The Ham Tree: History and Key Facts

The Ham Tree is a "musical vaudeville" in three acts with music by Jean Schwartz, lyrics by William Jerome, and a book by George V. Hobart. A popular success from its debut in 1905, the work toured for several years; including three separate runs on Broadway. The work was created as a starring vehicle for vaudeville and minstrel show stars James McIntyre and Thomas Heath who were known for their work as blackface performers. The work incorporated several of their prior popular routines and sketches from their work on the vaudeville stage in order to appeal to their fan base. The concept of a "ham tree", along with other humorous trees like an "egg tree", was a repeating gag in their works dating back to their performances in The Georgia Minstrels in the 1890s and early 1900s. Following its initial tour, the work was revived by McIntyre and Heath several times, and was later heavily revised and retitled Hello, Alexander for a Broadway staging in 1919.

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