The Lilac Domino
Encyclopedia
Der lila Domino is an operetta
in three acts by Charles Cuvillier
. The original German libretto
is by Emmerich von Gatti and Béla Jenbach, about a gambling count who falls in love at a masquerade ball with a noblewoman wearing a lilac domino mask
.
The operetta achieved far greater popularity in Britain and America than it did in Germany or France. Although The Lilac Domino became Cuvillier's greatest international hit, he won success in his native Paris with the operetta La reine s'amuse (1912; The Naughty Princess
in London, 1920). He was popular in Germany before the First World War, and Der lila Domino was the first of two operettas that he wrote for German theatres.
, Germany, on February 3, 1912, where it was a failure. Although produced with success in the U.S. (1914) and outstanding success in the UK (1918), the work was not seen in France until 1947, when a production was mounted at Mulhouse
, with a cast including Willy Clément
.
, lyrics by Robert B. Smith
, and additional songs by Howard Carr and Donovan Parsons, it opened on Broadway
at the 44th Street Theatre
on October 28, 1914, produced by Andreas Dippel
. It received favourable notices and ran for 109 performances, starring Eleanor Painter and the English baritone Wilfrid Douthitt, followed by a North American tour. In the U.S. and UK versions, the setting was changed from Nice
, France to Palm Beach, Florida
.
in October 1919. The piece ran for a total of 747 performances, closing on December 13, 1919, an extraordinarily long run at that time. The London cast starred Clara Butterworth and Jamieson Dodds. It became the third of London's great World War I hits after Chu Chin Chow
(1916) and The Maid of the Mountains
(1917). Some of its success in London was due to interpolated numbers by the Empire Theatre's musical director, Howard Carr (1880–1960), A nephew of the composer Howard Talbot
. One newspaper review commented, "The music throughout is beautiful and even if the whole company were to dispense with costumes and sit in a ring like Christy Minstrels, the Lilac Domino would be a success". To which the humorous magazine Punch
responded, "We can well believe it."
Pigott, who played the role of the heroine's millionaire father, died suddenly in his dressing room, during the run, having not missed a single performance of the first 565.
The Lilac Domino remained in the British musical theatre repertoire until after World War II, also touring in Britain, Australia and elsewhere. Jamieson Doods, from the London cast, led the first Australian tour in 1920. Notable revivals included a 1944 production at His Majesty's Theatre
in London starring Pat Taylor as Georgine, with a cast including Leo Franklyn, Bernard Clifton, Graham Payn
and Elizabeth French. In 1953 a revised book was prepared by H. F. Maltby, which proved popular with amateur groups and removed the American elements of the original English version, restoring the setting to France.
A film version was released in the UK in 1937 and in the U.S. in 1940, starring Michael Bartlett as Count Anatole and June Knight
as Shari, the Lilac Domino. The setting was changed to Budapest
.
, at a masquerade ball, everyone is amazed by news that the wealthy old Lyons silk merchant Gaston Le Sage has found a new young bride, a widow named Leonie Lemmonnier. However, Leonie is more interested in Gaston's shy young step-nephew, Paul, who has been promised to Gaston's 18-year-old daughter Georgine. Georgine arrives masked and identified only as the "Lilac Domino
". Meanwhile, three young men have lost heavily at cards. They agree that one must seek a wealthy bride in order to repay their gambling debts. Count André de St. Armand is chosen by the roll of dice to do the marrying. Fortunately, he has already fallen in love with a girl in a lilac domino. However, Georgine learns of the dice game, believes that André is wooing her only for her money, and breaks things off with him even though she returns his love. A gypsy violinist helps to solve the complications and unite the lovers. All ends happily.
Act II
Act III
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
in three acts by Charles Cuvillier
Charles Cuvillier
Charles Cuvillier was a French composer of operetta. He won his greatest successes with the operettas La reine s'amuse and with The Lilac Domino, which became a hit in 1918 in London.-Biography:Cuvillier was born in Paris, and studied at the Paris Conservatoire with Gabriel Fauré and...
. The original German libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
is by Emmerich von Gatti and Béla Jenbach, about a gambling count who falls in love at a masquerade ball with a noblewoman wearing a lilac domino mask
Domino mask
A domino mask is a small, rounded mask covering only the eyes and the space between them. Since the 18th century, the domino mask is worn during carnival. Venetian Carnival masks were known as domini because they resembled French priests' winter hoods, being black on the outside and white on the...
.
