London Musicals 1945-1949.pub - Over The Footlights
London Musicals 1945-1949.pub - Over The Footlights
London Musicals 1945-1949.pub - Over The Footlights
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THE BIRD SELLER (1 st Revival)<br />
<strong>London</strong> run: Palace, May 29 th<br />
Music: Karl Zeller<br />
Lyrics: Harry S. Pepper<br />
Book: Austin Melford & Rudolf Bernauer<br />
Director: Dennis Arundell<br />
Choreographer: Pauline Grant<br />
Musical Director: Richard Tauber<br />
Producer: Bernard Delfont by arrangement with Tom Arnold & Emile Littler<br />
Cast: James Etherington (Adam), Irene Ambrus (Christel), Douglas Byng (Baron Weps),<br />
Roy Royston (Count Stanislaus), Moya Nugent (Countess Adelaide), Adele Dixon (Empress<br />
Elizabeth), Barry Mackay (Emperor Franz-Joseph)<br />
Songs: Poaching on the Sly, Pardon Baron Please, Flix Flux Flax, Christel from the Post, Roses in Tyrol, Tell Me<br />
Was it You?, <strong>The</strong> Nightingale, <strong>The</strong> Gentian and the Edelweiss Ballet, Dear Love Blind Love, Women Hold the<br />
Reins<br />
Story: In a village near Vienna, Adam, a Tyrolean bird-seller, loves Christel, the village post-mistress, but to get<br />
married, he will need a proper job and the perfect job - Keeper of the Imperial Menagerie - is available. Meantime<br />
Count Stanislaus, hopelessly in debt, is urged by his uncle, Baron Weps, to seek the hand of Countess Adelaide,<br />
lady in waiting to the Empress Elizabeth. Stanislaus plans another way of raising money – he will impersonate the<br />
Emperor and collect monies due and also, perhaps enjoy some dalliances with the village maidens. <strong>The</strong> Empress,<br />
Adelaide and other court ladies arrive, disguised as village maidens and eager to catch their various menfolk<br />
frolicking . It seems to be working well: Adam starts flirting with “Marie” (who is really the Empress) and Christel<br />
turns up to ask the “Emperor” (who is really Stanislaus) if he will consider offering the Menagerie job to Adam. He<br />
invites her into the summer house to discuss the matter. But the real Emperor Franz-Joseph turns up and believes he<br />
has discovered his wife flirting with the bird-seller, just as the real Empress believes her husband is flirting in the<br />
summer-house with the post-mistress. After much misunderstanding, all is eventually solved: Emperor and<br />
Empress are reunited, Stanislaus gets his Adelaide, and Adam gets both his girl and the job.<br />
Notes: <strong>The</strong> original operetta “Der Vogelhändler” was staged at Vienna’s <strong>The</strong>ater an der Wien on January 10 th 1891,<br />
and in Berlin and New York the same year. Its first <strong>London</strong> performance was at the <strong>The</strong>atre Royal, Drury Lane on<br />
June 17 th 1895. Although it remained extremely popular and much revived in Continental Europe, it failed to make<br />
much impact in Britain or America. This was its first revival and had undergone considerable revision, with the<br />
action moved from Germany to Vienna, and character names changed to include Franz Joseph and Elizabeth of<br />
Austria . It was conducted by Richard Tauber, who had just returned from America in April 1947 in time to<br />
rehearse this production. <strong>The</strong> show had a short run at the Palace.<br />
<strong>The</strong> original <strong>London</strong> performance was at <strong>The</strong>atre Royal Drury Lane on June 17 th 1895<br />
1947<br />
18<br />
ANNIE GET YOUR GUN<br />
<strong>London</strong> run: Coliseum, June 7 th (1,304 performances)<br />
Dolores Gray<br />
& Bill Johnson
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