Chris and the Wonderful Lamp



Chris and the Wonderful Lamp is a stage work in three acts with music by John Philip Sousa and both book and lyrics by Glen MacDonough that is based on the 1895 children's novel of the same name by Albert Stearns. Both the stage work and the novel are a reimagining of the Aladdin folktale within an American context; with the premise of the story being the purchase of Aladdin's lamp by an American boy, Chris Wagstaff, in an antique shop in Connecticut. Chris's wishes with the lamp lead to adventures in New York City, San Francisco, on a ship at sea, and ultimately the fictional kingdom of Etheria where Chris awakens and meets Aladdin who has been in an enchanted sleep for centuries.

History
Described as an "extravaganza" and not an opera or musical by its creators, Chris and the Wonderful Lamp contains elements of both opera and musical burlesque and resides in a place in-between these two theatre genres. As such, the work has been variously labeled as an operetta and a musical by scholars. The musical premiered at the Hyperion Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut on October 23, 1899; and then toured to New York City among other cities. The work become the first musical to have its Broadway premiere in the 20th century; opening on New Year's Day 1900 at Hammerstein's Victoria Theatre.

The original production of Chris and the Wonderful Lamp was directed by Ben Teal and produced by B.D. Stevens and Klaw and Erlanger. The costumes were designed by F. Richard Anderson, and the sets were designed by Gates and Morange, Homer Emens, and Ernest Gros. The original cast was led by Jerome Sykes as The Genie, Edna Wallace Hopper as Chris Wagstaff, and Emilie Beaupre as Aladdin.