The operetta achieved far greater popularity in Britain and America than it did in Germany or France. Although The Lilac Domino became Cuvillier's greatest international hit, he won success in his native Paris with the operetta La reine s'amuse (1912; The Naughty Princess
The Naughty Princess
The Naughty Princess is an opéra bouffe with music by Charles Cuvillier, book by J. Hastings Turner, and lyrics by Adrian Ross. The work, adapted from La reine joyeuse by Cuvillier and Andre Barde, depicts a princess with very modern ideas, who rebels against arranged marriage and court etiquette...
in London, 1920). He was popular in Germany before the First World War, and Der lila Domino was the first of two operettas that he wrote for German theatres.
Performance history
Der lila Domino was first performed in LeipzigLeipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, Germany, on February 3, 1912, where it was a failure. Although produced with success in the U.S. (1914) and outstanding success in the UK (1918), the work was not seen in France until 1947, when a production was mounted at Mulhouse
Mulhouse
Mulhouse |mill]] hamlet) is a city and commune in eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. With a population of 110,514 and 278,206 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2006, it is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin département, and the second largest in the Alsace region after...
, with a cast including Willy Clément
Willy Clément
Willy Clément was a French baritone , who was noted in light baritone roles and operetta. -Life and career:...
.
Broadway version
Entitled The Lilac Domino, with an English libretto by Harry B. SmithHarry B. Smith
Harry Bache Smith was a writer, lyricist and composer. The most prolific of all American stage writers, he is said to have written over 300 librettos and more than 6000 lyrics. Some of his best-known works were librettos for the composer Victor Herbert...
, lyrics by Robert B. Smith
Robert Bache Smith
Robert Bache Smith , usually published as Robert B. Smith, was an American librettist and lyricist. His older brother, Harry B. Smith, was also a successful lyricist and a writer and composer....
, and additional songs by Howard Carr and Donovan Parsons, it opened on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
at the 44th Street Theatre
44th Street Theatre
The 44th Street Theatre was a New York City Broadway theatre from 1912 to 1945 in the United States of America. It was located on Broadway, at West 44th Street. Architect was William A. Swansea. Built by the Shuberts, and first named Weber and Fields' Music Hall, its name was changed when the...
on October 28, 1914, produced by Andreas Dippel
Andreas Dippel
Andreas Dippel was a German-born operatic tenor and impressario who from 1908 to 1910 was the joint manager of the New York Metropolitan Opera.-Biography:...
. It received favourable notices and ran for 109 performances, starring Eleanor Painter and the English baritone Wilfrid Douthitt, followed by a North American tour. In the U.S. and UK versions, the setting was changed from Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, France to Palm Beach, Florida
Palm Beach, Florida
The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
.
Broadway cast, 1914
- Vicomte de Brissac – George Curzon
- Georgine – Eleanor Painter
- Elledon – James Harrod
- Leonie D'Andorcet – René Detling
- Count André de St. Amand – Wilfrid Douthitt
- Prosper – John E. Hazzard
- Casimir – Robert O'Connor
- Baroness de Villiers – Jeanne Maubourg
- Istvan – Harry Herrosen
London version
A new version was presented in London, with revised dialogue by S. J. Adair Fitzgerald, opening at the Empire Theatre on February 21, 1918 and running there until September 27, 1919. After a brief break, the production transferred to the Palace TheatrePalace Theatre, London
The Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster in London. It is an imposing red-brick building that dominates the west side of Cambridge Circus and is located near the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road...
in October 1919. The piece ran for a total of 747 performances, closing on December 13, 1919, an extraordinarily long run at that time. The London cast starred Clara Butterworth and Jamieson Dodds. It became the third of London's great World War I hits after Chu Chin Chow
Chu Chin Chow
Chu Chin Chow is a musical comedy written, produced and directed by Oscar Asche, with music by Frederic Norton, based on the story of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves...
(1916) and The Maid of the Mountains
The Maid of the Mountains
The Maid of the Mountains, called in its original score a musical play, is an operetta or musical comedy in three acts. The music was by Harold Fraser-Simson, with additional music by James W...
(1917). Some of its success in London was due to interpolated numbers by the Empire Theatre's musical director, Howard Carr (1880–1960), A nephew of the composer Howard Talbot
Howard Talbot
Richard Lansdale Munkittrick, better known as Howard Talbot , was an American-born, English-raised conductor and composer of Irish descent...
