The Wild Rose

 The Wild Rose is a musical in two acts with music by Ludwig Engländer and both book and lyrics by Harry B. Smith and George V. Hobart. The work also contained the hit song "A Most Unlucky Man" by the songwriting team of Jean Schwartz and William Jerome.

History
Set in Strasbourg when it was part of Germany during the early years of the 20th century, The Wild Rose's loose plot concerns a band of "gypsies" who become entangled in misadventures with German soldiers and actors from a theatre troupe. It was created as a starring vehicle for Eddie Foy who portrayed Paracelsus Noodles, a fake hypnotist. The work premiered at Broadway's Knickerbocker Theatre on May 5, 1902, where it ran for a total of 136 performances; closing on August 30, 1902. The cast also included Marie Cahill as Vera von Lahn, Irene Bentley as Rose Romany, Evelyn Florence Nesbit as Vashti, and George Ali as "Baby". Cahill's song from this production, "Nancy Brown", was the inspiration for the later musical Nancy Brown and was sung once again by the actress in that production.

The Wild Rose was produced and staged by George W. Lederer and choreographed by Adolph Neuberger. Frederick Solomon was music director for the production. It used sets designed by D. Frank Dodge and costumes designed by Caroline Seidle.