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 Titre/title
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Halifax

drame/play, pub:1842

Comedy in three acts.


From A Bibliography of Alexandre Dumas père by Frank Wild Reed:
     A prose comedy in three acts and a prologue.
     Dumas had himself announced on the first night as M. Davy, a pseudonym he had used on previous occasions.
     The prologue was an afterthought. At the conclusion of the final rehearsal Dumas called the company round him, told them the play needed an introductory portion, and that he was going to write it then and there, if they would learn it before the next evening. They readily promised, did so, and it is assuredly not the least interesting portion of the matter presented.
     Quérard, followed by others, states that Adolphe d'Ennery collaborated in this work, and Lecomte agrees.
     A thoroughly amusing and well-constructed comedy. The period is the reign of Charles II. of England.
     Descriptions usually refer to the fact that it is interspersed with songs, but omit to state that it is necessary to refer to early editions in order to find these. The current issues omit them without reference to the fact.
     First performed at the Théâtre des Variétés on the 2nd of December, 1842. (So say Quérard, Parran, Glinel, Lecomte, and early editions of the play itself ; but the current Calmann-Lévy issues state November 30th, 1842.)
     Original edition : Paris, Marchant, 1842, large 8vo. of two columns, forming part of the "Magasin Théâtral," pp. 36. This almost certainly included the songs.
     A pirated edition appeared in Brussels in 1843, Méline Cans (succeeding Laurent), which included the songs, and was probably taken from Marchant's edition.
     It was included in the first volume of Passard's continuation of Charpentier's collected edition, and in this too the songs appeared.
     The standard Calmann-Lévy edition prints it in Vol. V. of the 15 Vol. edition, and in Vol. VIII. of that in 25 Vols. Both these omit the songs, making no reference to them.

         References :—
     Quérard: "Supercheries Littéraires Dévoilées," Vol. I., Column 1074.
     Parran: "Bibliographie d'Alex. Dumas," page 28.
     Blaze de Bury: "Alexandre Dumas," pp. 92-93.
     Gautier: "Art Dramatique," Série II., pp. 304-08.
THE TEN SONGS IN "HALIFAX."
(CI.)In the Prologue, Scene iv.
(CII.)In Act I., Scene iii.
(CII.)In Act I, Scene vi.
(CIV.)In Act I, Scene x.
(CV.)In Act I, Scene xii.
(CVI.)In Act II., Scene vi.
(CVII.)In Act II., Scene ix.
(CVIII.)In Act II., Scene x.
(CIX.)In Act II., Scene xii.
(CX.)In Act III., the Final Chorus.

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