''The New Moon'' is an operetta with music by

Sigmund Romberg Sigmund Romberg (July 29, 1887 – November 9, 1951) was a Hungarian-born American composer. He is best known for his musicals and operettas, particularly '' The Student Prince'' (1924), '' The Desert Song'' (1926) and '' The New Moon'' (1928). E ...

and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Frank Mandel, and

Laurence Schwab Laurence Schwab (1893 - May 29, 1951) was an American theater and film producer, writer, and director. He was born in Boston and attended Harvard University. His first success was as co-producer of ''The Gingham Girl (1922). He co-authored and prod ...

. The show was the third in a string of

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

hits for Romberg (after ''

The Student Prince ''The Student Prince'' is an operetta in four acts with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly. It is based on Wilhelm Meyer-Förster's play '' Old Heidelberg''. The piece has a score with some of Romberg's most enduri ...

'' (1924) and ''

The Desert Song ''The Desert Song'' is an operetta with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel. It was inspired by the 1925 uprising of the Riffs, a group of Moroccan fighters, against French colo ...

'' (1926)) written in the style of Viennese operetta. Set in 1792, shortly before the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

, the story centers on a young French aristocrat in disguise, who has fled his country and falls in love with the daughter of a prominent

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

planter. It premiered in Philadelphia in 1927 and played on

in 1928. It spawned a number of revivals and two film adaptations, and it remains popular with light opera companies. The piece turned out to be "Broadway's last hit operetta", as World War II and the Golden Age of musicals approached.

Performance history

''The New Moon'' debuted in Philadelphia on Christmas Eve, 1927. The tryout was a failure, and the show was extensively revised before another tryout in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

in August 1928 and then moving to New York. Al Goodman conducted in both Philadelphia and New York.The New Moon, operetta
Allmusic, accessed December 1, 2012 The operetta opened on Broadway at the

Imperial Theatre The Imperial Theatre is a Broadway theater at 249 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1923, the Imperial Theatre was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was constructed ...

on September 19, 1928, ran for 519 performances, and closed at the Casino Theatre on December 14, 1929. The production used set designs by

Donald Oenslager Donald Oenslager (March 7, 1902 – June 11, 1975) was an American scenic designer who won the Tony Award for Best Scenic Design. Biography Oenslager was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and attended Harvard University, graduating in 1923. He beca ...

. The work was produced in London's West End at the Drury Lane Theatre in 1929. Although the piece then had international productions and stock revivals into the 1950s,Suskin, Steven
"A Two-Piano ''Finian's Rainbow'' and the Encores! ''New Moon''"
''Playbill'', November 28, 2004, accessed December 1, 2012 it then disappeared for a few decades. One commentator wrote, "What has kept ''The New Moon'' from being as familiar as '' Naughty Marietta'' or ''

'' is perhaps its chronological place at the end of operetta's reign over the musical stage. The operetta was restaged faithfully in 1986 by the

New York City Opera The New York City Opera (NYCO) is an American opera company located in Manhattan in New York City. The company has been active from 1943 through 2013 (when it filed for bankruptcy), and again since 2016 when it was revived. The opera company, du ...

and was telecast by

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

in 1989. The Light Opera of Manhattan staged the work several times in the 1980s. City Center Encores! presented a semi-staged revival at

New York City Center New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama,. The name "City Center for Music and Drama Inc." is the organizational parent of the New York City Ballet and, until 2011, the New York City Opera. and t ...

in March 2003. The Encores production was presented during the run-up to the

Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق ( Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict and the War on terror , image ...

and part of the audience responded with loud applause and cheers to the line "One can be loyal to one's country and yet forswear its leader".Midgette, Anne
"Operetta Review: Much Silliness In a Gilt Frame"
''The New York Times'', March 29, 2003, accessed December 1, 2012

Roles and original Broadway cast

*Marianne Beaunoir ( soprano) — Evelyn Herbert *Monsieur Beaunoir, ''her father'' — Pacie Ripple *Julie, ''her maid'' ( soprano) — Marie Callahan *Captain Georges Duval — Edward Nell Jr. *Robert Misson (

tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...

