There is no doubt that, in this day and age, there are musical-theatre fanatics who worship a resounding flop. And not only in America, where Ken Mandelbaum has authored an entire book (Not Since Carrie) on the flop-phenomenon, and where the list of closed-out-of-town productions would fill an even larger volume.
Many -- nay, most -- of these misbegotten musicals have vanished virtually without trace. For which, much thanks. But some have left behind them remnants --- sheet music, demo recordings and the like -- for the 'fans' to sigh over. This last week, I've extracted printed music from a whole heap of extra-briefly-lived shows from the pages of facebook. Mostly from the first half of the 20th century. However ....
I think this one is the granddaddy of them all. It dates from 1792. London. And, in spite of the memorable names attached to it, it ran for just four performances ...
Title: The Magician no Conjurer. Composer of 'the overture and the whole of the music' -- the well-known Joseph Mazzinghi (1765-1844) of "When a Little Farm We Keep" fame. Author ...? Oh. No author ...
Produced at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden Thursday 2 February 1792 'with entire new music, scenery and dresses'. Cast: Mr John Quick (Talisman); William Blanchard (Peter Panick); Richard Wilson (Sammy Sapling); Joseph Munden (Grub), John Fawcett (Dareall), Charles Incledon (Somerville); Mrs. Margaret Martyr (Peggy); Mrs. Rosemond Mountain (Nelly); Mrs. Lydia Webb (Miss Talisman); Mrs. Elizabeth Billington (Theresa) et al.
Some cast! Much of the best that Covent Garden could provide. So, what went wrong? Well, I can't find a single review to be able to retail the plot, though the characters' names give us a hint. And though the playbill tells us that 'books of the songs can be had at the theatre', the season summary tells us firmly 'not published'. Well, this song was. Some years after the event. In Boston. Bearing no publisher's imprint. And no author's name.
Ah! That author. Oh, we know who he was. His name was Robert Merry, and he appears to have been a very odd fellow. He is mentioned here and there in memoirs of the period - in vastly different tones. Either he was profligate with little literary talent, or a darling chappie who ...
I don't know which version to believe. Nobody seems to agree wholly or, sometimes, even partly ... I tend to the former.
Anyway, facts. 'A direct descendant of Sir Henry Merry, who was knighted by James I in 1621'. Grandson of Captain John Merry, deputy governor of the Hudson's Bay Co between 1712-1718, who died 1729. Father, Robert Merry 'of Hatton Garden' then 'of Red Lion Square', married Mrs Margaret Hollings née Willes, daughter of Lord Chief Justice Willes in 1850. So, lots of money and status.
All sorts of sources say that Robert jr was born in 1755. Odd, then, that the London baptism records have a Robert, by Robert ex Margaret, of Red Lion Square, dipped 3 May 1754. Anyway, he grew up with siblings of Willes, Hollings and Merry denomination, went to Harrow, then to Cambridge where 'he lived irregularly and did not graduate'. His father died in 1774, leaving most of his fortune to his wife, but Robert still got enough to continue his whimsical life, and decided to buy himself a commission in the Horse Guards. The charm of the military life wore off after a few years, and he became a dilettante wanderer around Europe, at some stage taking upon himself the character of a 'literary gent'. He came to rest in Firenze, where he is credited with 'founding' the much-mocked Della Cruscian movement in sentimental poetry. However, he apparently made himself non grata there, and returned about 1788 to England, where he, so it is said, churned out vast amounts of poetry and drama, of which only a little seems to have been published.
In 1791, he did one of those war-zone immersions, visiting Paris during the uprisings, and tried thereafter to make capital out of that. He also, in August, got married. His bride was Anne Brunton, a successful actress of distinguished dramatic lineage. I can only guess that it was through her that he got his 'comic opera' shown at Covent Garden. Alas, it was 'a complete failure'. Failure and Merry seemed to walk hand in hand.
By 1796, he was in all sort of straits, so the couple packed up and emigrated to Baltimore, Maryland. Anne was in demand. Robert was not. But he got his song published in Boston, before he died after an attack of apoplexy at his home in Baltimore. The story of his demise is told in loving detail in John Bernard's Retrospections of America 1797-1811.
Anne remarried Philadelphis theatre manager Thomas Wignell in 1802. He died the following year. She married yet again but, herself, died 28 June 1808.
Robert's mother survived till 1800, so the large fortune in money, shares and bonds which she had amassed stayed safely in the family. I think we can guess what Robert would have done with it!
PS If there is disagreement about Robert's date of birth, there is also wonkhy reporting over his death. One paper says 14 December, another says 24 December ..
Curiosity. Someone must have liked Robert Merry. He has a ridiculously large entry in ther Dictionary of National Biography which tries manfully to make something out of a life and career signifying ... very little.
Curiosity 2. WHY did someone drag this total flop out of the bin for a Benefit performance at Leeds in 1793...
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