. One newspaper review commented, "The music throughout is beautiful and even if the whole company were to dispense with costumes and sit in a ring like Christy Minstrels, the Lilac Domino would be a success". To which the humorous magazine Punch
Punch (magazine)
Punch, or the London Charivari was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 50s, when it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration...
responded, "We can well believe it."
London cast, 1918
- Cornelius Cleveden – R. Stuart Pigott
- Leonie Forde – Josephine Earle
- Elliston Deyn – Vincent Sullivan
- Prosper Woodhouse – Frank Lalor
- Norman J. Calmain – Edwin Wilson
- The Hon. Aubrey D'Aubigny – Jamieson Dodds
- Carabana – Dallas Anderson
- Georgine – Clara Butterworth
- Baroness de Villiers – Andrée Corday
Pigott, who played the role of the heroine's millionaire father, died suddenly in his dressing room, during the run, having not missed a single performance of the first 565.
The Lilac Domino remained in the British musical theatre repertoire until after World War II, also touring in Britain, Australia and elsewhere. Jamieson Doods, from the London cast, led the first Australian tour in 1920. Notable revivals included a 1944 production at His Majesty's Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre, in Haymarket, City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at the theatre...
in London starring Pat Taylor as Georgine, with a cast including Leo Franklyn, Bernard Clifton, Graham Payn
Graham Payn
Graham Payn was a South African-born English actor and singer, also known for being the life partner of the playwright Noël Coward. Beginning as a boy soprano, Payn later made a career as a singer and actor in the works of Coward and others...
and Elizabeth French. In 1953 a revised book was prepared by H. F. Maltby, which proved popular with amateur groups and removed the American elements of the original English version, restoring the setting to France.
A film version was released in the UK in 1937 and in the U.S. in 1940, starring Michael Bartlett as Count Anatole and June Knight
June Knight
June Knight was an American Broadway and film actress.Aged 19, she appeared in the last Ziegfeld Follies show, Hot-Cha!...
as Shari, the Lilac Domino. The setting was changed to Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
.
Synopsis
At Hotel Parnasse in Nice, during CarnivalCarnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
, at a masquerade ball, everyone is amazed by news that the wealthy old Lyons silk merchant Gaston Le Sage has found a new young bride, a widow named Leonie Lemmonnier. However, Leonie is more interested in Gaston's shy young step-nephew, Paul, who has been promised to Gaston's 18-year-old daughter Georgine. Georgine arrives masked and identified only as the "Lilac Domino
Domino mask
A domino mask is a small, rounded mask covering only the eyes and the space between them. Since the 18th century, the domino mask is worn during carnival. Venetian Carnival masks were known as domini because they resembled French priests' winter hoods, being black on the outside and white on the...
". Meanwhile, three young men have lost heavily at cards. They agree that one must seek a wealthy bride in order to repay their gambling debts. Count André de St. Armand is chosen by the roll of dice to do the marrying. Fortunately, he has already fallen in love with a girl in a lilac domino. However, Georgine learns of the dice game, believes that André is wooing her only for her money, and breaks things off with him even though she returns his love. A gypsy violinist helps to solve the complications and unite the lovers. All ends happily.
Musical numbers (London version)
Act I- 1. No Fools Like Old Fools – Company
- 2. We Girls Don't Like Them Shy – Léonie
- 3. Let the Gypsies Play – Jack
- 4. My Fate – Georgine
- 5. The Lilac Domino – Georgine
- 6. Finale Act I: This Seems to Me a Tricky Business – Drake, Bertie, Raymond, Jack
Act II
- 7. For Your Love I Am Waiting – Léonie
- 8. A Pretty Pair – Montague & Bertie
- 9. Hello! Lilac Domino! – Jack with Georgine
- 10. Bells of Bon Secour – Jack
- 11. Dancing, Dancing – Drake, Raymond, Jack, Georgine, Léonie, Gaston and Paul
- 12. What Has Gone – Georgine
- 13. Finale Act II: – Seek, Find, Love's Blind
Act III
- 14. Carnival Night
- 15. All Line Up in a Queue – Drake and Girls
- 16. Ah! Ah! Ah! / Tarantella – Girls
- 17. We Girls Don't Like Them Shy (Reprise) – Léonie
- 18. Carte de jour – Guests
- 19. Finale Act III: The Domino! The Lilac Domino! – Company
External links
- Lilac Domino at the Guide to Musical Theatre
- List of longest running plays in London and New York
- The Lilac Domino at the IBDB Database
- NY Times review of the Broadway production
- Information about the 1937 film
- Photo on the set of the film