Little Miss Nobody is a musical comedy written by Harry Graham and composed by Arthur Eugene Godfrey with additional numbers by Sir Landon Ronald which opened at the Lyric Theatre on 14 September 1898.

Dramatis Personæ

Musical Numbers

ACT I   -   The Hall, Loch Stitchie Castle.   (Morning)

• No. 1 - Opening Chorus - "When the cat's away, mice begin to play;  when the auld wife's in the house, Man is nothing but a mouse.  Hoots and lack a day! ..."
• No. 2 - Song - Dominie - "When the larder is bare and the cellar is low, a man doesn't care to make much of a show, so he studies domestic economy..."
• No. 3 - Trio - Elsie, Dominie and Guy - "If you want to make a fortune in a trice, you've only got to follow my advice;  concoct a pill or potion, a complexion wash..."
• No. 4 - Duet - Elsie and Dominie - "Imagine this a Drawing Room, and all the guests assembling, with their 'How d'ye do's' and 'How are you's', and lofty airs..."
• No. 5 - Song - Trixie - "It's safe to bet that you've often met the Gay Excursionist (the Gay, the Gay, the Gay Excursionist!)  And some I fear are dispos'd to sneer."
• No. 6 - Song - Elsie - "I know a maiden, not a hundred miles away,  (Hey, but her little heart is sad!)  Cupid encounter'd her when walking out one day..."
• No. 7 - Chambermaids' Dance
• No. 8 - Song - Potter - "When I was just a nipper, Dad politely kick'd me out to get my grub or otherwise and learn my way about.  I look'd around me carefully..."
• No. 9 - Trio - The Sisters Triplet - "We are three simple maidens of imperfect education, tho' our thirst for information at an early age was shown.   Our parents..."
• No. 10 - Song - Elsie and Triplets - "Young ladies pray attend to me, your governess that is to be - it's evident you quite forget the A.B.C. of etiquette..."
• No. 11 - Song - Gussie and Chorus - "We started the journey with nothing to drink - I open'd my eyes at that.  I said to the Mater 'This isn't all pink' ..."
• No. 12 - Dance and Finale Act I - "Hail to the Earl, all hail!  Hail to the Earl, all hail!  The proudest of his order has deign'd to cross the border..."

ACT II   -   The Same.   (Evening)

• No. 13 - Opening Chorus - "Here, in the land of the bonnie bawbee, happy and free, bent on a spree, who so contented and jolly as we, laughing the hours away?"
• No. 14 - Duet - Gussie and Trixie - "I took you for a clergyman ... a clergyman? ... ascetic and canonical ... canonical?  It's too absurd, upon my word..."
• No. 15 - Song - Tiny - "In the West End of London she dwells at her ease, the Modern Bohemian Girl!  Her family motto is 'Go as you please' - the Modern..."
etc.
• No. 16 - Song - Potter and Chorus - "First father went out and bought a big drum ... Boom, da-ra-da, boom! ... If the children want music I'll give them some..."
• No. 17 - White Heather Gavotte
• No. 18 - Song - Elsie - "Deep in a snowy nest, its treasure keeping, love lies at perfect rest, not dead but sleeping, waiting a fond caress, a magic kiss..."
• No. 19 - Song - Gussie and Chorus - "Now of course you've heard of Trixie, of whom I'm going to sing - Trixie of the town of Upper Tooting..."
• No. 20 - Duet - Lady Stilton and Potter - "Gentle youth whose fascination maiden never could withstand, object of my adoration, thine my heart and thine my hand."
• No. 21 - Song  (singer not specified) - "I'm certain that we've met before, I don't remember where.  Some months ago, it may be more, but both of us were there..."
• No. 22 - Trio and Dance - Maggie, Dandy and Jock - "Twa's company, three is none - the extra one spoils all the fun, there isn't a doot aboot it! ..."
• No. 23 - Duet - Gussie and Potter - "They're hardly what you'd call a fit in Bond Street or the Row.  My people damaged them a bit at Hastings, long ago."
• No. 24 - Intro. and Song - Elsie and Chorus - "Come gather round with bated breath;  be one and all as still as death, the witching hour's at hand, when forth..."
• No. 25 - Sestet - Elsie, Trixie, Tootsie, Tiny, Gussie and the Earl - "We know that a hatter is mad - we do, we do! - and a march hare is equally bad ..."
• No. 26 - Finale Act II - "And the love that is true will always come through, never more from its place to depart, thro' pleasure and pain to the end it will reign..."

Supplementary Numbers

• No. 27 - Song - Elsie and Chorus - "The Fairy Queen has gone to bed, as all good fairies do, and Bogies are abroad instead - they're looking out for you! ..."
• No. 28 - Song - Triplets - "We're three little ladies of Music Hall fame, at present we're quite all the rage.  Our friends always tell us we're such perfect ladies..."
• No. 29 - Song - Tiny and Chorus - "In childhood days I had a frlend (her name was Mary Ann) - a little maid of eight years old, with eyes of blue and hair of gold..."
• No. 30 - Song - Trixie - "I don't know if my dancing is quite devoid of go, or does my conversation amuse my partners so, for they always come up smilng..."
• No. 31 - Song - Elsie - "A pussy cat sat by the fire, a-purring for all she was worth.  It was commonly stated that she was the happiest pussy on earth..."
• No. 32 - Song - Guy - "The Poets may sing of the praises of spring 'tll they come to the end of their tether, but give me good sport of the true British sort..."
• No. 33 - Song - Guy - "Why should we part when life together seems full of sweet bliss we only find in dreams!  Why then refuse the joys of life to share? ..."

Nos. 8, 14, 17, 21 and 27 were composed by Landon Ronald. Nos. 19, 28 and 30 were written and composed by Paul A. Rubens. No. 31 was written by Paul A. Rubens, and composed by Walter E. Rubens. No. 32 was written by Harry Templeton, and No. 33 was written and composed by Arthur E. Godfrey.

MIDI Files

External Link

Little Miss Nobody at Footlight Notes

Page modified 3 February 2017