Chee-Chee is a musical by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart based on the 1927 book, The Son of the Grand Eunuch, by Charles Pettit. Chee-Chee opened on Broadway September 25, 1928, and the show closed after 31 performances.
In 1963 vocalist Betty Comden released an album that included some of the songs from the musical.
Synopsis In 1928 Herbert Fields wrote a libretto based on Pettit's book in which the Grand Eunuch's son, Li-Pi, and his wife, Chee-Chee, are forced into exile when the Grand Eunuch announces his plan for Li-Pi to become a eunuch and take his father's place as the Grand Eunuch. Chee-Chee is captured and rescued, and Li-Pi is captured and rescued, and finally the musical ends happily.
Musical Numbers Two acts, seven scenes.
Act I
Scene I: A Corridor in the Palace of the Holy Emperor, Son of Heaven, in the Violet Town of Peking We're Men of Brains - Eunuchs I Am a Prince - Prince Tao-Tee In a Great Big Way - Li-Li-Wee The Most Majestic of Domestic Officials (Entrance of the Grand Eunuch) - Ensemble Holy of Holies - Li-Pi-Siao, Li-Li-Wee Her Hair Is Black as Licorice (Food Solo) - Li-Pi-Siao Dear, Oh Dear - Chee-Chee, Li-Pi-Tchou Await Your Love (Concubines' Song) - Li-Pi-Siao, Miss Smile of a Rose, Ensemble Joy Is Mine - Li-Pi-Tchou I Wake at Morning - Li-Pi-Tchou Grovel to Earth (Chee-Chee's First Entrance) - Chee-Chee Just a Little Thing - Li-Pi-Tchou, Chee-Chee You Are Both Agreed (Finaletto Scene 1) - Li-Pi-Siao, Li-Pi-Tchou, Chee-Chee Scene II: The Road to the Future I Must Love You - Chee-Chee, Li-Pi-Tchou Owl Song - A Very Narrow Minded Owl Scene III: A Wayside Tavern I Bow a Glad Good Day (Tavern Opening) - Innkeeper, Li-Pi-Siao, Ensemble Better Be Good to Me - Li-Li-Wee, Prince Tao-Tee The Tartar Song - Tartar Chief, Ensemble Chee-Chee's Second Entrance - Chee-Chee Finale (Act I)
Act II
Scene I: A Forest Khonghouse Song - Li-Pi-Tchou, Ensemble Sleep, Weary Head - Chee-Chee Singing a Love Song - Tartar Chief, Ensemble Scene II: Visiting Day at the Monastery of Celestial Clouds Monastery Opening Chinese Dance Living Buddha (Impassive Buddha) - The Grand Prior Moon of My Delight - Li-Li-Wee, Prince Tao-Tee Scene III: The Gallery of Torments
Scene IV: The Palace Finale Ultimo
See also Rodgers and Hart
References
External links Dominic Symonds, We’ll Have Manhattan: The Early Work of Rodgers & Hart, chapter 8 Chee-Chee Theatre Program, New York Public Library Digital Collections
Further reading Geoffrey Block, The Richard Rodgers Reader (Oxford University Press, 2006), pp 45–47 Gerald Bordman, American Musical Theater: A Chronicle (Oxford University Press, 2001), pp 492–493