The Wizard of the Nile was a burlesque operetta

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, composed by Victor Herbert

Victor Herbert

Victor August Herbert was an Irish-born, German-raised American composer, cellist and conductor. Although Herbert enjoyed important careers as a cello soloist and conductor, he is best known for composing many successful operettas that premiered on Broadway from the 1890s to World War I...

 to a libretto by Harry B. Smith

Harry 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...

.

Herbert's second operetta after Prince Ananias

Prince Ananias

Prince Ananias was the first operetta composed by Victor Herbert, to a libretto by Francis Neilson. It was produced by a troupe called "The Bostonians" at The Broadway Theatre in 1894 and remained in their repertoire for three seasons and was given more than 300 performances in all.- References...

, The Wizard of the Nile was his first real success. It was given 105 performances on Broadway at the Casino Theatre, opening on November 4, 1895, starring the comedian Frank Daniels

Frank Daniels

Frank Albert Daniels was a comedian, an actor on stage and in early black-and-white films, and a singer....

 (and his Comic Opera Company), and enjoyed productions in Britain and on the European continent -- a rare achievement for an American work of the period -- as well as a revival in New York. None of Herbert's later shows would achieve as much international success.

Daniels played Kibosh, the Persian Magician. His phrase, "Am I a wiz?" became a popular expression. Edwin Isham also starred. Famous songs include the waltz "Star Light, Star Bright", "My Angeline" and "In Dreamland". A recording of this piece is available here.

Roles and original cast

• KIBOSH, a Persian magician, making a professional tour of Egypt – Frank Daniels
  Frank Daniels
  Frank Albert Daniels was a comedian, an actor on stage and in early black-and-white films, and a singer....
  
  
• ABYDOS, his apprentice – Louise Royce
• PTOLEMY, King of Egypt – Walter Allen
• SIMOONA, Ptolemy's second wife – Mary Palmer
• CLEOPATRA, a Princess who knows naught of love – Dorothy Morton
• PTARMIGAN, Cleopatra's music teacher – Edwin Isham
• CHEOPS, the royal weather bureau – Louis Casavant
• OBELISKA, captain of the Amazons – Helen Redmond
• NETOCRIS, lieutenant of the Amazons – Claudia Carlstedt
• MERZA, first maid-of-honor to Cleopatra – Grace Rutter

Musical numbers

• Overture

Act I - Public Square in Alexandria.

• No. 1 - Opening Ensemble - "Aïah! Aïah! Aïah! Aïah! Father Nile, keep us in thy care"
• No. 2 - Duet - Obeliska and Cheops, with Chorus - "He's not egotistic, but most optimistic"
• No. 3 - Oriental March - "Strew the way with flow'rets blooming"
• No. 4 - Duet - Ptolemy, Simoona and Chorus - "I am the ruler of the whole Egyptian nation"
• No. 5 - Song - Kibosh and Chorus - "Of all the magicians of lofty positions who give exhibitions, I'm easily King."
• No. 6a - Chorus - "Pure and white is the Lotos Lily flower, tira la!"
• No. 6b - Solo with Chorus - Cleopatra - "I have been a-maying, though the month is June"
• No. 7 - Duet - Kibosh and Cleopatra - "Tell me, tell me prithee tell me"
• No. 8 - Solo - Ptarmigan - "If it were for me to lead to glory"
• No. 9 - Finale Act I - "Strew the way with flow'rets blooming, deck the paths with garlands gay."

Act II - Terraced roof of the King's palace.

• No. 10 - Serenade, with Abydos and Cheops - "List to our matin serenade, Princess, Princess fair"
• No. 10a - Scene - (in which Kibosh is pursued by an alligator, which eventually retreats in disgust)
• No. 11 - Duet - Ptarmigan and Cleopatra - "If I were a King, I would kneel, sweetheart, to thee"
• No. 12 - Quintette - Cleopatra, Abydos, Simoona, Ptolemy and Cheops - "On Cleopatra's wedding day"
• No. 13 - Song - Kibosh and Chorus - "She kept her secret well"
• No. 14 - Finale Act II - "Oh agony, unutterable woe!"

Act III - Interior of the King's private pyramid.

• No. 15 - Introduction and Stonecutters' Song - Ptarmigan and Male Chorus - "Work away, work away with a song, my boys."
• No. 16 - Solo - Cleopatra - "I seem to have known you my whole life long"
• No. 16a - Entrance of Kibosh, Simoona, Ptolemy and Cheops
• No. 17 - Waltz Quintette - Abydos, Simoona, Kibosh, Cheops and Ptolemy - "When sitting alone at eventide"
• No. 18 - Pages' Chorus - "To the pyramid softly stealing now we come"
• No. 19 - Echo Duet - Kibosh, Ptolemy and Pages - "In our bravery we're peerless"
• No. 20 - Finale Act III - "Ah! love we know"