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THE PIE RATS of PENN YANN
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(UNDER CONSTRUCTION!)
Yes, "The Pie Rats of Penn Yann"! I found this while searching for things about our town which were posted by people who couldn't spell Penn Yan!
"The Pie Rats of Penn Yann", also called "The Pirates of Penn Yann" was a spoof of Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Pirates of Penzance". Reportedly written by Charles E. Pratt, It opened late in 1879 at Tony Pastor's famous Burlesque theatre on Broadway. It ran as late as February of 1881.
None other than Lillian Russell got her big break staring in The Pie Rats of Penn Yann! Here is a section from a website named "GILBERTIAN GOSSIP" (No. 43, 1995, which is now available in catched form):
"Lillian Russell (Nellie to her friends), was born at Clinton, Iowa, on 4 December 1861. She appeared in the chorus of one of the pirated productions of H.M.S. Pinafore. Next, she joined the management of Tony Pastor who mounted a burlesque of The Pirates of Penzance, entitled The Pie Rats of Penn Yann."
"(Arthur) Sullivan and D'Oyly Carte who were in New York, went to see it and were captivated by Lillian as Mabel. They approached her to appear in the official version on tour, and she gleefully refused, allegedly because 6 months earlier she had haunted D'Oyly Carte's hotel in New York, hoping for work, and he had refused to see her."
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LINKS: Click here, then scroll down to "An American Beauty" "Lillian Russell" One of the "most well-loved comediennes of her time", May Irwin also starred in this spoof, along with her sister, Flora! "May Erwin" This playbill used the alternate name "The Pirates of Penn Yann" Scroll to the bottom of their page, then click the playbill for a larger image. The large image may take some time to load on dial-up! "1881 playbill" | |