John Stanger Heiss OscarAsche, better known as OscarAsche (26 January 1871–23 March 1936), was an Australian actor, director and writer, best known for having written, directed, and acted in the record-breaking musical Chu Chin Chow, both on stage and film, and for acting in, directing, or producing many Shakespeare plays and successful musicals.
Asche was educated at the Melbourne Grammar School which he left at the age of 16.
Asche was a good athlete and a fair cricketer and played for the M.C.C. against minor counties.
Kismet’s success spurred OscarAsche to produce, write and direct Chu Chin Chow, engaging Frederic Norton to write the music.
Asche also played the lead role of Abu Hasan, leader of the forty thieves (the "Chu Chin Chow" of the title is an alias of the robber chief).
Theatre journal The Era said that Norton's music had "a touch of the East but for the most part it was on a level with the tender melody of musical comedy" and "hardly inspired".
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