The Kern-Wodehouse-Bolton Musical “Have a Heart” (1917)
Although they worked together as a trio on only five shows over seven years, the influence of “Bolton, Wodehouse, and
read moreHistory
Oozing Sex: Julia Baron, Opéra-Bouffe Star And Top Paris Courtesan
When I lived in St Paul de Vence, my partner Ian and I took a weekly bus jaunt down to
read more
Oscar Straus: Avant-propos
Il n’est guère de compositeur du vingtième siècle qui ait été jadis aussi fêté de part et d’autre de l’Atlantique
read more
BABES IN TOYLAND: Musical extravaganza by Victor Herbert
Commissioned by producers Julian Mitchell and Fred Hamlin to follow up their 1902 success with the fairytale spectacular The Wizard
read more
Rediscovering Offenbach: Felicitas Wetzel’s “Deine Operette – Ein Portrait in mehreren Stimmen”
An interview with Felicitas Wetzel, a German sound artist who created a concert performance with Offenbach music and quotes called
read more
Victor Hollaender and Milwaukee’s Pabst Theater: A Transatlantic Affair (Part 1)
America’s popular music tradition is often referred to as the “Great American Songbook,” a national heritage. A focus on its
read more
Victor Hollaender and Milwaukee’s Pabst Theater: A Transatlantic Affair (Part 2)
Victor Hollaender described his first American sojourn and the German-American scene of Milwaukee in his memoirs, which were published in
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
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
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
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
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
CHU CHIN CHOW Musical Tale of the East In 3 Acts, Music By Frederic Norton
Chu Chin Chow was a version of the Arabian Nights’ Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves tale, put together by
read more
GIUDITTA: Musical play in 5 scenes by Paul Knepler and Fritz Löhner-Beda. Music by Franz Lehár
Giuditta was the last of the series of darkly coloured romantic operettas (this one purposely titled ‘musikalische Komödie’) composed by
read more
A Major Star Of 19th Century French Musical Theatre: Jean-François Philibert Berthelier
Jean-François Philibert Berthelier (b Panissières, Loire, 14 December 1828; d Paris, 29 September 1888) was a comic actor and singer
read more
An Historically Rich “Duchess of Chicago” in Budapest
I recommend booking travel tickets now for Budapest – to arrive before June 9, 2016. That’s the date of the
read more
„Emerging From The Closet Of Representation“: Homosexuality And Same-Sex Marriage On The Musical Theater Stage
The genre operetta was invented around 1850 in Paris, as a new and independent musical theater form in the modern
read more![Albert SZIRMAI [aka SIRMAY]: b Budapest, 2 July 1880; d New York, 15 January 1967](http://operetta-research-center.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Sirmay-436x291.jpg "Albert SZIRMAI [aka SIRMAY]: b Budapest, 2 July 1880; d New York, 15 January 1967")
Albert SZIRMAI [aka SIRMAY]: b Budapest, 2 July 1880; d New York, 15 January 1967
Szirmai was a top-flight Hungarian composer whose career faded when he left home. He studied at the Budapest Zeneakadémia and
read more
SZIBILL, Operetta in 3 acts by Miksa Bródy and Ferenc Martos. Music by Viktor Jacobi
Szibill, first produced at the Király Színház, Budapest, on 27 February 1914, was the peak achievement of the short career
read more![Viktor JACOBI [JAKABFI]: b Budapest, 22 October 1883; d New York, 10 December 1921](http://operetta-research-center.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Jacobi_Viktor-436x291.jpg "Viktor JACOBI [JAKABFI]: b Budapest, 22 October 1883; d New York, 10 December 1921")
Viktor JACOBI [JAKABFI]: b Budapest, 22 October 1883; d New York, 10 December 1921
Viktor Jakabfi is one of the group of successful Hungarian composers who dominated the European musical stage in the early
read more
“Shuffle Along”: Re-Imagining the African-American-Classic From 1921
Why is the upcoming revival of Shuffle Along, or, The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That
read more
The Game Changers Of Broadway: Hammerstein, Schirmer, Cohan & Co..
Who were the truly instrumental people who caused America to develop the largest and most influential entertainment industry in the
read more
Kalman’s “Endre és Johanna” On Live-Stream From Canada
Emmerich Kalman started his career as a serious“ composer of grand tone poems in the Richard Strauss, or more likely
read more
THE FORTUNE TELLER: Comic opera in 3 acts by Victor Herbert
When the ambitious young soprano of the famed Bostonians company, Alice Nielsen, decided to break away from the group and
read more
Magdolna Jákfalvi Discusses Hungarian Operetta From A State-Socialist Perspective
Professor Magdolna Jákfalvi is specialized in the theater history of Hungary under socialism. She organized the first scientific operetta conference
read more
“Die Afrikareise”: Rediscovering Suppé’s 1883 Blockbuster
Vienna, 17 March 1883. At the legendary Theater an der Wien, Franz von Suppé’s latest show Die Afrikareise is given
read more
Das Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker: Angst vor der Nazi-Vergangenheit?
Am 1. Januar 2016 wird das kommerziell erfolgreiche Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker im Großen „goldenen“ Saal des Musikvereinsals „75-jähriges Jubiläum“
read more
“Csardasfürstin” Conference in Budapest
This week-end, the Budapest Operetta Theatre is hosting a conference on Die Csardasfürstin, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of that
read more
MÁGNÁS MISKA: Operetta in 3 acts by Albert Szirmai
Produced in Budapest during the most fecund period in Hungarian operetta, Albert Szirmai’s 1916 wartime piece Mágnás Miska (Miska the
read more
Emmerich Kálmán’s “Die Csárdásfürstin”: A Historic Overview
One of the most successful, and certainly the most widely enduring of Kálmán’s operettas, Die Csárdásfürstin was nevertheless composed to
read more
“Baby, You Can Can-Can Too”
In their 2015 summer season, the Ohio Light Opera presented the original stage version of Cole Porter’s Can-Can. It’s a
read more
Musical Of The Month At NY’s Public Library: “Golden Dawn”
The New York Public Library is devoting its current “Musical of the Month” to Emmerich Kálmán’s Golden Dawn, a show
read more
The Origins Of Lerner & Loewe’s “Brigadoon”
You will recall that the Ohio Light Opera presented Lerner & Loewe’s Brigadoon as part of their 2015 summer season.
read more
L’OEIL CREVÉ: Folie musicale in 3 acts by Hervé
Hervé’s second attempt, after Les Chevaliers de la table ronde (1866), to produce a full-length burlesque opérette to challenge the
read more