Emmerich Kalman’s “Marinka” At The Komische Oper Berlin
It’s a special treat, that’s for sure: the Komische Oper Berlin is ending its Emmerich Kalman cycle of Christmas operettas
read moreAll posts by kevin
An Irish-Themed Victor Herbert Season In New York City 2016/17
“A themed season? Who does themed seasons anymore?” muses Alyce Mott, Artistic Director of the NYC-based Victor Herbert Renaissance Project
read more
“Every Country Gets The Operetta It Deserves”: Trends, Ideological Wars And New Books
In variation of the famous saying “Every country has the government it deserves” – by 18th century political philosopher Joseph-Marie
read more
András Szentpéteri: Exporting Hungarian Operetta And Bringing Broadway To Budapest
András Szentpéteri is the head of Pentaton Concert and Artist Management, the company in charge of organising the international tours
read more
Re-Sampling A Legend: “Ziegfeld And His Follies” By Cynthia And Sara Brideson
Here is a splashy new biography of “Broadway’s Greatest Producer,” Florenz Ziegfeld, written by the team of the Brideson sisters,
read more
“Brutal Cultural Politics”: Dagmar Schellenberger Kicked Out Of Mörbisch Festival
In a way you could see it coming: the Seefestpiele Mörbisch tried breaking away from the stuffy (but much beloved)
read more
Jacques Offenbach 2019: Celebtrating His 200th Birthday
In June 2019 the world will celebrate the 200th birthday of Jacques Offenbach, “The 19th century’s most popular musical-theatre composer.”
read more
Butchering Irving Berlin: The Screen-To-Stage Adaptation of “Holiday Inn”
When was the last time you saw a new 1947 musical for the first time? Roundabout Theatre Company and Universal
read more
Dostal’s “Ungarische Hochzeit” (1939): First Complete Recording Of “Lebensraum” Operetta
Here is a new and first complete recording of Nico Dostal’s 1939 operetta Ungarische Hochzeit – premiered at the opera
read more
Reviewing The Operetta Aspects In “New York’s Yiddish Theater”
As a companion volume to its recent exhibition on New York’s Yiddish Theater: From the Bowery to Broadway, the Museum
read more
“An Autumn Trilogy”: The Budapest Operetta Theater In Ravenna
Ravenna in Northern Italy is famous for many things: it was the capital of the Western Roman Empire from 402
read more
The Demystification Of “The Black Crook”
One thing leads to another … Answering various queries, after my 15 years old article on The Black Crook, which
read more
New York’s Yiddish Theater: From the Bowery to Broadway
Considering that most new books dealing with Broadway history in coffee table format simply recycle what has already been written
read more
Grand Opening: The New Emmerich Kálmán Theátrum In Budapest
For their 2016/17 season, the Budapest Operetta Theater (BOT) has some surprises in store. They might have opened the season
read more
THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, or The Slave of Duty: Comic opera in 2 acts by Gilbert & Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan’s successor to the phenomenal HMS Pinafore proved to be another enormous international opéra-bouffe hit. Where the former
read more
Double Treat: “The Black Crook” From New York and London
Often, in earlier times, quoted as “the first landmark in the history of the American musical theatre”, the 1866 extravaganza
read more
A New Homoerotic “Vetter aus Dingsda” In Stralsund
The Theater Vorpommern / Haus Stralsund will open its new season with Künneke’s Der Vetter aus Dingsda on October 8.
read more
Talking With Joshua William Gelb About “The Black Crook” In 2016
In 2016, The Black Crook celebrates its 150th anniversary, marking 150 years of the American Musical. To commemorate the sesquicentennial,
read more
Stanley Potter (1819-1894): A Seventy Year Old Chorus Boy!
When Stanley Potter died in 1894, his – paid – death notice said he was ‘of the Carl Rosa’. So
read more
“Axel an der Himmelstür” in Vienna: Take Your Clothes Off, Beautfiful Operetta Lady!
The Volksoper Vienna has revived the 1936 hit Axel an der Himmeltür, originally written for Zarah Leander and Max Hansen.
read more
Sex, Gender, Gay Marriage And Modernity In Offenbach’s “Isle of Tulipatan” and “Croquefer”
Jeff Clarke has been the Artistic Director of UK’s Opera della Luna since 1994. With that company, he has made
read more
Erich von Stroheim’s “The Merry Widow” At The Staatsoperette Dresden
Some years ago I was asked by the former Dutch Film Museum (renamed Eye Film Institute today) to accompany The
read more
Second-Rate “American Idol” Superficiality: “Cats” Returns To Broadway
Apart from the disorienting novelty of Cats taking up residence at the Neil Simon Theatre when, for a record-breaking 7485
read more
Mystery Solved: The Truth About Gilbert & Sullivan’s Star Lilian LaRue
Lilian La Rue? Oh heavens, that name sounds like something out of a New Orleans drag show. Lily Street, maybe?
read more
Wooden Cut-Outs & Selfies: The Revival Of “Cats” On Broadway
It’s “business as usual” at the Neil Simon Theater, where I caught up with the new revival of Andrew Lloyd
read more
“The Black Crook” Returns To New York For Its 150th Anniversary
You might truly hold your breath for a second: the famous show The Black Crook is being revived in New
read more
Adolf Philipp (1864-1936): “Deutsch-Amerikanisches Theater” In New York
Adolf Philipp (b Lübeck, 29 January 1864; d New York, 30 July 1936) was the eclectic leading light of the
read more
“The Golden Bride,” Or: Broadway’s New Demand For Yiddish Operetta
Because of popular demand – and there obviously is much demand in New York City right now – the production
read more
Shifts At The Top: German Theater Statistics
The statistics are out for the number of musical theater performances in Germany during the 2014/15 season. They were published
read more
“A Trip to Africa”: Suppé’s Operetta Available At Cambridge Scholars
The enthusiasm is impressive and a role model, no doubt: conductor Dario Salvi got so excited about Franz von Suppé’s
read more
Fritz Kreisler’s “Sissy” At The Naturtheater Greifensteine
Yes, someone finally had the great idea to bring back the 1932 smash-hit Sissy, written by Ernst and Hubert Marischka,
read more
“The White Horse Inn At Central Park”: Rediscovering The Jimmy Berg Adaptations
The White Horse Inn at the Central Park – an Austrian operetta staged in New York in the 1940s? Yes,
read more
The 2016 Ohio Light Opera Season: “Hollandweibchen” and “Dancing Years”
The Ohio Light Opera – that lovably enduring shrine to operetta and musical theater – just gets better and better
read more
From Operetta To The Russian Hit Parades: Paul Hankinson & Fiora
Not so very many years ago, two young students, already laurelled, each one, with considerable success, entered the Queensland Conservatorium
read more
On The Road With John Groves: “Im weißen Rössl” In Neustrelitz
To tell the truth: Im weißen Rössl at the Neustrelitz open air operetta festival was fascinating! For a start, I
read more
Victor Hollaender: The Musical Voice of Wilhelmine Berlin
Alan Lareau, Professor of German at the University of Oshkosh and a scholar specialized in the cabaret culture of the
read more