FLORODORA(1900) was a British Import.
It took place on the Florodora Island, "a small Island in the Phillipines." (There is no character named Florodora in show.)
Story involved some mish-mash about an American perfume heiress on the island.
Only reason show is remembered today is the "Tell Me Pretty Maiden" Sextette when eight STUNNING women were romanced by eight RUGGED men. Number was copied and parodied ad nausem by musicals of the day; but wealthy men literally saw the show EVERY NIGHT just for that one number. (They would time it to arrive just before number began and leave immediately thereafter.)
Because of sexette, show racked up 553 performances (AMAZING for 1900--that's like the run of CATS today) and FLORODORA became FIRST British Import to have longer run in the States than in the UK.
Trivial Note: When show was revived in 1920, Milton Berle(!) played one of the men in sextette. For some reason, I don't see him much as a rugged type (especially when he wears a dress on Texaco Star Theater!) :)
And oh yes, Marian Davies played one of the sextette women in film THE FLORODORA GIRL (1930).
"I say YOU'RE the CUTEST one. No, I say YOU'RE the CUTEST One. And we go on like that from dawn to three."
Updated On: 10/12/04 at 10:42 PM