''Rip Van Winkle'' is an operetta in three acts by

Robert Planquette Jean Robert Planquette (31 July 1848 – 28 January 1903) was a French composer of songs and operettas. Several of Planquette's operettas were extraordinarily successful in Britain, especially '' Les cloches de Corneville'' (1878), the length of ...

. The English language libretto by

Henri Meilhac Henri Meilhac (23 February 1830 – 6 July 1897) was a French dramatist and opera librettist, best known for his collaborations with Ludovic Halévy on Georges Bizet's ''Carmen'' and on the works of Jacques Offenbach, as well as Jules Massenet' ...

Philippe Gille Philippe Emile François Gille (10 December 1831 – 19 March 1901) was a French dramatist and opera librettist, who was born and died in Paris. He wrote over twenty librettos between 1857 and 1893, the most famous of which are Massenet's '' Mano ...

and

Henry Brougham Farnie Henry Brougham Farnie (8 April 1836 – 21 September 1889), often called H. B. Farnie, was a British librettist and adapter of French operettas and an author. Some of his English-language versions of operettas became record-setting hits on the ...

was based on the short stories "

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a gothic story by American author Washington Irving, contained in his collection of 34 essays and short stories titled ''The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.'' Written while Irving was living abroad in Birm ...

" (1820) and "

Rip Van Winkle "Rip Van Winkle" is a short story by the American author Washington Irving, first published in 1819. It follows a Dutch-American villager in colonial America named Rip Van Winkle who meets mysterious Dutchmen, imbibes their liquor and falls aslee ...

" (1819) by

Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and " The Legen ...

after the play by

Dion Boucicault Dionysius Lardner "Dion" Boucicault (né Boursiquot; 26 December 1820 – 18 September 1890) was an Irish actor and playwright famed for his melodramas. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the ...

and Joseph Jefferson. It first played at the

Comedy Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

in London in 1882 and ran for 328 performances, starring

Fred Leslie Frederick George Hobson, known as Fred Leslie (1 April 1855 – 7 December 1892), was an English actor, singer, comedian and dramatist. Beginning his career in operetta, Leslie became best known for starring in, and writing (under the pseudony ...

in the title role. It then toured and was revived in Britain. It also played in New York, Vienna,

Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...

, and in Paris, where it was revived in productions over the next 50 years.

Background and performance history

The piece was based on a non-musical adaptation of

's stories presented by

, which ran in London for 172 performances in 1865 and, in a revised version, 154 performances in 1875. The libretto for the operetta was by

and H. B. Farnie. The piece opened at the

Comedy Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

in London on 14 October 1882 and ran for 328 performances.Herbert, p. 1620 It starred

Violet Cameron Violet Lydia Thompson (7 December 1862 – 25 October 1919), known professionally as Violet Cameron, was an English actress and singer who gained fame in Robert Planquette's operettas '' Les cloches de Corneville'' and ''Rip Van Winkle'', and ...

, W. S. Penley,

Lionel Brough Lionel "Lal" Brough (10 March 1836 – 8 November 1909) was a British actor and comedian. After beginning a journalistic career and performing as an amateur, he became a professional actor, performing mostly in Liverpool during the mid-1860s. He ...

and

Sadie Martinot Sarah Frances Marie Martinot (August 19, 1861 – May 7, 1923) was an American actress and soprano singer who performed on stage in dramas, musical comedy and comic opera. Her career began at the age fifteen as Cupid in ''Ixion; or, the Man at ...

Richard D'Oyly Carte Richard D'Oyly Carte (; 3 May 1844 – 3 April 1901) was an English talent agent, theatrical impresario, composer, and hotelier during the latter half of the Victorian era. He built two of London's theatres and a hotel empire, while also establi ...

organised a touring production in 1883 with D. A. Arnold as Rip and a supporting cast headed by

Fred Billington Fred Billington (1 July 1854 – 2 November 1917) was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. His career with the company began in 1879 and continued ...

