''Leányvásár'' (Girls' Market) is a Hungarian

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs and including dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, and length of the work. Apart from its shorter length, the oper ...

composed by

Victor Jacobi Victor Jacobi (22 October 1883 – 10 December 1921) was a Hungarian operetta composer. He studied at the Zeneakadémia (Academy of Music) in Budapest at the same time as the noted Hungarian composers Imre Kálmán and Albert Szirmai. Jaco ...

with a libretto by

Miklós Bródy Miklós Bródy (30 March 1877 – 17 December 1949) was a Hungarian–Romanian composer, conductor, and chess master. Bródy was born in Nagykároly, Kingdom of Hungary, Austria-Hungary, now Carei, Romania; he died, aged 72, in Cluj-Napoca, ...

and . It was premiered on 14 November 1911 at the (King Theater) in

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

. It was adapted several times, as ''The Marriage Market'' in 1913 and as ''Szibill''/''Sybill''/''Sybil'' in 1914, all of which had several successful productions,Scott
Appendix 1 – Productions of Operetta from the German Stage on Broadway and in the West End, 1900–1940, pp. 290–311
/ref> and as ''Jack'' in Spanish. The operetta has also been adapted to the screen multiple times. The first adaptation was a 1919

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

, ''Leányvásár'', directed by Antal Forgács (1881–1930), which used the libretto by Bródy and Martos as the basis for its story. A 1941 Hungarian-language sound film of the same name included the score by Jacobi. It starred

Zita Szeleczky Zita Szeleczky (born Zita Klára Terézia Szeleczky 20 April 1915 – 12 July 1999) was a Hungary, Hungarian stage actress, stage and film actress. Life She graduated from theatre school in 1937 and was discovered the following year. She woul ...

as Lucy Gergely,

János Sárdy János Sárdy (1907–1969) was a Hungarian opera singer and film actor. He frequently starred in films featuring his characters being lifted out of poverty by their natural talent at singing.Bolton & Wright p.48 Selected filmography * ''You Are ...

as Dr. Péter Haday, and

Manyi Kiss Manyi Kiss (born Margit Kiss; 12 March 1911 – 24 March 1971) was a Hungarian actress known for her prolific career in theater and film. She was active in the Hungarian entertainment industry from 1926 until her death in 1971. Career She was ...

as Biri, and was directed by

Félix Podmaniczky Félix Podmaniczky (1914–1990) was a Hungarian film director and screenwriter. The son of a baron by background, he was also known as Felix von Podmaniczky. In 1956 he fled Hungarian People's Republic, Communist Hungary and settled in West Germa ...

. The operetta was adapted again into a 1985 Hungarian-language

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

, also titled ''Leányvásár'', which starred the actress as Lucy Harryson with the singing voice of Lucy being dubbed by opera singer .Hermann, p. 560

''The Marriage Market''

''The Marriage Market'' is an English-language adaptation of ''Leányvásár'', adaptated by

Gladys Unger Gladys Buchanan Unger (September 16, 1884 or 1885 – May 25, 1940) was an American author who also lived in England, and who wrote plays for Broadway and the West End, as well as screenplays for Hollywood. She was the author of well over a doze ...

, with lyrics by Arthur Anderson and

Adrian Ross Arthur Reed Ropes (23 December 1859 – 11 September 1933), better known under the pseudonym Adrian Ross, was a prolific English writer of lyrics, contributing songs to more than sixty British musical comedies in the late 19th and early 20th ...

. ''The Marriage Market'' was the operetta's first English-language production, in 1913, at

Daly's Theatre Daly's Theatre was a theatre in the City of Westminster. It was located at 2 Cranbourn Street, just off Leicester Square. It opened on 27 June 1893, and was demolished in 1937. The theatre was built for and named after the American impresa ...

in London, starring

Gertie Millar Gertrude Ward, Countess of Dudley ( Millar; 21 February 1879 – 25 April 1952), known as Gertie Millar, was an English actress and singer of the early 20th century, known for her performances in Edwardian musical comedies. Beginning her care ...

as Kitty Kent, produced by

George Edwardes George Joseph Edwardes (né Edwards; 8 October 1855 – 4 October 1915) was an English theatre manager and producer of Irish ancestry who brought a new era in musical theatre to the British stage and beyond. Edwardes started out in theatre ma ...

and directed by Edward Royce, and at the Knickerbocker Theatre on Broadway, produced by

Charles Frohman Charles Frohman (July 15, 1856 – May 7, 1915) was an American theater manager and producer, who discovered and promoted many stars of the American stage. Frohman produced over 700 shows, and among his biggest hits was '' Peter Pan'', both ...

, again directed by Royce, with additional songs by

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over ...

. The cast also included

Robert Michaelis Robert Armand René Michaelis (22 December 1878 – 29 August 1965) was a French-born actor and singer who worked in musical theatre, mainly in England, but he also made appearances on Broadway. By 1901, Michaelis and his parents had settled in ...

as Jack Fleetwood, E. A. Douglas as Senator Abe K. Gilroy,

Tom Walls Thomas Kirby Walls (18 February 1883 – 27 November 1949) was an English stage and film actor, producer and director, best known for presenting and co-starring in the Aldwych farces in the 1920s and for starring in and directing the film adapt ...

as Bald-Faced Sandy.

