The Vagabond King is an operetta in four acts based on Justin Huntly McCarthy’s 1901 romantic novel and play If I Were King. The story paints an episode in the life of 15th-century poet and thief François Villon, centering on his wooing of Katherine De Vaucelles (the cousin of King Louis XI), and relating how he becomes “king for a day” and defends France against the invading forces of the Duke of Burgundy. The Vagabond King premiered on Broadway at the Casino Theatre on 21 September 1925, starring Dennis King in the title role and Carolyn Thomson as Katherine de Vaucelles. The operetta later transferred to the Century Theatre, playing a total of 511 performances.
