Hitchy-Koo

Hitchy-Koo is a 1912 American popular song[1] and a series of musical revues, inspired by the song, staged on Broadway each year from 1917 through 1920[2] and on tour in 1922.[3]

Described by Variety magazine as a "hit song of 1912", the song was composed by Lewis F. Muir and Maurice Abrahams with lyrics by L. Wolfe Gilbert.[1][4] Historian Eve Golden stated that the song is "a popular standard from the second-wave of ragtime tunes".[5] Ian Whitcomb wrote that it was one of the first American popular songs to influence musical taste and culture in the United Kingdom with the "invasion of American popular music" in 1912.[6]

History

First published and performed in 1912, "Hitchy-Koo" was a staple of the vaudeville repertoire in the 1910s and 1920s, enjoying popularity in both American and British theatres.[7][6] The song was first recorded in 1912 for Columbia Records by the vaudeville comedy duo Collins & Harlan.[8] Other vaudeville entertainers who performed the work included Fanny Brice.[9] The song was first introduced to the United Kingdom by the American Ragtime Octette (ARO) at the Hippodrome in London in 1912.[6] Instantly popular with UK audiences, it was the first ragtime song to achieve popularity with the British public and was instrumental in creating an audience for ragtime in the UK.[6][10][11] The ARO recorded "Hitchy-Koo" for The Winner Records in 1912.[12]

The song became the eponymous inspiration for the Hitchy-Koo series of musical revues staged on Broadway from 1917 through 1920; and was the only song repeated across the various iterations of that revue.[13][2]

Musicologist Derek B. Scott stated that, "'Hitchy Koo!' was the forerunner of many nonsense songs of the twentieth century suspected of being indecently suggestive."[14]

Hitchy-Koo revues

There were 4 Hitchy-Koo revues produced by and starring Raymond Hitchcock that ran on Broadway:

  • Hitchy-Koo of 1917, June 7, 1917 – December 15, 1917; with music by E. Ray Goetz and book and lyrics by Harry Grattan, Glen MacDonough and E. Ray Goetz[15][16]
  • Hitchy-Koo of 1918, June 6, 1918 – August 3, 1918; with music by Raymond Hubbell and book and lyrics by Glen MacDonough and E. Ray Goetz[17]
  • Hitchy-Koo of 1919, October 6, 1919 — November 22, 1919; with music and lyrics by Cole Porter[18]
  • Hitchy-Koo of 1920, October 19, 1920 – December 18, 1920; with music by Jerome Kern, book by Glen MacDonough and lyrics by Glen MacDonough and Anne Caldwell.[19]

The Hitchy-Koo of 1922 began tryouts on October 10, 1922 at the Sam S. Shubert Theatre, Philadelphia, but ran for less than two weeks. The music and lyrics were by Cole Porter and the book was by Harold Atteridge. This was the last in the series and the only show not to play on Broadway, although it did tour the United States.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b Sime (October 4, 1912). World of Pleasure. Vol. 28. p. 22. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  2. ^ a b Larkin, p. 22
  3. ^ a b Cullen, Frank, Hackman, Florence, McNeily, Donald. Vaudeville, Old & New (2007), Routledge, ISBN 0-415-93853-8, p. 798; and Suskin, p. 20
  4. ^ "Songs Publishers Are Boosting". Billboard. Vol. 24, no. 43. October 5, 1912. p. 16.
  5. ^ Golden, chapter: "Everybody's Doing It"
  6. ^ a b c d Whitcomb, chapter: "Invasion"
  7. ^ Appelbaum, chapter: "Hitchy-Koo"
  8. ^ Brooks and Rust, p. 55
  9. ^ Goldman, p. 233
  10. ^ Burton, Freeman and Freeman, p. 213
  11. ^ Inwood, chapter: Music and Dancing
  12. ^ Rust and Forbes, p. 1139
  13. ^ Stubblebine, pp. 136, 341
  14. ^ Scott, p. 247
  15. ^ Hitchy-Koo 1917, ibdb.com
  16. ^ "Hitchy-Koo Wins By Its Originality; Raymond Hitchcock Opens His Own Revue with Sallies from an Auditorium Seat". The New York Times. June 8, 1917. p. 9.
  17. ^ Hitchy-Koo 1918 ibdb.com
  18. ^ "Hitchy-Koo of 1919", sondheimguide.com, accessed 20 December 2013
  19. ^ Hitchy-Koo 1920 ibdb.com

Sources