''Rhapsody'' is an

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 2 Acts by

Fritz Kreisler Friedrich "Fritz" Kreisler (February 2, 1875 – January 29, 1962) was an Austrian-born American violinist and composer. One of the most noted violin masters of his day, he was known for his sweet tone and expressive phrasing, with marked por ...

(music) and John La Touche (lyrics) with a

book A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, ...

Arnold Sundgaard Arnold Olaf Sundgaard (October 31, 1909 – October 22, 2006) was an American playwright, librettist, and lyricist. He was also a writer of short stories and children's books as well as a college professor specializing in drama and theatrics. Sund ...

and Leonard Louis Levinson that is based on an original story by A. N. Nagler. The music from the operetta is taken mainly from Kreisler's 1932 Austrian-language operetta ' and from his large collection of works for violin and piano; with only a relatively small portion of new music by Kreisler being added to the operetta's score. While La Touche was the primary lyricist, playwright Blevins Davis and American composer

Robert Russell Bennett Robert Russell Bennett (June 15, 1894 – August 18, 1981) was an American composer and arranger, best known for his orchestration of many well-known Broadway and Hollywood musicals by other composers such as Irving Berlin, George Gershw ...

also contributed some lyrics. Additionally, Davis was the operetta's producer (along with the New York socialite Lorraine Manville Dresselhuys), and Bennett was the orchestrater of Kreisler's music which was originally scored for piano. The Austrian conductor Fritz Mahler served as the production's music director. Opening at the

New Century Theatre The New Century Theatre was a Broadway theater in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, at 205–207 West 58th Street and 926–932 Seventh Avenue. Opened on October 6, 1921, as Jolson's 59th Street Theatre, the theater was desi ...

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 ...

on November 22, 1944, ''Rhapsody'' is set within the court of Roman Emperor Francis I and

Empress Maria Theresa Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position in her own right. She was the sovereig ...

. The operetta was directed and choreographed by Russian-American ballet dancer

David Lichine David Lichine (; 25 October 1910 – 26 June 1972) was a Russian-American ballet dancer and choreographer. He had an international career as a performer, ballet master, and choreographer, staging works for many ballet companies and for several Hol ...

; who had achieved fame as a leading artist with

The Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded ...

in London and as a choreographer in

Hollywood films The cinema of the United States, primarily associated with major film studios collectively referred to as Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, has significantly influenced the global film industry since the early 20th century. Classical Holly ...

. The production boasted highly expensive and elaborate sets designed by

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

winning designer Oliver Smith; with a production value of $300,000.00 Frank Bevan designed the production's costumes and

Stanley McCandless Stanley Russell McCandless (May 9, 1897 – August 4, 1967) is considered to be the father of modern lighting design. He paved the way for future lighting designers by making contributions to almost all aspects of theatrical lighting, from ...

served as lighting designer. While critics praised the music and the singing of the show's leads, reviews of the operetta's written dialogue were universally bad; and the show was widely mocked in the press as a result. The play closed on December 2, 1944, after just 14 performances which proceeded 8 additional performances given in previews; making it one of the most expensive flops on Broadway at the time that it closed.

Roles

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rhapsody (operetta) 1944 musicals 1944 operas Operas Broadway theatre Original musicals English-language operettas Compositions by Fritz Kreisler Operas by Fritz Kreisler