''Rhapsody'' is an operetta in 2 Acts by

Fritz Kreisler Friedrich "Fritz" Kreisler (February 2, 1875 – January 29, 1962) was an Austrian-born American violinist and composer. One of the most noted violin masters of his day, and regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time, he was known ...

(music) and John La Touche (lyrics) with a

book A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bound together and protected by a cover. The technical term for this physi ...

by Arnold Sundgaard and Leonard Louis Levinson that is based on an original story by A. N. Nagler. The music from the operetta is taken mainly from Kreisler's 1932 Austrian-language operetta ' and from his large collection of works for violin and piano; with only a relatively small portion of new music by Kreisler being added to the operetta's score. While La Touche was the primary lyricist, playwright

Blevins Davis Charles Blevins Davis (1903-July 16, 1971) was an American playwright and theatrical producer. Early life Charles Blevins Davis, the only son of Charles A. Davis and his wife, grew up in Independence, Missouri. Davis grew up next to the Harry S. ...

and American composer Robert Russell Bennett also contributed some lyrics. Additionally, Davis was the operetta's producer (along with the New York socialite Lorraine Manville Dresselhuys), and Bennett was the orchestrater of Kreisler's music which was originally scored for piano. The Austrian conductor

Fritz Mahler Fritz Mahler (July 16, 1901 in Vienna, Austria – June 18, 1973 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.) was an Austrian conductor. Mahler's father was a cousin of the composer Gustav Mahler. In Europe he became a leading conductor with suc ...

served as the production's music director. Opening at the

New Century Theatre The New Century Theatre was a Broadway theater in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, at 205–207 West 58th Street and 926–932 Seventh Avenue. Opened on October 6, 1921, as Jolson's 59th Street Theatre, the theater was desig ...

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 ...

on November 22, 1944, ''Rhapsody'' is set within the court of Roman Emperor Francis I and

Empress Maria Theresa Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position '' suo jure'' (in her own right) ...

. The operetta was directed and choreographed by Russian-American ballet dancer

David Lichine David Lichine (russian: Дэвид (Давид) Лишин; 25 October 1910 – 26 June 1972) was a Russian-American ballet dancer and choreographer. He had an international career as a performer, ballet master, and choreographer, staging works fo ...

; who had achieved fame as a leading artist with

The Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in ...

in London and as a choreographer in

Hollywood films The cinema of the United States, consisting mainly of major film studios (also known as Hollywood) along with some independent film, has had a large effect on the global film industry since the early 20th century. The dominant style of Ame ...

. The production boasted highly expensive and elaborate sets designed by

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

winning designer Oliver Smith; with a production value of $300,000.00 Frank Bevan designed the production's costumes and Stanley McCandless served as lighting designer. While critics praised the music and the singing of the show's leads, reviews of the operetta's written dialogue were universally bad; and the show was widely mocked in the press as a result. The play closed on December 2, 1944, after just 14 performances which proceeded 8 additional performances given in previews; making it one of the most expensive flops on Broadway at the time that it closed.

Roles

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rhapsody (operetta) 1944 musicals 1944 operas Operas Broadway theatre Original musicals English-language operettas Compositions by Fritz Kreisler