Oslo Opera Presents “Csárdásfürstin” with a Transgender Sylva
This updated version of the classic Kálmán operetta premiered on 25 November in Norwegian with English subtitles. “Nothing is lost,
read morePosts Tagged 'Gay & Lesbian Studies'
“The Pleasure Garden” and Its Place in the History of LGBT Musicals
In 2021, the “bittersweet musical romance” The Pleasure Garden premiered at the Above the Stag theater in London. It’s a
read more
“The Pleasure Garden“: The LGBT History of the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens as a Musical
Back in 2004, the Wien Museum presented the exhibition Alt-Wien: Die Stadt, die niemals war. It examined the phenomenon that
read more
Quirky and Esoteric: Sandy Wilson’s 1958 “Valmouth”
The show was commissioned from Sandy Wilson, the author-composer of The Boy Friend, by Oscar Lewenstein and the Royal Court Theatre as
read more
The Magic Returns with a Bright New Star: “Operette für zwei schwule Tenöre”
A modern-day operetta about two gay men and their relationship troubles manages to draw in crowds: Operette für zwei schwule
read more
Barrie Kosky Will Direct “La Cage aux Folles” at Komische Oper Berlin
Many people have wondered what Barrie Kosky will do next in terms of popular musical theater at Komische Oper, once
read more
The Boys Are Back: “Operette für zwei schwule Tenöre” Returns To BKA With New Cast
The Operette für zwei schwule Tenöre by composer Florian Ludewig and text author Johannes Kram is back in Berlin for
read more
The Patriarchy Thinks Dicks Smell Like Roses: “Lila Lied” As Queer Cabaret At SchwuZ
“Welcome to the 20s” says the poster for Lila Lied, “The Queer Cabaret” that was presented in Berlin’s SchwuZ. In
read more
The World’s First Queer Operetta Is Coming To BKA
The BKA Theater (Berliner Kabarett Anstalt) just announced that “the world’s first queer operetta” will premiere on 6 October, 2021,
read more
Paul O’Montis: Biography Of A “Vortragskünstler” Adored By Elderly Ladies & Young Gentlemen
Most operetta fans will know Paul O’Montis because he made a famous recording of “Was kann der Sigismund dafür, dass
read more
„Eine Stimme für Deutschland“: Grüne Fotze vs. genderfluide AfD-Kandidatin
Politiksatiren können ganz wunderbar als Musical oder Operette funktionieren, wie nicht nur Jacques Offenbach im 19. Jahrhundert immer wieder gezeigt
read more
“Inselzauber”: Landesbühne Sachsen Streams Offenbach’s Genderqueer “Island Of Tulipatan”
Due to Corona, Landesbühnen Sachsen in Germany put on two small scale one-acters last year: Offenbach’s The Island of Tulipatan
read more
Ethel Merhaut Sings “Bittersweet” Operetta For Sony Masterworks
It’s astonishing that Sony Masterworks is releasing an album of operetta songs – in jazz arrangements! Presented by the young
read more
Coming-out als Operettenrettung? Interview zum Queer Reading des „Dreimäderlhaus“
Als das Dreimäderlhaus am 15. Januar 1916 im Wiener Raimundtheater in Premiere ging waren die Kritiken gespalten. Denn Komponist Heinrich
read more
Reynaldo Hahn (1874-1947): Only One Enduring Score?.
