a kissing bug did dwell;  he woo'd her for her hand..."
• No. 13 - O'Reilly Song - Kitty and Chorus - "The names that you hear nowadays are most queer, and those of the Russians the worst.  Though little Japan..."
• No. 14 - Duet - Admiral, Mabel and Chorus - "My epaulets and my station, with the uniform that I wear, were won in the greatest nation that was ever known..."
• No. 15 - Song - Mabel and Girls - "Up in the heavens lives old Mother Goose;  she never made no noise.  She'd sleep all day then she would fly away..."
• No. 16 - Finale Act II - "Away to the mountains, away, men, away!  To search ev'ry crevice, to search night and day, and when we unearth them each bandit..."

ACT III   -   Rendezvous of the Oolong Bandits, Kibul Mountains.

• No. 17 - Song - Mito & Bandits - "We are a band of gentlemen who banded are together, our object is to live and live quite well. My name you know is great Mito..."
• No. 18 - Song - Lemphauser - "There's a sweet delicious odor that pervades the atmosphere;  it fills the air most ev'rywhere, particularly here..."
• No. 19 - Song - Teto & Chorus - "Ev'ry ev'ning when the sun goes down and the night creeps on apace, I'm a-looking for the man I love and a sight of his dear face."
• No. 20 - Finale Act III - "I'm going back - yes, yes - I'm going back - yes, yes - to that dear old Chicago town.  Will you go back? - yes, yes - I'll take you back..."

 MIDI files

External Link

The Royal Chef at The Guide to Musical Theatre

American Musical Theatre

Page modified 18 February 2017