) — Robert Halliday *Alexander ( baritone) — *Philippe L'Entendu (tenor) — William O'Neal *Clotilde Lombaste (soprano) — Esther Howard *Besac, ''boatswain of the 'New Moon (baritone) — Lyle Evans *Jacques, ''ship's carpenter'' — Earle Mitchell *Vicomte Ribaud — Max Figman *Flower Girl — Olga Albani *Fouchette — Thomas Dale *Emile, Brunet, Admiral de Jean, etc.

Synopsis

Robert is a young French aristocrat whose

revolutionist A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective, to refer to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor. ...

inclinations force him to flee his country. Under an assumed name, he sells himself as a bond-servant to planter and ship-owner Monsieur Beaunoir and his family in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

in 1792. Because the Paris police are looking everywhere for him, Robert cannot tell Beaunoir or Beaunoir's beautiful daughter Marianne, with whom he has fallen in love, that he is of noble blood. Eventually he is tracked down by

Vicomte A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...

Ribaud, the detective villain, and put aboard a ship, the ''New Moon'', so that he can be returned to France. Robert thinks he has been betrayed by Marianne, who has gained her father's consent to travel on the same ship, pretending that she is in love with the ship's captain, Duval. A mutiny occurs, and Robert and the bond-servants come into power. Everyone goes ashore on the Isle of Pines, and a new republic is founded. The republic flourishes under Robert's guidance, but Marianne, her pride hurt, at first refuses to marry Robert. French ships arrive, apparently to reclaim the island. Vicomte Ribaud expects them to conquer the island for the King of France. But the French Commander reveals that there has been a

revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...

in France, and that all aristocrats must die unless they renounce their titles. Ribaud, a

Royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governm ...

, heads for execution, but republican Robert renounces his title. All ends happily for him and Marianne.

Musical numbers

;Act I *Dainty Wisp of a Thistledown (Ensemble) *Marianne (Robert) *The Girl on The Prow (Marianne, Besac and Ensemble) *Gorgeous Alexander (Julie, Alexander and Girls) *An Interrupted Love Song (Captain Georges Duval, Marianne and Robert) *Tavern Song (Flower Girl, a Dancer and Ensemble) * Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise (Philippe and Ensemble) *Stout-hearted Men (Robert, Philippe and Men) *Fair Rosita (Girls and The Dancers) *One Kiss (Marianne and Girls) *Ladies of the Jury (Alexander, Julie, Clotilde Lombaste and Girls) *Wanting You (Marianne and Robert) ;Act II *A Chanty (Besac and Men) *Funny Little Sailor Man (Clotilde Lombaste, Besac and Ensemble) * Lover, Come Back to Me (Marianne) *Love Is Quite a Simple Thing (Robert, Besac, Alexander and Julie) *Try Her Out at Dances (Alexander, Julie and Girls) *Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise (reprise) (Phillippe and Men) *Never (for You) (Marianne) *Lover, Come Back to Me (reprise) (Robert and Men)

Film versions

Two film versions were produced by

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

. The first, in

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will b ...

, starred

Grace Moore Mary Willie Grace Moore (December 5, 1898January 26, 1947) was an American operatic soprano and actress in musical theatre and film.Obituary ''Variety'', January 29, 1947, page 48. She was nicknamed the "Tennessee Nightingale." Her films helped ...

and

Lawrence Tibbett Lawrence Mervil Tibbett (November 16, 1896 – July 15, 1960) was an American opera singer and recording artist who also performed as a film actor and radio personality. A baritone, he sang leading roles with the Metropolitan Opera in New York ...

, with a setting in

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

. It added two new songs by

Herbert Stothart Herbert Pope Stothart (September 11, 1885February 1, 1949) was an American songwriter, arranger, conductor, and composer. He was also nominated for twelve Academy Awards, winning Best Original Score for '' The Wizard of Oz''. Stothart was widel ...

and Clifford Grey. The second, in

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * Januar ...

