The Original Operetta-Diva: Hortense Schneider
She was the six-year shooting star of Offenbach’s Théâtre des Variétés series whose dazzling career declined at the same time
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Lydia Thompson, the “Father of All Drag Kings”?
Lydia Thompson [Eliza Hodges Thompson] is one of the theatre’s ‘legends’, and as in the case of other such legendary
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Let the Facts Speak for Themselves: A Novel Tauber Biography
Martin Sollfrank has written an exhaustive, 568 page biographical documentation entitled Musik war sein Leben: Richard Tauber – Weltstar des
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You Dont Have to Be a Skinny to Be a Superstar: Marie Desclauzas
Marie Desclauzas was a buxom and eventually hefty star of the opérette stage who became the most admired musical character
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Italian Sex Spectacles: Operettas By Carlo Lombardo & Co.
Half the world loves Italian music, whether it’s popular songs of the „Volare“ type or operas from Rossini to Verdi
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Vienna’s Merry Apocalypse
A little book dealing with the entertainment industry during the Great War: Galgenhumor. Kleine Kunst im Großen Krieg. Ein Beitrag
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Another Rainbow Over Berlin?
We have been talking about burlesque and boylesque a lot here, lately. But have you ever heard of “Berlinesque”? And,
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Mr. Burlesque Himself: William B. Gill
Australia’s most successful ever international manufacturer of musical plays was born Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, Canada 10 May 1842. The grandson of
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Boylesque in Operetta, or: Meet Mr. Henry E. Dixey
He was one of the “hottest” male stars in operetta history, he made ladies in the audience swoon with his
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Luis Mariano : “L’eternel enchanteur”
The DVD L’eternel enchanteur is no compilation of movie fragments as the titles on the sleeve notes seem to suggest.
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The Cologne Collection: The Old EMI-Series Re-Released
It is often hugely fascinating to see how and where classic operetta recordings get recycled. Take for example the EMI
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The Tin Pan Alley Rag
First things first. Playwright Mark Saltzman’s imagined early 20th century meeting between composers Irving Berlin and Scott Joplin on the
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Dutch Operetta Diva Cristina Deutekom Dead
The great and internationally acclaimed Dutch opera- and operetta diva Cristina Deutekom passed away, at the age of 82. According
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Ein roter Liebesluftballon unter der Zirkuskuppel
Deutschland, geteiltes Operettenland: In Berlin knistert es an Barrie Koskys Komischer Oper erotisch, in München, wo Josef Köpplinger das Gärtnerplatztheater
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“Der kleine König”: Kalman’s Diva With the Bomb
A soprano with a bomb in her handbag, with which she intends to blow up the male lead? That’s certainly
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Operetta Delights in Wooster
Lovers of operetta and musicals had the rare opportunity for a week-long wallow in their favorite sport during the Ohio
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“Dream City and the Magic Knight”: The Marx Brothers on Speed
The Ohio Light Opera is certainly good for a surprise. Of course, they are renowned for presenting rare shows, unperformed
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Aspects of “Barbe-bleue”: Essays on Musical Theater Versions of the Bluebeard Legend
Here’s a brand-new bundle of essays on musical theater version of the Bluebeard legend, published in a special edition of
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“Mein Kamerad – die Diva”: Cross-Dressing Exhibition in Berlin
The topic of cross-dressing in operetta – as well as anywhere else in life and theater – is a hot
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Fritzi Massary Revisited: An Interview With Her New Biographer
Take a deep breath and prepare yourself: there will be – finally – a new and English language biography of
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Stefan Frey’s Biography of Emmerich Kálmán – in English
In 2003, Henschel Verlag of Berlin published Unter Tränen lachen, a German-language “operetta biography” of composer Emmerich Kálmán. The author,
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“Yellowface, in Your Face”: Is “The Mikado” Racist?
In Seattle, a new production of The Mikado by the local Gilbert & Sullivan Society has sparked a heated debate
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A Trip to Ohio. Or: Six Operettas (And More) in Four Days
For the last five days, I’ve been in Ohio. Yes, Ohio, USA. Yes, I know I said, years ago, that
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Breathtaking Spectacle: “Gasparone” at the Naturtheater Greifensteine
It’s a breathtaking spectacle of nature: the Erzgebirge, the rough East-German mountains near the Czech border. In the midst of
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This Summer in Ohio: Seven Full-Scale Productions
Next week, the Ohio Light Opera is starting its 36th season – with 7 (in writing: seven!) productions on offer
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Queering the Pitch: An Interview With Kevin Clarke
In Amsterdam wurde 2006 das Operetta Research Center gegründet, das sich besonders der Erforschung von Gender- und LGBT-Themen widmet. Jetzt
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“The Funny He-She Ladies”: A New Book on Cross-Dressing in London
There is a new book by Neil McKenna about “Two Young Men Who Shocked Victorian England“ entitled Fanny & Stella.
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Dutch Operetta Today? Peter Bording Talks About A Desaster-Zone
Dutch baritone Peter Bording studied singing with Jan Handerson, graduated from the Sweelinck Conservatorium Amsterdam and concluded his studies at
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“Ball im Savoy”: Ábrahám’s Late American Premiere
Paul Abraham was, without doubt, the most „American“ sounding operetta composer in Europe in the early 1930s. His jazz-operettas, culminating
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“One Touch of Venus” from 1955
In the latest newsletter from the Kurt Weill Foundation, there’s a review of the new One Touch of Venus recording,
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Natschinski in Rüdersdorf
Das wird ein „heißer Sommer“ für Gerd Natschinski. Gerade hat die Musikalische Komödie Leipzig seinen „Freund Bunbury“ wiederaufgenommen, nach drei
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Another “Zirkusprinzessin” in Baden’s Sommerarena
Some say we’re living in the “Age of Aquarius,” I say we’re living in the times of the Zirkusprinzessin. Or
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A New “Jedermann” Will Rock Erfurt
Operettas can be spectacular – a point proven by grand masters such as Offenbach in 19th century Paris and Erik
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“Mein Freund Bunbury” Is Back in Leipzig
Three cheers to the Musikalische Komödie Leipzig! They have just taken Gerd Natschinski’s famous DDR operetta Mein Freund Bunbury back
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The 2014 Festival in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
You don’t know where Neustrelitz is? Then you have obviously never been on holiday in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the magical region north
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“Die Zirkusprinzessin” in Munich
Munich is getting a new Zirkusprinzessin, directed by Josef E. Köpplinger. That is, in itself and without doubt, a reason
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