''Maytime'' is a

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...

with music by

Sigmund Romberg Sigmund Romberg (July 29, 1887 – November 9, 1951) was a Hungarian-born American composer. He is best known for his musicals and operettas, particularly '' The Student Prince'' (1924), '' The Desert Song'' (1926) and '' The New Moon'' (1928). E ...

and lyrics and book by

Rida Johnson Young Rida Johnson Young (February 28, 1875 – May 8, 1926) was an American playwright, songwriter and librettist.IBDBRida Johnson Young Retrieved November 21, 2007 In her career, Young wrote over thirty plays and musicals, and over 500 songs. She ...

, and with additional lyrics by Cyrus Wood. The story is based on the 1913 German operetta ' (''Like Once in May''), composed by Walter Kollo, with words by Rudolf Bernauer and Rudolph Schanzer. The story, set in New York, is told in episodes covering a long period, from 1840 to the 20th century. Wealthy young Ottillie is in love with Dick, but they are kept apart by family and circumstance. Years later, their descendants marry. ''Maytime'' introduced songs such as "The Road to Paradise", "Will You Remember?" and "Jump

Jim Crow The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States. Other areas of the United States were affected by formal and informal policies of segregation as well, but many states outside the Sou ...

". The musical ran on

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 ...

from 1917 to 1918. It was the second longest-running book musical in the 1910s, and it established Romberg as one of the leading creators of operettas.

Synopsis

The beautiful Ottilie van Zandt is the daughter of a wealthy colonel who owns a cooperage. She loves Richard "Dick" Wayne, the son of her father's foreman, but her father wishes her to marry her cousin, a drunken libertine. Dick travels and becomes very successful, but when he returns, he finds his beloved Ottilie betrothed to another, and so he marries another woman. After many years, both are single again, but they never are able to consummate their love, though Dick continues to make romantic overtures. He saves Ottilie from bankruptcy by purchasing her home before she is evicted. Time passes, and the couple's grandchildren meet and marry.

Productions

The original Broadway production opened at the Shubert Theatre on August 16, 1917, and later moved to the 44th Street, Broadhurst and Lyric Theatres, running for a total of 492 performances.''Maytime''
at the IBDB database. Retrieved November 16, 2007 It starred Peggy Wood and Charles Purcell and featured Ralph Herbert, William Norris and Gertrude Vanderbilt. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' gave the show a rave review, writing that it had "delicate charm" and blended "the tragedy of the individual" with "the eternal comedy of living".New York Times Archives
"''Maytime'' scores at the Shubert"
''The New York Times'', August 17, 1917, accessed June 13, 2009

Ohio Light Opera The Ohio Light Opera is a professional opera company based in Wooster, Ohio that performs the light opera repertory, including Gilbert and Sullivan, American, British and continental operettas, and other musical theatre works, especially of the lat ...

revived the musical in 2005, with a book revised by Julie Wright and Steven Gaigle. It released a recording of the musical the same year.

Musical numbers

;Act 1 *In Our Little Home, Sweet Home – Ottillie and Richard Wayne *It's a Windy Day at the Battery – Matthew Van Zandt, Alice Tremaine and Girls *Gypsy Song – Rudolfo *Will You Remember (Sweetheart)? – Signor Vivalla, Ottillie, Dicky Wayne and Richard ;Act 2 *Jump Jim Crow – Matthew and Chorus *The Road to Paradise – Ottillie and Matthew *Spanish Dance – Estrella Amorita *Will You Remember (Sweetheart)? – Signor Vivalla, Ottillie, Dicky and Richard ;Act 3 *Odd Lots, Job Lots – Ensemble *Reminiscence – Little Dick Wayne ;Act 4 *Selling Gowns (Lyrics by Cyrus Wood) – Ottillie and Girls *Dancing Will Keep You Young (Lyrics by Cyrus Wood) – Ermintrude D'Albert and Matthew *Only One Girl for Me – Dicky and Girls *Will You Remember (Sweetheart)? – Signor Vivalla, Ottillie, Dicky and Richard

Settings and characters

Act 1 - 1840 - The Van Zandt home in Washington Square, New York City: John Wayne, Colonel van Zandt, Ottillie (his daughter), Richard Wayne (an apprentice), Mathilda van Zandt, Alice Tremaine, Claude van Zandt, Matthew van Zandt, Maria, Rudolfo Act 2 - 1855 - Mme. Delphine's Night Club: Madame Delphine, Hannaford, Stuyvesant, Doorman, Claude van Zandt, Angelica (Matthew's second wife), Matthew van Zandt, P. T. Barnum, Estrella Amorita, Signor Vivalla, Ottillie van Zandt, Alice Tremaine, Richard Wayne Act 3 - In the 1880s - The Back Parlor of the Van Zandt house in Washington Square: Madame Delphine, Matthew van Zandt, Lizzie (Matthew's third wife), Little Dick Wayne (Age 5), Richard Wayne, John Rutherford, Mr. Hicks (auctioneer), Algernon, Ottillie Act 4 - Twentieth Century - Mlle. Brown's Dressmaking Establishment: Ottillie (known as Mlle. Brown), Hortense (a model), Letty, Estelle (forewoman), Ermintrude d'Albert, Winifred St. Albans, Matthew van Zandt, Dicky Wayne

Adaptations

''Maytime'' was adapted to film twice, in

1923 Events January–February * January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory). * January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, t ...

and again in

1937 Events January * January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua. * January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into ...

. The earlier version was thought to have been

lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography * Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland *Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

, but a copy was found in 2009 in the New Zealand Film Archive. Four of the seven reels have been restored. The 1937 version, starring

Jeanette MacDonald Jeanette Anna MacDonald (June 18, 1903 – January 14, 1965) was an American singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (''The Love Parade'', '' Love Me Tonight'', ''The Merry Widow'' and '' On ...

and

Nelson Eddy Nelson Ackerman Eddy (June 29, 1901 – March 6, 1967) was an American actor and baritone singer who appeared in 19 musical films during the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in opera and on the concert stage, radio, television, and in nightclub ...

, has a different plot from the musical's book and a different score except for one song.

Gallery

Images from the original production: File:Maytime-1917-1.jpg, Young Ottillie and Richard in love File:Maytime-1917-2.jpg, Ottillie (left) grows into young girlhood File:Maytime-1917-3.jpg, The elderly Ottillie and Richard still in love

References

External links

Score to ''Maytime''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maytime 1917 musicals Broadway musicals Musicals based on operas Musicals by Sigmund Romberg