, starred

Jeanette MacDonald Jeanette Anna MacDonald (June 18, 1903 – January 14, 1965) was an American singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (''The Love Parade'', '' Love Me Tonight'', ''The Merry Widow'' and '' On ...

and

Nelson Eddy Nelson Ackerman Eddy (June 29, 1901 – March 6, 1967) was an American actor and baritone singer who appeared in 19 musical films during the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in opera and on the concert stage, radio, television, and in nightclub ...

Recordings

No original Broadway cast recording was made, but the 1928 London cast recorded some selections for Columbia. These 78 rpm records have been transferred to CD on the Pearl Label. The song "Stout-hearted Men" was recorded in 1930 by Perry Askam and in 1967 by

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...

, peaking at No. 2 on the

Easy Listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, n ...

chart. Earl Wrightson and

Frances Greer Frances Greer (12 January 1917 – 28 June 2005) was an American soprano. A leading performer at the Metropolitan Opera and the Philadelphia Opera Company, she recorded 13 albums, mostly musical operettas with RCA Victor, and made several concert ...

starred in Al Goodman's recording for RCA Victor (LK-1011).

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...

made an album in 1953 with Lee Sweetland and Jane Wilson covering six selections from the score, which has been reissued on CD paired with ''

''.

Gordon MacRae Albert Gordon MacRae (March 12, 1921 – January 24, 1986) was an American actor, singer and radio/television host who appeared in the film versions of two Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals ''Oklahoma!'' (1955) and '' Carousel'' (1956) and who p ...

recorded a 10-inch LP for Capitol Records (Capitol H-219) in 1950 with Lucille Norman. It was repackaged as a split release in 1956 on one side of a 12-inch album with

Rudolf Friml Charles Rudolf Friml"Mrs. Rudolf Friml to Receive Divorce"
...

's '' The Vagabond King'' on the reverse, also with Lucille Norman (Capitol T-219). That release was reissued on CD in 2011 by Vintage Music. ''

Reader's Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wif ...

'' included the operetta in the 1963 collection, ''A Treasury of Great Operettas'', starring Jeanette Scovotti and Peter Palmer and conducted by Lehman Engel. As part of a new series of stereo recordings of classic operettas, Capitol had MacRae and

Dorothy Kirsten Dorothy Kirsten (July 6, 1910, Montclair, New Jersey – November 18, 1992, Los Angeles, California) was an American operatic soprano. Biography Kirsten's mother was an organist and music teacher, her grandfather was a conductor, and her great-a ...

record three studio cast albums in 1962 and 1963. Their selections from ''The New Moon'' (Capitol SW-1966) are available on the EMI CD ''Music of Sigmund Romberg'', along with selections from ''

'' (Capitol SW-1841), and ''

'' (Capitol SW-1842). The Encores! cast recorded the entire score in 2004, using the original orchestrations, for

Ghostlight Records Sh-K-Boom Records is an independent record label and producer of recorded and live entertainment, which was founded in 2000 by Kurt Deutsch with the mission of bridging the gap between pop music and theater. In 2004 Sh-K-Boom created their secon ...

. A reviewer wrote in ''Playbill'' that the recording "is eminently enjoyable. ... ''The New Moon'' is vibrant, full-bodied and – yes – stouthearted." John Kenrick praised Rodney Gilfry,

Christiane Noll Christiane Noll (born October 5, 1968) is an American actress and singer known for her work in musicals and on the concert stage. She originated the role of Emma Carew in Frank Wildhorn's '' Jekyll & Hyde'', and had roles in '' Urinetown'', ''Rag ...

, Brandon Jovanovich, the supporting cast and the conducting, writing: "What a spectacular delight! ... hesongs soar, exploding with romance and swashbuckling bravado."Kenrick, John
"CD Reviews – 2005"
Musicals101.com, accessed July 14, 2014

References

External links

*
IBDB listing for the original Broadway production
* ttps://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE6DC1739F93BA1575BC0A960948260 ''NY Times'' review of the 1986 City Opera production {{DEFAULTSORT:New Moon, The English-language operettas 1928 operas Operas Musicals by Sigmund Romberg