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 moreAll posts by kevin
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
Operetta From Socialist Germany: A Conference in Freiburg
Today and tomorrow, the Deutsches Musicalarchiv hosts its annual conference in Freiburg. Among the various talks on the history of
read more
Offenbach’s Bavarian Romp “Fantasio” – Finally On Disc And Complete
Offenbach aficionados may rejoice. Here is the first complete recording of his opéra comique in 3 acts, 4 tableaux, Fantasio.
read more
“Ich reiß’ mir eine Wimper aus”: How To Revive Operettas From The Nazi Era
It is an inventive new approach to an old question: how do we deal with the ideological baggage of operettas
read more
„Zwei Cowboys im 3/4-Takt: Emmerich Kálmáns Arizona Lady, oder wie die Wiener Operette in den Wilden Westen kam“
Zu Weihnachten 2014 schenkt die Komische Oper den Berlinern eine sehr späte – und überfällige – Hauptstadtpremiere von Emmerich Kálmáns
read more
War & Love : A Cabaret Evening At The Black Pig
Nothing makes love’s longing bloom as intensely as a heavy crisis! Or so the saying goes. At the restaurant Zum
read more
Popular Musical Theatre In London And Berlin: 1890 To 1939
Here is something really yummy: a collection of essays dealing with various aspects of popular musical theater at the beginning
read more
“Inszenierte Moderne”: A New Study About Operetta, Musical Comedy And Revue
One of the most interesting young German scholars in the field of operetta research and examining the entertainment industry, Tobias
read more
Out & Proud: “Csárdasfürstin” With Netrebko, Florez And Thielemann
Are you ready for this? The Semperoper Dresden and its musical director Christian Thielemann will dedicate the 2014 New Year‘s
read more
Art Is Calling For Me: Reviving Victor Herbert In 2014
The Artistic Director of the Victor Herbert Renaissance Project (VHRP), Alyce Mott, has already had a major triumph this year
read more
What Can You Expect From Nikolaus Harnoncourt Conducting Johann Strauss Jr.?
Yes, we all know that conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt is one of the pioneers of the Early Music Movement. Together with
read more
Performing Operettas From Nazi-Times Today: Interview With Jakob Brenner
In Stendal, in Saxony-Anhalt, the Theater der Altmark will present a new production of Fred Raymond’s Maske in Blau. It’s
read more
“Stéphanie” – Developing A New Historic Operetta
Composing a brand-new operetta today is a daring endeavor. On the one hand, larger audiences are drawn to dramatic musicals
read more
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Allegro” Returns to New York
As this Off-Broadway revival of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s 1947 failure Allegro is directed by John Doyle – he
read more
“The Golden Apple”: Reclaiming A Classic In Texas
The Golden Apple (1954) is widely acknowledged by musical theatre scholars as a much-neglected gem, and it is presently receiving
read more
Vera Kálmán: “Tonkunst” Issue Dedicated to Composer’s Widows
Here it is: the latest issue of Die Tonkunst. After a recent Bluebeard special that included a big essay on
read more
Gypsies and Barons and Heirs. Or: The Merry Widow’s Cousins
The title of this flavorsome concert mounted by LOONY on a seriously rainy Wednesday at the fabled Players Club was
read more
Vanessa Williams and Julian Ovenden Star In New York’s New “Show Boat”
In November, the New York Philharmonic will present a semi-staged concert version of Show Boat: one of the classic shows
read more
Broadway Meets Operetta: Susan Stroman Directs “Merry Widow”
You can certainly call this operetta debut ‘special’: stage director Susan Stroman (The Producers, The Scottsboro Boys) will direct a
read more
SHOW BOAT: Musical Play in 2 Acts
One of the most successful romantic musical plays of the 1920s, Show Boat (Ziegfeld Theater, New York, 27 December 1927)
read more
Seeing “Spring Awakening” In New Zealand – For The First Time
Frank Wedekind’s Frühlingserwachen (1891) is a ‘famous’ play. ‘Famous’ in a Lady Chatterley’s Lover way. There’s nothing like some healthy
read more
The Victor Herbert Renaissance Project LIVE!
The title alone is worth a headline: “Victor Herbert Renaissance Project LIVE!” It is the world’s only production company uniquely
read more
Josefine GALLMEYER (b Leipzig, 27 February 1838; d Vienna, 2 February 1884)
‘Die fesche Pepi’ – ‘Jolly Josie’ – was one of the most popular and famous stars of the Viennese musical
read more
Marie GEISTINGER (b Graz, 26 July 1836; d Klagenfurt, 30 September 1903)
Born in Graz to theatrical parents, Geistinger first went on the stage as a child and had an early exposure
read more