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''La poupée'' (''The Doll'') is an opéra comique in a prelude and three acts composed by
Edmond Audran Achille Edmond Audran (12 April 184017 August 1901) was a French composer best known for several internationally successful comic operas and operettas. After beginning his career in Marseille as an organist, Audran composed religious music and ...
with a libretto by Maurice Ordonneau. The libretto was based on E.T.A. Hoffmann's ''
Der Sandmann "The Sandman" ( German: ''Der Sandmann'') is a short story by . It was the first in an 1817 book of stories titled ''Die Nachtstücke'' (''The Night Pieces''). Plot summary The story is told by a narrator who claims to have known Lothar. It beg ...
'', about a friar who falsely promises to marry his rich uncle's daughter to fool his uncle into giving money to the monastery; the scheme involves creating a doll that looks like the daughter. The uncle's daughter, however, turns the scheme on its head and fools the friar into marrying her by substituting herself for the doll.


Productions

The opera opened at the Théâtre de la Gaîté, Paris, on 21 October 1896. Along with '' Miss Helyett'' (1890), ''La poupée'' was one of Audran's late successes. It then played at the
Prince of Wales Theatre The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre in Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in London. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner. The theatre ...
in London, opening on 24 February 1897, with an English libretto in two acts by Arthur Sturgess, running for a very successful 576 performances. It starred
Courtice Pounds Charles Courtice Pounds (30 May 1861 Gänzl, Kurt"Pounds of Pyes, or mea culpa No. 2" Kurt Gänzl's blog, 4 May 2018. Note that hibirth registrationis in central London in the third quarter of 1861 – 21 December 1927), better known by the sta ...
and
Willie Edouin Willie Edouin (1 January 1846Edouin's ''New York Times'' obituary says 1841 – 14 April 1908) was an English comedian, actor, dancer, singer, writer, director and theatre manager. After performing as a child in England, Australia and elsewher ...
, and
Edna May Edna May Pettie (September 2, 1878 – January 1, 1948), known on stage as Edna May, was an American actress and singer. A popular postcard beauty, May was famous for her leading roles in Edwardian musical comedies. Life and career May was ...
later played in the piece. On 11 September 1897, a single matinee performance of ''La Poupée'' at the Prince of Wales Theatre launched a British provincial tour with a new company. It also had a
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
production in 1897 and was made into a film in 1920.


Roles


Synopsis

Maxime and his fellow monks are penniless and starving. A new member of the monastery, Lancelot, asks his rich uncle for aid. The uncle will assist the friars, but only if Lancelot gets married. The monks scheme to trick the uncle by using one of puppet master Hilarius's dolls, pretending that it is Lancelot's wife. Hilarius's newest puppet was made to look similar to Alesia, his daughter. At the wedding, however, Alesia masquerades as the doll, because she loves Lancelot. Lancelot does not discover that he has married the real Alesia until the wedding is over. Now he must leave the monastery with his wife, but the friars receive the generous sum of money from his uncle.


Musical numbers (from English-language adaptation)

*Overture ;Act I - Scene 1 - The Monastery *No. 1 - Opening Chorus and Song - Lancelot - "Alas! with lean and empty scrip the Brotherhood are now returning..." *No. 1a - Exit of Chorus - "Yes, though we're poor in luck of late, and all our hearts are full of sorrow..." *No. 2 - Song - Father Maxime - "Soon you are to see life and much adventure..." *No. 3 - Bell Chorus, with Father Maxime and Lancelot - "Hark, how the bell is ringing, here we come with speed..." ;Act I - Scene 2 - Hilarius's Workshop *No. 4 - Workmen's Chorus - "We are workmen waiting for our payment; automatic dolls we make..." *No. 4a -*Exit of Chorus (reprise) - "We are workmen waiting for our payment..." *No. 5 - Song - Alesia - "With careless eye I saw him there, and love took rest within my heart..." *No. 6 - Song - Lancelot - "If in a cell your life is pass'd, nought of temptation you will see..." *No. 7 - Trio - Alesia, Lancelot and Hilarius - "I can dance and sing and chatter, though my speech is rather disjointed..." *No. 8 - Duet - Alesia and Lancelot - "I love you very dearly; my hand and heart at your feet I lay..." *No. 9 - Finale Act I - "Come, let us now to work, our task we never shirk..." ;Act II - Scene 1 - Chanterelle's Country House *No. 9a - Entr'acte *No. 10 - Opening Chorus - "Now we appear, neighbours and friends; news that we hear, none can disparage..." *No. 11 - Duet - Chanterelle and Loremois - "This wicked world I've wander'd round, 'mid pleasant scenes and others not..." *No. 12 - Trio - Alesia, Chanterelle and Loremois - "Ah! Lancelot is not yet here; perhaps 'tis Chanterelle I see..." *No. 13 - Quartette - Chanterelle, Loremois, Lancelot and Hilarius - "Though manners change, a girl so strange..." *No. 14 - Duet - Lancelot and Alesia - "Happy world, such maidens possessing if like to thee..." *No. 15 - Ensemble - "Here are the wedding guests, who come to see the bridegroom and the blushing bride..." *No. 16 - Chorus - "After them we go! Follow them, stop them in their flight! Bring them back ere fall of night! ..." ;Act II - Scene 2 - Another part of the Monastery *No. 17 - Chorus - "'Tis night, and brother Lancelot has not returned from his adventure to keep the vow of his indenture..." *No. 18 - Song - Father Maxime - "A jovial monk am I, contented with my lot. The world without this gate I flout..." *No. 19 - Chorus of Monks - "Oh, strange device, so nearly true to life, 'tis worth the price he's paid for such a wife..." *No. 20 - Song - Alesia - "A poor little dummy am I, but still my intellect is shining..." *No. 21 - Exit of Monks - "Creature false and frail as that she's representing, not in strength we fail, not a whit we relent..." *No. 22 - Duet - Alesia and Lancelot - "Was it a kiss? Sweetest caress! Token of bliss and happiness! ..." *No. 23 - Finale Act II - "And now I mean to leave this place, to start another kind of life..." ;Supplementary numbers *No. 24 - Extra Song - Lancelot - "I went to town a simple youth as many more have done..." *No. 25 - Extra Song - Alesia - "'Tis the Springtime of love, with all its store of gladness..."


Adaptations

Ernst Lubitsch Ernst Lubitsch (; January 29, 1892November 30, 1947) was a German-born American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being Hollywood's most elegant and sophisticated director; as ...
filmed an adaptation of the story under the title '' Die Puppe'' (''The Doll'').Wosk, Julie
''My Fair Ladies: Female Robots, Androids, and Other Artificial Eves''
Rutgers University Press (2015), p. 64, accessed December 23, 2016


Notes


References


Synopsis and information about La Poupée


External links



* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20061013071813/http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/Archive/November/Poupee1.htm Programme from the original London production of La Poupéebr>Information about the 1897 New York production from the IBDB database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Poupee, La 1897 musicals French-language operas Operas Opéras comiques 1896 operas Operas by Edmond Audran Operas based on works by E. T. A. Hoffmann Works based on The Sandman (short story)