Lottie Venne Lottie Venne (28 May 1852 – 16 July 1928) was a British comedian, actress and singer of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, who enjoyed a theatre career spanning five decades. Venne began her stage career in musical burlesque before moving into ...

and David Fisher. The work was revived at the Comedy in 1884, with Leslie again in the lead.Gänzl and Lamb, pp. 35–36 There was a brief New York run in 1882 starring

J. H. Ryley John Handford Ryley (11 September 1841Kurt Gänzl, Gänzl, Kurt"J H Ryley: setting at least some of the record straight ..." Kurt of Gerolstein, 13 May 2018 – 28 July 1922) was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in th ...

Richard Mansfield Richard Mansfield (24 May 1857 – 30 August 1907) was an English actor-manager best known for his performances in Shakespeare plays, Gilbert and Sullivan operas, and the play '' Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde''. Life and career Mansfield was born ...

and

Selina Dolaro Selina Simmons Belasco Dolaro (20 August 1849 – 23 January 1889) was an English singer, actress, theatre manager and writer of the late Victorian era. During her career in operetta and other forms of musical theatre, she managed several of ...

. There were productions in Vienna and

. In 1884 the piece was given in Paris under the title ''Rip'' with a French libretto by Meilhac, Gille and Farnie at the

Théâtre des Folies-Dramatiques The Théâtre des Folies-Dramatiques was a theatre in Paris in the 19th and 20th centuries. Opened first in 1832 in the site of the old Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique on the Boulevard du Temple, under Frédérick Lemaître it became a noted venue f ...

, opening on 11 November and running for 120 performances. The cast included

Simon-Max Nicolas-Marie Simon (1852, in Reims, France – 1923), known as Simon-Max, was a French tenor who was mainly active in Paris in the field of opera-bouffe. After musical studies in Reims he made his debut in 1875 at the Théâtre de la Renaissa ...

and Mily-Meyer. The work was revised and revived in Paris in 1894, and for seven more productions between 1900 and 1938.

Roles and original cast

*Rip Van Winkle (A Village Good-For-Nothing) –

*Derrick Van Slous (The Village Lawyer and Rip's Rival) – W. S. Penley *Peter Van Dunk (Burgomaster of Sleepy Hollow) – Louis Kelleher *Diedrich Knickerbocker (Village Schoolmaster and Local Poet) – E. Wilmore *Captain Hugh Rowley (Of the British Army) – Fred Darrell *Nick Vedder (Landlord of The "George III" Inn) –

*Gretchen (Wife of Rip Van Winkle) –

*Sara And Jacintha (Two of her Gossips) – Clara Graham and Constance Lewis *Katrina (A Village Flirt - Daughter of Nick Vedder) –

(later, Camille Dubois)"Comedy Theatre", ''The Musical World'', 10 February 1883, p. 81 *Little Hardcase (Clerk to Derrick) – Madge Milton *Hans (His Nephew) – Effie Mason *Alice (Rip's Little Daughter) – Alice Vicat *Tom Tit (Bugler to Rowley's Company) – Rose Moncrieff *Leedle Jan (Katrina's Brother) – Master Gollop *Gape (Waitress At The "George III" Inn) – Grace Hawke *Captain Hendrick Hudson – S. H. Perry *Four Lieutenants – W. S. Rising, Constance Lewis, Clara Graham and Rose Moncrieff *Cabin Boy – Madge Milton *The Goblin Steward – Mr. Storey *Master Gunner – M. Villa *Max Schneider (Rural Postman) – Clara Graham *Chicken (Potboy at the "George Washington Hotel") – Rose Moncrieff *Mopps (Chambermaid at the Inn) – Madge Milton ''The following cast changes occur as children in Act I later become adults:'' *Alice Van Winkle (Daughter of Rip) – Violet Cameron *Lieut. Hans Van Slous (Now of the U.S. Frigate "Constitution") – W. S. Rising *Jan Vedder (Now Proprietor of the "George Washington Hotel") – Lionel Brough

