A Parlor Match

A Parlor Match is an American musical play which debuted in 1884 and was one of the biggest hits of its time. It starred Charles E. Evans and William F. Hoey.^[1]

Hoey and Evans in A Parlor Match

Charles H. Hoyt authored the play, adapting Evans' and Hoey's vaudeville piece "The Book Agent" (which came from an afterpiece by Frank Dumont) into a full-length play. The scant plot involved two hustlers who convince Captain William Kidd that he is actually a medium, serving as a vehicle for interpolated songs and dances, which would vary over time as the play traveled, and aged.^[2][3][4]

The play debuted on September 22, 1884, at Tony Pastor's Theatre, and the show played far and wide over the following years. In the 1892-93 season of its run, the English music hall song "The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo" was added to great success.^[3]

Ziegfeld's actress Anna Held debuted in an 1896 revival at the Herald Square Theatre, which also featured Evans and Hoey returning to their original roles.