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, on 9 August, 1874, Reynaldo Hahn was the elegant, soigné composer whose work for the French
read more
RSC: Reconstructing Erik Charell’s Shakespeare Adaptation “Swingin’ the Dream”
When the Shakespeare adaptation Swingin‘ the Dream opened on Broadway in 1939 it followed Erik Charell’s earlier XXL-sized Broadway hit
read more
March of the Falsettos: Streaming Sasha Regan’s “Pirates of Penzance” From The Palace Theatre
The gimmick with which the West End revival of Sasha Regan’s Pirates of Penzance at the Palace Theatre was recently
read more
“Sehnsucht 202” On DVD: A Very Queer Version Of Vienna With Fritz Schulz & Paul Kemp
The Austrian newspaper Der Standard has added a forgotten film operetta to their DVD series “Der österreichische Film”, a movie
read more
Marktplätze, Kampfzonen und Elysium: Zwei neue Bände zu „Musik und Gesellschaft“
Beim Verlag Königshausen & Neumann ist soeben in zwei Bänden Musik und Gesellschaft erschienen, mit den Schlagwörtern „Marktplätze – Kampfzonen
read more
“Ghost Lights: Ivor Novello and His Leading Ladies“ – A Conversation With David Slattery-Christy About His New Play
Most operetta fans will know David Slattery-Christy as the biographer of Ivor Novello (1893-1951) and as a tireless champion of
read more
Adolf Wohlbrück or Anton Walbrook? A Retrospective In Berlin & A New Book From Vienna
Wohlbrück or Walbrook? Adolf or Anton? Whatever you choose to call him, the actor known under two names was one
read more
Interview With Mr. Barihunks: The Beefcake Side Of Oper(ett)a
In 2007, a music manager in the US started a blog called Barihunks, dedicated to hunky baritones. Over the years,
read more
“One Long Gender-Bender”: Berlin’s Queer Operetta Revolution In The Years 2010-2020
The Drama Review (TDR) is planning a special issue on the developments in the German theater scene from 2010 to
read more
Composer Jerry Herman Dies At Age 88 In Miami
Some will claim that Hello Dolly, Mame or La Cage aux Folles are among the greatest modern operettas in the
read more
New Books Celebrating the 200th Anniversary of Offenbach’s Birth
No one can really claim that there is not an abundance of exciting Offenbach literature that has been published since
read more
“Casta Diva”: The World’s First Gay Opera Guide With Two Operettas And Some Hidden Porn
So here it is, the world’s “first gay opera guide,” or so the publisher claims. It’s a small Berlin based
read more
Ready For Her Close-Up: Desirée Nick In “Gräfin Mariza” At Staatstheater Wiesbaden
There’s exciting news coming from Wiesbaden, Germany. The local Hessisches Staatstheater is presenting a new Gräfin Mariza production, directed by
read more
“The Pa! The Ma! And the Shah!”: Offenbach’s “Island of Tulipatan” As A “Persian Operatic Bouffonerie”
The one-act l‘île de Tulipatan, written by Jacques Offenbach with his librettists Henri Chivot and Alfred Duru in 1868 for
read more
Diversity Of Questions & Multiplicity Of Approaches: Kaspar Maase’s “Einführung in die Populärkulturforschung”
How do you solve a problem like – operetta? The question has been asked many times over, especially since so
read more
Ábrahám’s “Roxy und ihr Wunderteam” At Komische Oper Berlin: Watch The Live-Stream
At Komische Oper Berlin, Paul Ábrahám’s ‘last’ operetta premiered in a new production by Stefan Huber, with a newly arranged
read more
“Shooting Star” World-Premiere In Los Angeles: A “Revealing New Musical” by Florian Klein, Thomas Zaufke & Erik Ransom
With an Offenbach conference coming up in June in Cologne that includes a section dedicated to “Discourses and Identities” and
read more
“Oh… Rosalinda!”: The Movie Version of “Die Fledermaus” With Adolf Wohlbrück On DVD
Finally – and that’s really the only appropriate word for it: finally the updated 1950s movie version of Die Fledermaus,
read more
“The Dancing Years”: A Converation with David Slattery-Christy About Ivor Novello, Nazi History And New Recordings
Ivor Novello’s World War 2 hit The Dancing Years has finally been made available in a ‘first complete recording’ by
read more
“Frau Luna” And The Budapester Luft: The Berlin ‘National’ Operetta Vs. The Hungarian National Operetta
Mind the apostrophes! The recent revival of Paul Lincke’s Frau Luna at Tipi am Kanzleramt is a firm reference point
read more
“A Re-Evaluation of Operetta”: A Conference At The University Of Leeds
Last week the international operetta research world gathered in Leeds for a conference which was – nothing short of remarkable!
read more
Charles Hayden Coffin: A ‘Gay’ Matinee Idol Revisited
A combination of circumstances led me, a year or three ago, to a little coven of enthusiasts fascinated by the
read more