Babette (musical)
Babette is a Broadway operetta with a libretto by Harry B. Smith and music by Victor Herbert, which premiered in 1903.[1]
Productions[edit]
The original production opened at the Broadway Theatre on November 16, 1903, and closed on January 9, 1904, after 59 performances.[2]
In 1976 Bel Canto Opera staged an off-Broadway revival of the show, which opened on May 21 and ran for four performances.[2][3][4]
Synopsis[edit]
Babette, the letter-writer of a small Flemish village, travels with a group of Flemish patriots to Versailles to seek help from the French king in their desire for freedom from the Spanish.[4]
Songs[edit]
Act l[edit]
- Opening Chorus (Ensemble)
- My Honor and My Sword (Mondragon and Chorus)
- On the Other Side of The Wall (Mondragon and Vinetta)
- Entrance of Babette (Ensemble)
- Letter I Write all day (Letter-writing Song) (Babette)
- He Who’d Thrive (Clockmaker’s Song) (Van Tympel and Chorus)
- I’ll Bribe the Stars (Picture Painting Song) (Babette and Marcel)
- Finale I (Ensemble)
Act ll[edit]
- Opening Chorus Act II (Ensemble)
- Tony the Peddler (Mondragon and Chorus)
- Hear the Coachman Crack His Whip (Ensemble)
- We're Very Highly Polished at the Court (Baltazar and Vinetta)
- To the Sound of the Pipe and the Roll of the Drum (Babette, Vinetta, Eva and Chorus)
- On The Stage (Van Tymple)
- Be Kind to poor Pierrot (Babette)
- There once was an owl (Marcel, Vinetta, Eva, Mondragon, Katrina, Theresa)
- My Lady ‘Tis For Thee (Marcel)
- The Life of a Bold Free Lance (Captain Guzman and Chorus)
- Finale II (Ensemble)
Act lll[edit]
- Opening Chorus Act III (Ensemble)
- It’s A way we have in Spain (Van Tromp, Eva, Mondragon, Marcel and Chorus)
- My Lady of the Manor (Vinette, Eva, Marcel and Mondragon)
- Where the Fairest Flow’rs (Butterfly Waltz) (Babette)
- Finale III (Ensemble)[5]
Cast[edit]
| 1903 Broadway[6] | 1976 Revival[4] | |
|---|---|---|
| Babette | Fritzi Scheff | Elizabeth King |
| Mondragon | Eugene Cowles | Mark Munkittrick |
| Eva | Josephine Bartlett | Janet Wagner |
| Katrina | Florence Belleville | |
| Vinette | Ida Hawley | Peggy Hewett |
| Marcel | Richie Ling | Daniel Mele |
| Van Tympel | Louis Harrison | David L. Scatter |
| Baltazar | Edward J. Connelly | Blaine Brown |
| Laurent | Gertrude Adams | |
| Count de Courville | Arthur Blanchard | |
| Jan | Frank Boyle | |
| Henri | Rita Dean | |
| The King of France | Erroll Dunbar | |
| Margot | Rosa Earle | |
| Captain Waither | Alfred S. Ely | |
| Mlle. de Fontanges | Mildred Forest | |
| Greta | Edna Luby | |
| Teresa | Emily Montague | |
| Joan | Adele Nott | |
| Gaston | Helen Planchet | |
| Jacque | Aline Redmond | |
| Mlle. de Rohan | May Seeley | |
| Schnapps | William Sissons | |
| Guzman | Madison Smith | |
| Coachman | J. T. Chaillee | |
| A Court Lady | Mary Smith | |
| Footman | Charles Emerson | |
| Duc de St. Michel | Henry Wilkinson | |
| Marquis de Villette | George Williamson | |
| Mlle. de la Motte | Bertha Willoughby |
Reception[edit]
The 1903 production received positive reviews for Scheff in the lead role and Herbert's music, but generally negative reviews for the show's book.[7]
External links[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Babette - 1903 Broadway - Creative Team". www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
- ^ a b "Babette - 1903 Broadway - Backstage & Production Info". www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
- ^ "Babette - 1976 Off-Broadway - Backstage & Production Info". www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
- ^ a b c Ericson, Raymond (1976-05-23). "Opera: Rare Herbert by the Bel Canto". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
- ^ "MORE ON BABETTE". Comic Opera Guild. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
- ^ "Babette Original Broadway Musical Cast 1903". Broadway World. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
- ^ Bordman, Gerald Martin (2010). American musical theatre : a chronicle. Richard Norton (4th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 230. ISBN 978-0-19-972970-8. OCLC 656556582.