Tulip Town: Offenbach Recycled as a Punk Spectacle

Jacques Offenbach’s L’île de Tulipatan, first performed in 1868, is proving to be remarkably contemporary and up to date. The one-act operetta, with a libretto by Henri Charles Chivot and Alfred Duru, has experienced a striking revival in recent years. Much of this renewed interest has been prompted by the way the piece humorously deconstructs gender norms and plays with the idea of the first same-sex marriage on the musical theatre stage.

Readers may recall that the Light Opera of New York released the first-ever English-language recording of the piece less than a decade ago. More recently, Opera della Luna brought Tulipatan to the stage in the United Kingdom, while there have also been productions in Belfast/Northern Ireland. On YouTube, one can even find the complete work in a live performance from Berlin’s Staatsoper Unter den Linden dating from the DDR era. Alongside numerous other smaller and larger productions, there is now a new Dutch adaptation by theatre performer and producer Steef de Jong.

De Jong promises to put the “19th-century operetta classic into a blender” and serve up “a cardboard operetta party full of energy, humor and lightning-fast gender changes.”

Following the success of Postillon d’amour and Operetta Land, he is once again pulling out all the stops, this time with a top-notch cast: Ilse Warringa, Rop Verheijen, Daniel Cornelissen and Thor Braun, accompanied by a live band.

The new production is titled Tulip Town and promises “operetta as you have never seen it before.” It is billed as a “punk operetta.” The production description reads:

Sacred cows are slaughtered and cardboard worlds unfold, while genders change with a wink. Rich in androgynous costumes, spectacular sets and swirling live music, Offenbach’s operetta classic — by the greatest punk rocker of the 19th century — comes to life as a theatrical pop concert.

Romboïdal, Grand Marshal to the Count of Tulip Town, blames his wife Théodorine for the boyish behavior of their daughter Hermosa. Meanwhile, the Count’s son, Prince Alexis, turns out to be remarkably gentle and graceful. The two fall madly in love with each other, only to discover that their parents have rather different plans for their lives. Confusion reigns everywhere and is complete — except for Hermosa and Alexis, who simply love each other as they are. Tulip Town thus becomes a cheerful plea for the freedom to be who you are — and, naturally, for love.

Offenbach’s timeless melodies receive fresh, incisive arrangements by Marijn van Prooijen, with punk occasionally bursting exuberantly through the operetta.

The music is performed live by musicians who create a sparkling bridge between 1868 and the present day. An irresistible mix of operetta, punk and cardboard magic, Tulip Town promises to be a dazzling feast for both eye and ear.

For more information, click here.