Show birth of oh promise me A prima donnas temperament Is said to have been chiefly responsible for the wide popularity of oh promise tie me says the washington post robin ob hood flood the operetta with music by reginald de koven and libretto by harry B smith bad baa its world premiere in chicago in 1890 after the premiere jessie bartlett davis who played the role or of alan adale abao declined to appear in the set sec ond performance because she said part ot 0 t the musical score was unsuitable she could not be induced under any cire circumstances urns lances to sing her role and de roved koven and smith were at their wits end to find something that would appease tier her suddenly ue de roven koven remembered a tune cune that he had bad written some years earlier and which had bad never neen been sung publicly it was oh promise me ale with words by clement scott de koven played the melody on the piano for miss davis she was delighted and promised to resume her role it she were ere allowed to sing the new song son de koven still saw visions ot of utter failure but when he listened to the rendition of oh ob promise me ale and heard the tremendous applause that followed tie he realized that the ballad had settled the fate of robin hood and that a world song had bad been born |