Latest Articles
Reconstructing Suppé’s “Die Afrikareise” In The UK
It is a grand title, for sure: The Imperial Vienna Orchestra! Yes, wow. It is as “Kakanian” as you can
read more
Carl Zeller’s “Der Vagabund” Revived For First Time In 100 Years
While the rediscovery of 1920s jazz operettas is in full swing elsewhere, the Austrians are giving us a re-encounter with
read more
A Great Loss: Charles Kálmán Dies Aged 85
It is with great sadness that we, at the Operetta Research Center, have to report the death of Charles Kálmán.
read more
“Porn – The Musical.” Or Will It Be An Operetta After All?
The German actor Florian Klein became famous in Hollywood as porn star “Hans Berlin.” After years in the Adult Industry
read more
The Musikalische Komödie In Leipzig Has A New Principal Stage Director: Cusch Jung
The Musikalische Komödie in Leipzig – one of Germany’s three theaters exclusively devoted to operetta and musical comedy – has
read more
Can Critics Get Away With Anything? Reading Michael Cerha and “Der Standard”
The Austrian newspaper Der Standard was founded in 1988 and is known, if you believe Wikipedia, as a “left-liberal” and
read more
INTO THE WOODS Musical in 2 acts by James Lapine & Stephen Sondheim
A piece in the vein of the fairytale burlesques of Victorian times, Into the Woods brought together some familiar nursery
read more
“The Only Music Worth Listening To Is Operetta”? Re-Visiting Elizabeth Taylor
There is always time for a few little curiosities. Take, for example, the movie Cynthia (1947) starring Elizabeth Taylor –
read more
The Big Operetta “Virgin Cherry Pop”: A New Study By Albert Gier
A great big new academic book on operetta, in German: Professor Albert Gier, renowned libretto researcher at the University of
read more
“Madame Pompadour” From London’s West End
Thank God for the internet. Especially, if you’re interested in historical operetta recordings. The website Norbeck, Peters & Ford offers
read more
Revisiting 1932 with Oscar Straus’ “Eine Frau, die weiß was sie will”
I can’t help it. I’m an addict. I’m hopelessly addicted to Komische Oper in Berlin. For me, as an American
read more
Yiddish Operetta Songs: A Re-Discovery On Auschwitz Memorial Day?
The 27th of January 2015 was a memorial day, not only in Germany, but there especially. 70 years ago the
read more
“Die schöne Helena” As A WW2 Drama Of Homosexuality
Considering that Offenbach’s La belle Hélène recently received two extremely “gay” interpretations at the opera houses of Hamburg and Berlin
read more
“Das Verdächtige Saxophon”: Albrecht Dümling’s Classic Re-Published
Finally: Albrecht Dümling’s great big book on music and operetta in Nazi times, Das verdächtige Saxophon, has been re-published. After
read more
Down To My Last Two Days: Linie 1 & Lillie Claus
Down to my last two days in Berlin. The Komische Oper was hosting a three-day symposium on operetta, the last
read more
Is There An Ideal “La Belle Hélène” Recording – With Sex Appeal?
Last week-end, the Komische Oper presented their very first Operetta Symposium, dealing with the “kinky” side of the genre (among
read more
“The Auto Race” And Other Tuned-Up Operettas From Early Broadway Days
If you wish to experience operetta off the beaten track, then look no further than this brand new CD with
read more
What Really Influenced Noël Coward’s “Bitter Sweet”: “Die Fledermaus” ?
Amazingly Noël Coward’s first musical book show was Bitter Sweet. Up to that point he had built his reputation as
read more
Flying Down To Berlin: For the First Operetta Festival At The Komische Oper
You know it’s finally happening when the first international guests fly in and need to be picked up at Tegel
read more
Have You Heard Of Henri Christine’s “Phi-Phi” (1918)?
Do you know Phi-Phi? Unless you are French or Hungarian and over 90 years of age, you won’t ever have
read more
A Musical Comedy Orgasm: Seeing “Clivia” In Berlin From A Broadway Perspective
Tuesday and Wednesday in Berlin were exasperating for me. A combination of misunderstandings, bad directions, getting lost, buying a theatre
read more
An American in Berlin: Seeing Operetta At The Komische Oper
Richard C. Norton, New York City based author of A Chronology of American Musical Theater, regular contributor to the Operetta
read more
Mixing Pop And Opera: Triumph Or Trouble?
In the music world, sometimes the concept of mixing vocal genres in the same performance works well, and sometimes it
read more
From Dingsda To The Mississipi: Bumping Into Alen Hodzovic Again
Perhaps you know that feeling: you see a super-duper operetta performer one day, and the next he’s vanished. Or so
read more
The “Dancing Conductor” Joseph R. Olefirowicz In Munich
If you’re watching this space, you might have registered some recent frustration with current operetta conductors who were not quite
read more
A Kálmán Bonanza For Christmas: “Mariza”, “Arizona Lady” & “Csárdásfürstin”
It’s a real Kálmán bonanza this holiday season. Wherever you turn, there is Kálmán, and more Kálmán. In St. Gallen
read more
4 For 45: Operetta Movie Classics On Sale At Warner
It is not quite an “indecent proposal,” as in the 1993 Robert Redford movie. But still, it’s a stunning offer:
read more
Serkan Kaya Redefines Operetta As Kalman’s Cowboy Hero in “Arizona Lady”
Truth be told: the performance of Turkish musical comedy star Serkan Kaya as a swaggering cowboy hero in Kalman’s Arizona
read more
Happy New Year: Josef Strauss Meets Offenbach For A Quadrille Ride
If you know your operetta history, you will be aware of the fact that Johann Strauss Jr. was the most
read more
Coffee With Jochen Kowalski – And Laughing With Novikova
Admittedly, Heilbronn is not the first city that comes to (my) mind when talking about operetta “Made in Berlin.” Still,
read more
The Man Behind “Die Fledermaus”: New Biography of Richard Genée
As the author of Die Fledermaus (1874) and a whole series of other famous Strauss operettas, Richard Genée is not
read more
“Bodies & Gender”: Operetta Symposium In Berlin
Finally, you might say. Or, as the Germans would put it: „Endlich!“ Yes, the Komische Oper Berlin will present the
read more
Reynaldo Hahn’s Magical “Ciboulette” From The Opéra Comique In Paris
Did anyone ever wonder what happened to Rodolfo after Mimi’s death? Truth be told, I did not. At least not
read more
A New German “Fiddler On The Roof” On CD
This past summer of 2014, Austria’s Mörbisch Lake Festival departed somewhat from its traditional programming of German operetta to present
read more
Celebrating Charles Kálmán’s 85th Birthday
In Vienna, a grand musical birthday celebration will be held in December. The “birthday boy” is Charles Kalman, oldest son
read more
Five Year Plan: Glorious Rarities At The Festival In Ischl
Yes, it might be true that the Austrian operetta festival in Bad Ischl is fighting for “pure survival,” as director
read more