Frederic G. Ranken (c. 1869 — October 19, 1905, Manhattan) was an American librettist, lyricist, and

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

for light operas and

musicals Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

staged on Broadway from 1899 through 1907. His greatest success was the libretto for Reginald De Koven's 1905 comic opera '' Happyland''. He also wrote libretti for composers Victor Herbert and Ludwig Engländer, and was a lyricist for composers Alfred Baldwin Sloane and Gustave Kerker among others. As a playwright he wrote the books for several musicals.

Life and career

Frederic G. Ranken was born in Troy, New York, the son of the owner of an electrical works in that city. He was educated at schools in his home town and began his professional life working for his father. He was the librettist for Victor Herbert's 1899

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...

''The Ameer'' which was staged at Broadway's

Wallack's Theatre Three New York City playhouses named Wallack's Theatre played an important part in the history of American theater, as the successive homes of the Repertory theatre, stock company managed by actors James William Wallack, James W. Wallack and hi ...

. He was also the librettist for Ludwig Engländer's opera ''The Jewel of Asia'' (1903, Criterion Theatre) and Reginald De Koven's '' Happyland'' (1905, Lyric Theatre); the latter the greatest success of his career. His final libretto was for De Koven's operetta ''The Student King'' which premiered posthumously at the Garden Theatre on Christmas Day 1906 and continued to run at that theatre into 1907. Ranken wrote both the book and lyrics for several Broadway musicals, including ''The Chaperons'' (1902, composer Isidore Witmark); '' Nancy Brown'' (1903, composer Henry K. Hadley); and ''

The Gingerbread Man The Gingerbread Man (also known as The Gingerbread Boy) is a fairy tale about a gingerbread man's escape from various pursuers until his eventual demise between the jaws of a fox. "The Gingerbread Boy" first appeared in print in the May 1875, is ...

'' (1905, composer Alfred Baldwin Sloane. He also was a lyricist for songs written by Gustave Kerker for the 1903 musical ''Winsome Winnie'' which was staged at the Casino Theatre.Dietz, p. 194 Ranken died of yellow fever at the age of 36 in Manhattan on October 19, 1905.

References

Bibliography

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ranken, Frederic 1869 births 1905 deaths 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights American librettists American lyricists People from Troy, New York