''Princess Flavia'' is a 1925
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 ...
in three acts based on
Anthony Hope
Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins (9 February 1863 – 8 July 1933), better known as Anthony Hope, was a British novelist and playwright. He was a prolific writer, especially of adventure novels but he is remembered predominantly for only two books: ''T ...
's novel ''
The Prisoner of Zenda
''The Prisoner of Zenda'' is an 1894 adventure novel by Anthony Hope, in which the King of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation and thus is unable to attend the ceremony. Political forces within the realm are such that, in o ...
'', with book and lyrics by
Harry B. Smith and music by
Sigmund Romberg
Sigmund Romberg (July 29, 1887 – November 9, 1951) was a Hungarian-born American composer. He is best known for his Musical theatre, musicals and operettas, particularly ''The Student Prince'' (1924), ''The Desert Song'' (1926) and ''The New Moo ...
. It is set in the fictional European country of Zenda.
Production
''Princess Flavia'' was staged by
J. C. Huffman
and produced by
Lee Shubert
Lee Shubert (born Levi Schubart; March 25, 1871 – December 25, 1953) was a Lithuanian-born American theatre owner/operator and producer. He was the eldest of three brothers of the notable Shubert family.
Biography
Born to a Jewish family, th ...
and
J. J. Shubert. The
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 Stre ...
show opened November 2, 1925, at the
Century Theatre. On February 1, 1926, it moved to the
Shubert Theatre, continuing for a total run of 152 performances.
The large cast was led by
Harry Welchman
Harry Welchman (24 February 1886 – 3 January 1966) was an English star of musical theatre. He made several appearances in non-musical plays, but was remembered as, in the words of ''The Times'', "perhaps the most popular musical comedy hero on t ...
, a popular tenor of the London stage, and soprano Evelyn Herbert in her first starring role.
Cast
*
Harry Welchman
Harry Welchman (24 February 1886 – 3 January 1966) was an English star of musical theatre. He made several appearances in non-musical plays, but was remembered as, in the words of ''The Times'', "perhaps the most popular musical comedy hero on t ...
as Rudolf Rassendyl and Rudolph, Crown Prince of Ruritania
* William Pringle as General Sapt
* John Clarke as Rupert of Hentzau
* William Danforth as Franz Teppich
* James Marshall as Lieut. Fritz van Tarlenheim
*
Alois Havrilla as Gilbert Bertrand
*
Douglass Dumbrille
Douglass Rupert Dumbrille (October 13, 1889 – April 2, 1974) was a Canadian actor who appeared regularly in films from the early 1930s.
Life and career
Douglass Dumbrille ( ) was born in Hamilton, Ontario. As a young man, he was employed ...
as Michael
*
Evelyn Herbert as Princess Flavia
*
Margaret Breen as Helga
* Felicia Drenova as Antoinette de Mauban
*
Maude Odell as Sophie
* Dudley Marwick as Lackey
* Edmund Ruffner as Marshal Momsen
*
Joseph Calleia
Joseph Calleia ( ; born Joseph Alexander Caesar Herstall Vincent Calleja, August 4, 1897 – October 31, 1975) was a Maltese-born American actor and singer on the stage and in films, radio and television.
After serving in the Merchant Navy (Un ...
as Senor Poncho
* Earle Lee as Lord Topham
* Stella Shiel as Princess Edelstein
* Dudley Marwick as Innkeeper
* Alois Havrilla as Josef
* Donald Lee as Cardinal
Songs
;Act I
* Yes or No
* On Comrades
* Marionettes
* What Care I?
* Convent Bells are Ringing
* I Dare Not Love You
* By This Token
;Act II
* Dance With Me
* Twilight Voices
* Only One
;Act III
* I Love Them All
* In Ruritania
Reception
''The New York Times'' review of the premiere of ''Princess Flavia'' described the show as "beautiful, tuneful, majestic and splendid in all its appointments."
Last night's audience, a gathering of habitual theatregoers who have known the splendors of ''The Student Prince
''The Student Prince'' is an operetta in a prologue and 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 (play), Old Heidelberg''. The piece has a scor ...
'' and ''Rose-Marie
''Rose-Marie'' is an operetta-style musical with music by Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart, and book and lyrics by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II. The story is set in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and concerns Rose-Marie La Flemme, a F ...
'' and ''The Love Song'' during recent months, was forced to pay homage repeatedly throughout the evening to the even greater lavishness … and the stirring choruses evoked prolonged ovations at the end of each act.
Particular praise was accorded the performances of Welchman, Herbert, Dumbrille and the large chorus, as well as the sets by Watson Barratt.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Princess Flavia
1925 musicals
Broadway musicals
Musicals based on novels
Musicals by Sigmund Romberg
Musicals set in Europe
Musicals set in fictional countries
Musicals by Harry B. Smith