Considered the first successful American operetta influenced by Gilbert and Sullivan, The Little Tycoon is one of the first American musicals to have the book, lyrics and music all by the same person, Willard Spencer. The plot revolves around Alvin, a young man, who pretends to be a Japanese nobleman in order to impress the father of his dream girl.

It opened on Broadway on 29 March 1886, after running three months in Philadelphia.

Dramatis Personæ

MIDI Files

• Overture

ACT I   -   The Deck of an Ocean Steamer returning from Europe.

• No. 1 - Opening Chorus - "On the sea, on the sea, on old ocean's blue and wide expanse..."
• No. 2 - Song - Rufus and Male Chorus - "We'll watch for the blowing whale, o'er the starboard taffy-rail..."
• No. 3 - Song - Miss Hurricane, with Dolly and Girls - "As you see them, so they are, always dancing, always gay..."
• No. 4 - Song - Violet and Ensemble - "Doomed am I to marry a lord, 'tis my fate and so decreed..."
• No. 5 - Recit. and Song - Rufus and College Tourists - "Oh, it is such an unheard of proceeding to marry her to a lord..."
• No. 6 - Scene - Violet and Others - "We've a scheme for my safe hiding, Ah! Yes, hiding in Miss Hurricane's room abiding..."
• No. 7 - Song - General Knickerbocker and Chorus - "To song and dance I thought her light steps had hither brought her..."
• No. 7a - Song - Teddy - "Oh! heel and toe, we always go, we always go together, in rain or shine, in hail or snow..."
• No. 8 - Song - Rufus, with Chorus - "The fatal step, the fatal step, so full of charm beyond comparing..."
• No. 9 - Soli and Duo - Violet and Alvin - "Dark though my fate may be, though we're doomed to sever, thou'lt be a star to me..."
• No. 10 - Hobgoblin Dance and Chorus, with Rufus, Violet and Alvin - "Ha! ha! ha! ha! ha!  We've come, we've come..."
• No. 11 - Soli and Duo - Violet and Alvin - "Love reigns!  Love, ah yes, love reigns..."
• No. 12 - Valet's Song and Dance - Teddy - "Och, thin!  why did I lave thee, ould Ireland good and thrue? ..."  (3 verses)
• No. 13 - Solo - General Knickerbocker and Chorus - "Oh! don't you see how we hold our breath when they begin? ..."
• No. 14 - Lament - Dolly, Miss Hurricane, Rufus, Teddy and Chorus - "Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh .... We've lost our pretty laces..."
• No. 15 - Finale Act I - "Oh! Alvin, do say now,  Ah! Alvin, I pray now that you're not a smug-lair..."

ACT II   -   Drawing-room in General Knickerbocker's Elegant Villa at Newport.

• No. 16 - Song - Violet - "Sad heart of mine, shall you and I forever pine, forever sigh? ..."
• No. 17 - Duo - Violet and Alvin - "To see thee ... to hear thee ... to love thee ... be near thee..."
• No. 18 - Soli and Trio - Violet, Alvin and General Knickerbocker - "Whither away? ... Stay, Alvin, stay! ..."
• No. 19 - Ensemble - Violet, Alvin, Knickerbocker and others - "Oh! you incense, you madden me, so now I'll lock you up..."
• No. 20 - Duet - Alvin, Rufus and Men - "So, so, so, so!  Yes, check-mated we..."
• No. 21 - Song - Violet - "Tell me daisy true now, tell me daisy do now.  Pretty petals falling on the last one calling..."
• No. 22 - Chorus of Japanese Maidens, with Miss Hurricane and Dolly - "Yes, we've all seen Sham, Great Tycoon of Japan..."
• No. 23 - Tycoon March
• No. 24 - Japanese Chorus, with Rufus - "Sham, Great Tycoon is...Yah!...First chop, first chop.  Slam! Off heads go..." (4 verses)
• No. 25 - Song - Knickerbocker and Chorus - "Oh! the cats on our back fence!  Oh! don't they show they've got sense?" (3 verses)
• No. 26 - Song - Rufus and Chorus - "Our rare scheme has begun to pan out; ... pan out ..."  (3 verses)
• No. 27 - Finale Act II - "Lord Dolphin marry Violet, I'm astounded!..."

MIDI Files

External Link

Vocal Score at UR Research

American Musical Theatre

Page modified 7 May 2017