Musical numbers

;Act 1 *Little Chiquita – Pablo and Chorus *Compliments – Mariposa, Kitty and Jack *Never Count Your Chickens Before They're Hatched – Emma and Blinker *American Courtship – Kitty *The One I Love – Mariposa and Jack *Come On Boys for This Is Market Day – Chorus *Hand in Hand – Mariposa, Jack, Kitty and Hurlingham ;Act 2 *All the Ladies Love a Sailor Man – Captain *Love of Mine – Mariposa and Jack *The Middy – Kitty *A 1 – Blinker *On Their Honeymoon – Company *June Is in the Air – Mariposa and Jack *Answers – Kitty *How Things Happen – Hurlingham and Blinker ;Act 3 *It's Late Now – Blinker *Jilolo – Kitty ;Additional numbers *I'm Not a Silly Billy – Kitty *The Boy in Blue – Captain *I Don't Believe in Fairies Now – Blinker *The Heart of a Sailor – Captain and chorus *Very Little Time for Loving Nowadays – Blinker and chorus *Joy Bells – Blinker and chorus

' and ''Sybil''

''Szibill'' is an adaptation of ''Leányvásár'' by the original librettists. It was first performed on 27 February 1914, at the Király Színház (King's Theatre) in Budapest starring

Sári Fedák Sári Fedák (born Sarolta Klára Mária Fedák; 27 September 1879, in Beregszász, Hungary (now Berehove, Ukraine – 5 May 1955, in Budapest, Hungary) was a Hungarian actress and singer, one of the most well-known prima donnas of her time. ...

in the title role; it rapidly made its way around Europe, playing in Vienna (1919) and most successfully in London (1919). An English-language version by Harry Graham, with lyrics by Harry B. Smith, titled ''Sybil'' and containing additional numbers by Jacobi to lyrics by Smith, was first performed in Washington, D.C., and then, from 10 January 1916, at the

Liberty Theatre The Liberty Theatre is a former Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 234 West 42nd Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1904, the theater was designed by Herts & Tallant ...

in New York, with

Julia Sanderson Julia Sanderson (born Julia Ellen Sackett; August 27, 1887 – January 27, 1975) was a Broadway actress and singer. In 1887, she was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, to parents Albert H. Sackett (also a Broadway actor) and Jeanette Elvira San ...

in the title role. Graham's version was later produced by the

Company at the

Prince's Theatre, Manchester The Prince's Theatre in Oxford Street, Manchester, England, was built at a cost of £20,000 in 1864. Under the artistic and managerial leadership of Charles Calvert, "Manchester's most celebrated actor-manager", it soon became a great popular suc ...

, on 26 December 1920, and at

in London on 19 February 1921, with

José Collins Charlotte Josephine Collins (23 May 1887 – 6 December 1958) was an English actress and singer known by her stage name, José Collins, who was celebrated for her performances in musical comedies, such as the long-running ''The Maid of the Mo ...

as Sybil, running for 374 performances. It was also produced on Broadway by Frohman and in London by

Seymour Hicks Sir Edward Seymour Hicks (30 January 1871 – 6 April 1949), better known as Seymour Hicks, was a British actor, music hall performer, playwright, actor-manager and producer. He became known, early in his career, for writing, starring in and p ...

, starring Collins.

Synopsis

Act 1

At the Grand Hotel Szibill (or "Sybil") Renaud is a young French singer recently arrived in Bomsk (

Tomsk Tomsk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Tomsk Oblast in Russia, on the Tom (river), Tom River. Population: Founded in 1604, Tomsk is one of the oldest cities in Siberia. It has six univers ...

), a provincial, Russian town. She encounters the army Lieutenant Paul Petrov, a guards officer who fell in love with her in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

and who has now deserted his regiment, begging Szibill to run away with him back to Paris. When the town Governor arrives with a warrant to arrest Petrov, Szibill protests so strongly that the governor thinks she must be the Grand Duchess who is expected to arrive in the city that day with her husband the Grand Duke Constantine. Szibill goes along with the deception; and after a series of close shaves also involving her manager Poire and his young wife Margot (Charlotte in the Hungarian original), the Governor leaves with his troop of hussars, while Szibill leaves for a ball, still pretending to be the Grand Duchess. Finally the Grand Duke himself arrives. Puzzled to find that his "wife's" shawl (which in her hurry Szibill has left behind) is not one he recognises, he too leaves for the reception.

Act 2

That evening, at the ball in the Governor's palace, the Grand Duke arrives but decides to play along with Szibill's deception that she is his wife, taking the opportunity to press for her favours. Szibill becomes very nervous and sends Petrov to find the real Grand Duchess (Anna) back at the hotel. When Anna sweeps into the ball, she is announced as Madame Sybill Renaud of the Opéra-Comique, Paris. Taken aback, The Grand Duke becomes jealous: he returns to the hotel with Szibill, leaving his wife to come back with Petrov.

Act 3

At the Grand Hotel, the Grand Duke apologises to Szibill for his unwanted advances, while Anna's jealousy is calmed by Petrov. Poire and Margot (who had apparently been seduced by the Governor) sort out their differences too. Szibill succeeds in obtaining a pardon for Petrov's desertion, and all ends happily as the singer looks forward to an unclouded new life with her lover in Paris.

Other adaptations

In 1916 a Spanish-language version was produced, in an adaptation by Emilio González del Castillo, at the

Teatro de la Zarzuela The Teatro de la Zarzuela is a theatre in Madrid, Spain. The theatre is today mainly devoted to zarzuela (the Spanish traditional musical theatre genre), as well as operetta and recitals. History The theatre was designed by architect Jerónim ...

in Madrid, under the title ''Jack''. Jacobi's music was adapted by

Pablo Luna Pablo Luna Carné (May 21, 1879 Alhama de Aragón – January 28, 1942 Madrid) was a Spanish composer.Vincent J. Cincotta Zarzuela, the Spanish lyric theatre: a complete reference 2003 "Along with Amadeo Vives, Jose Serrano, Francisco Alonso and ...

References

Citations

Sources

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