Florodora
A British musical comedy based on Edwardian times, Florodora became one of the most successful musicals on the 20th century worldwide. It began in London, and then the production created a base on Broadway in New York City and Australia in 1900 (Sanjek, 329).
Florodora was written by Jimmy Davis (aka Owen Hall) with music by Leslie Stuart, and lyrics by Paul Rubens and Edward Boyd-Jones. It is set in a small island of the Philippines, where a popular fragrance is made from the Florodora flower. An American named Gilfain is the sole owner of the island and has somehow taken the perfume business away from the original owners. He is now the sole owner of the company and the island. The musical is a series of romances and love triangles that tangle up the perfume business of the island and the ancestral home of a character (Wikipedia, Floradora).
This show was unusually successful for its time. With 455 runs in London, 552 shows on Broadway and equal success when mounted in Australia. Part of the shows success is because of the “Corines”, who came to be known as the “Florodora Girls”. You can see them in full costume here. The original cast had six women of the same weight and height who brought in the admiration of many wealthy men. It is said that the original cast from the Broadway production had each settled down with a millionaire (Revolvy, "Florodora Girl").
The productions were equally as successful when on tour. The Eaton Operatic Society was Toronto’s light opera group would regularly tour Ontario when not performing at Massey Hall. They regularly went to army bases around Ontario during World War II and while on tour in 1946, Florodora was performed (Sedgwick, "Eaton Operatic Society").