Musical numbers

*Overture Act I *No. 1. Chorus, Scene and Couplets - "Far and near our cry be heard, Long life to great George the Third!" *No. 2. Exit of Peasants, etc. - "Yes, it is a common thing, thus to use one's Queen or King" *No. 3. Rip Van Winkle - "Oh! where's my girl of whom I'm fond? Wherever can my darling be?" *No. 4. Canoe Song - Gretchen & Rip - "Where floweth the wild Mohawk river, a-down the long rushes that quiver" *No. 5. Chorus of Cowards - "Can't you see we're coming? (Hang their horrid drumming)" *No. 6. Legend of the Kaatskils - Gretchen & Chorus - "From deep forest hoary, lift in awful glory mountains grey and old" *No. 7. Rip Van Winkle & Children - "Ere the marriage contract is drawn, what have you got to live upon?" *No. 8. Rondo - Katrina & Chorus - "'Tis the hour we girls ne'er fail, with a pitcher and a tale, at the old draw-well" *No. 9. Finale Act I - "When I come back 'twill be no more to roam; thenceforth to stay with thee at home" Act II - Scene 1 *Entr'acte & Melodrame *No. 10. Lantern Chorus & Ballad - Gretchen & Katrina - "By the thicket path we are trudging slow" *No. 10½. Exit & Reprise - "Our search in vain, let's home again! By the thicket path we are trudging slow" *No. 11. Patrol Chorus - "Keep all in step! Keep all in step! Keep all in step! The night is dark and low'ring" *No. 12. Gretchen, Rip & Derrick - "Now won't you come along with me? You do not care for me I see!" *No. 13. Echo Song - Rip van Winkle & Chorus - "Ho! ho! ho! ho! Friend echoes, why do ye fail?" *No. 13½. Melodrame - (The Demon Dwarf) Act II - Scene 2 *No. 14. Scene - Rip & Chorus, and Sea Song - Hudson, - "Hendrick Hudson I am call'd, from the underwaters hailing" *No. 15. Nine-Pins Song - 2nd. Lieutenant & Chorus - "Say, my lads, what game we'll play?" *No. 16. Serenade - 1st. Lieutenant & Chorus - "I've had lady-loves in my day, with lips rose-red and a lustrous eye" *No. 17. Pas Seul - Danse des Buveurs, and Pas de Fascination *No. 18. Finale Act II - "Sunk to sleep on the ground, he's spell-bound! Slumber, mortal bold" Act III - Scene 1 *Entr'acte and Woodcutters' Chorus - "Before our broad axes, lo! they fall, the kings of the forest, old and tall!" Act III - Scene 2 *No. 19. Election Chorus, Couplets & Ensemble - Katrina - "Whatsoever may be won in this afternoon's elections" *No. 20. Rondo - Katrina & Chorus - "Folks do say, who are wise and able, that when tongues got all mixt at Babel" *No. 21. Letter Song - Alice - "I dare not break the seal! What fear, what doubt I feel... I've liv'd so long with sorrow" *No. 22. Hammock Song - Lieutenant van Slous & Chorus - "Oh, proud and high the feeling, o'er the sailor stealing" *No. 22½. Melodrame - Entrance of Rip Van Winkle *No. 23. Rip - "The thirsty sun burns on the noon-tide brink, yet hotter, yet hotter! ..." *No. 24. Alice, Van Slous, & Rip - "I know you not! My father's dead! ... Old man, I fear your reason's fled!" *No. 25. Chorus - "Some say, now that the voting is done, the finish will be exciting" *No. 26. Finale Act III - "From deep forest hoary, lift in awful glory, mountains grey and old, that myst'ry and tradition hold!"

References

Sources

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External links

Vocal score
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rip Van Winkle Operas English-language operettas Operas by Robert Planquette Works based on Rip Van Winkle 1882 operas