Latest Articles
Revisting “Au Dahomey” (1892). Or: A Blackface King Béhazin?
I came upon this grand 1892 poster this week… I didn’t know anything about the show, my experience of the
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Fly Me To The Moon: Kurt Kurt Gänzl reviews the new “Le Voyage dans la lune”
A new recording from Bru Zane? After their tremendous job with La Fille de Madame Angot, I am all agog.
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A Trip Back To The 1920s: Ben Zimmermann’s “Höchste Eisenbahn“ Album
This CD entitled Höchste Eisenbahn by actor Ben Zimmermann and pianist Mark McNeill is called a „Doku Revue der Goldenen
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“Le Voyage Dans La Lune”: Offenbach’s 1875 Sci-Fi Spectacle
Three years and eight major shows after the splenditious production of Le Roi Carotte, Offenbach returned to the world of
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“America in the French Imaginary” – A New Book That Sadly Forgets Operetta
“Music in Society and Culture” 1789-1914 we are informed on the cover of this new book. And then: “Following the
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DIE DUBARRY: Carl Millöcker’s Operette Adapted By Theo Mackeben
This update of the original 1879 Carl Millöcker operetta was created by Paul Knepler and Ignaz M Welleminsky who turned
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Benatzky’s “Meine Schwester und Ich“ at Theater Vorpommern
The Theater Vorpommern is a company that plays in various cities near the Baltic Sea in North-East Germany. Its opera
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Enrique Mejías García’s New Book “Offenbach, Composer of Zarzuelas”
Here’s great news: a new book on Offenbach is out! It is entitled Offenbach, Composer of Zarzuelas and has been
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“I Am What I Am”: New Productions at Komische Oper after Barrie Kosky
Quo vadis, Komische Oper? That’s what many have been wondering. How will the new artistic directors continue the now world-famous
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Tick tick … boom? Lotte de Beer’s First Season at Volksoper Wien
So, now we know what Lotte de Beer as the new artistic director of the Volksoper in Vienna had up
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Reviving Jean Gilbert’s “Kinokönigin” (1913) à la Bob Fosse in Leipzig?
Let’s start with the positive side of this: Musikalische Komödie has put forgotten composer Jean Gilbert (1879-1942) back on stage
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Jean Gilbert (1879-1942): One of the Most Successful Composers for the German Musical Stage
Gilbert was born as Max Winterfeld in Hamburg, 11 February 1879. He died in exile in Buenos Aires, 20 December
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“Die Kino-Königin”: Operette in 3 Acts by Jean Gilbert
Jean Gilbert’s operetta with the original libretto by Georg Okonkowski premiered on 22 November 1912 at Deutsches Operettentheater, Hamburg, as
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Bringing Victor Herbert’s “Mlle. Modiste” (1905) Back to New York
The ever-enterprising Victor Herbert Renaissance Project Live! concluded its shortened season with one of Herbert’s most popular titles, the 1905
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Isaac Albéniz’s “The Magic Opal” at the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid
If not even a month ago the Teatro Campoamor in Oviedo invited us to take a magical journey to the
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Opening in New York: Barry Manilow’s “Harmony” About the Comedian Harmonists
The story of the six-member close harmony group known as Comedian Harmonists – the toast of Germany and elsewhere in
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“Zauber der Bohème” at New York’s Austrian Cultural Forum
Back in 2020, I covered a press conference announcing the launch of an exhibit in Vienna under the auspices of
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“Lachende Erben“, Or: Another Weinberger?
Carl [Rudolf Michael] Weinberger was born in Vienna on 3 April, 1861, and he died there on 1 November, 1939.
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42nd Street: The First Complete Recording
I have just been on a very, very happy trip down memory boulevard. For a couple of years of my
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Barrie Kosky Will Direct “La Cage aux Folles” at Komische Oper Berlin
Many people have wondered what Barrie Kosky will do next in terms of popular musical theater at Komische Oper, once
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A Farcical Comedy: Victor Herbert’s “The Only Girl” Returns to New York
For a work that, for all its cherishable qualities, can hardly be said to rate as one of Victor Herbert’s
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Spain Invades Broadway: Rediscovering “The Land of Joy” at the Off-Festival in Oviedo
While German or Austrian theatres regularly programme classic Broadway musicals, Spain’s lyric theatres only rarely enter this attractive universe, though
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Exploring Evelin Förster’s New Book Project: German Illustrated Sheet Music Covers as a Mirror of Society
Vamps, policemen, harem dancers, waiters, dandies, grotesque dancing couples, and film stars populate the covers of early twentieth century sheet
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Turning “Die lustige Witwe” into a 1920s Revue in Dortmund
At Theater Dortmund a new version of Die lustige Witwe presents the Lehár show as “a revue operetta” with a
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The Winter Opera of Saint Louis & “The Gondoliers”
Online auditions; canceled flights; efforts to keep cast, orchestra and tech crew members healthy and protected; a scant five days
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Remembering Musical Theater Historian David Hummel
This isn’t an obituary. No facts. I never met Dave, though we have been in touch for half a century.
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The Boys Are Back: “Operette für zwei schwule Tenöre” Returns To BKA With New Cast
The Operette für zwei schwule Tenöre by composer Florian Ludewig and text author Johannes Kram is back in Berlin for
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Hanns Eisler: Couplets & Ballads With The Amazing HK Gruber
At first glance, Hanns Eisler doesn’t have much to do with operetta. But if you look closer, the very first
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Declaration of Bankruptcy? “L’Auberge du Cheval blanc” from the Opéra de Lausanne
Encountering Im weißen Rössl in its French version can be a joy, as anyone knows who has ever heard Bourvil
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Kurt Gänzl’s “The Musical: A Concise History” Revisited & Revised
The original edition of Kurt Gänzl’s The Musical came out in 1997, as a “Concise History” published by Northeastern University
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Operetten-Gesamtaufnahmen der letzten zehn Jahre: Ein Überblick
Operette hat Konjunktur. In den letzten Jahren sind (meist beim Label cpo) rund zwei Dutzend Aufnahmen auf CD erschienen, meist
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Rediscovering Marcel Lattès’ Swing Operetta “Le Diable à Paris” (1927)
I knew that I should enjoy this 1927 French operetta directly after I read Richard Traubner’s dismissal of Marcel Lattès
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Young, Versatile & Hungry: James Gaffigan New Music Director At Komische Oper Berlin
So, now it’s official: James Gaffigan will be the new music director of Komische Oper Berlin. The 43 year old
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Homage to Carl Michael Ziehrer: The Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert 2022
It’s only a few days now, and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra will be at their exercise again. Their 1 January
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“From Gold to Silver”: Ziehrer’s Life & Musical Works
Carl Michael Ziehrer (1843-1922) and his music have always been overshadowed by the achievements of the Strauss dynasty, and this
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Marthaler’s Joyless “Giuditta” In Munich
One should have known this would happen. If you hire the 70-year-old Christoph Marthaler, you get exactly that: Marthaler. He
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