''Red Feather'' is a
comic opera
Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue.
Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...
in two acts with music by
Reginald De Koven
Henry Louis Reginald De Koven (April 3, 1859January 16, 1920) was an American music critic and prolific composer, particularly of comic operas.
Biography
De Koven was born in Middletown, Connecticut, and moved to Europe in 1870, where he receive ...
, a
libretto
A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...
by
Charles Klein, and lyrics by Charles Emerson Cook.
[Ross Griffel, p. 409]
Production history
Produced by
Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., ''Red Feather'' premiered on
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 ...
at the
Lyric Theatre on November 9, 1903.
It closed at that theatre on January 2, 1904, after 60 performances.
[Dietz, p. 190-191] The show was remounted at the
Grand Opera House in April 1904 for further performances.
Louis F. Gottschalk served as musical director for the production and the work was staged by
Joseph W. Herbert and
Max Figman.
Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious and political leader and the founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. Publishing the Book of Mormon at the age of 24, Smith attracted tens of thou ...
choreographed dances in the show, and the sets were design by
Ernest Albert.
Caroline Seidle designed the costumes.
''Red Feather'' starred soprano
Grace Van Studdiford as Countess Hilda von Draga, a.k.a. "Red Feather", George L. Tallman as Captain Trevors, and
Thomas Q. Seabrooke as Baron Bulverstrauss. Others in the cast included Stanley Hawkins as H.R.H. Crown Prince of Romancia,
Elise de Vère as Mlle. Fifine, Louis Casavant as Colonel McPatrick, Olive Celeste Moore as Anita, Lillian Sefton as Prada, Margaret Hubbard Ayer as Daphne, and F. Stuart Hyatt as Bagstock Bowler.
Plot
Setting: The fictional town of Romancia and the Castle of Countess von Draga
Countess Hilda von Draga is romantically pursued by both H.R.H. Crown Prince of Romancia and Captain Trevors. Unknown to both men, the Countess has plans to overthrow the monarchy of Romania, and is in fact the mysterious 'male bandit' "Red Feather" whose activities have been troubling the crown. Captain Trevors is tasked with capturing the elusive Red Feather by the Crown Prince, unaware that his target is the woman he loves.
Classification
The published score of ''Red Feather'' describes the work as a comic opera in two acts, and the work has an entry in ''Operas in English: A Dictionary'' (2013).
However, musical theatre scholar Dan Dietz, while noting that the work was described as a "romantic opera" by its creators in interviews, labeled the work as the first "
musical
Musical is the adjective of music.
Musical may also refer to:
* Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance
* Musical film
Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...
" to be performed on the stage of the newly built Lyric Theatre, and overall questioned its description as an opera.
In contrast, the ''
Musical Courier'' critical review at the time of the production had a very different opinion. It stated the following,
"''Red Feather'' is wholly devoid of coarseness. It can not be classed as a 'comic opera'; it is something higher than that. It possesses all the essentials of a romantic opera and is wanting so many of the objectionable features which mar so many of the light operas."
Music historian
Richard Traubner
Richard Traubner (November 24, 1946 – February 25, 2013) was an American journalist, author, operetta scholar and historian, and lecturer on theatre and (mostly musical) film. His best-known book, ''Operetta: A Theatrical History'', was first pu ...
included the work as an example of American
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 his book ''Operetta: A Theatrical History'' (2004).
[Traubner, p. 343]
References
Bibliography
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External links
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*{{cite book, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5AERAAAAYAAJ&q=%22red+feather%22+%22opera%22, title=Red Feather: A Comic Opera in Two Acts, author=Reginald De Koven, Charles Klein, publisher=J. W. Stern Publishing Company, year=1903 (opera score)
1903 operas
1903 musicals
Broadway musicals
Musicals set in fictional countries
Musicals set in castles
Operas by Reginald De Koven
English-language operas
Operettas