''The New Moon'' is an

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 ...

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 book and lyrics by

Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and (usually uncredited) director in the musical theater for almost 40 years. He won eight Ton ...

Frank Mandel Frank Mandel (1884 – April 20, 1958) was an American playwright and producer. He co-wrote several productions. Some of his works were adapted by others. Several of his collaborations were adapted into films. UCLA's libraries have a collection of ...

, and

Laurence Schwab Laurence Schwab (1893 - May 29, 1951) was an American theater and film producer, writer, and director. He was born in Boston and attended Harvard University. His first success was as co-producer of ''The Gingham Girl (1922). He co-authored and prod ...

. The show was the third in a string of

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 ...

hits for Romberg (after ''

The Student Prince ''The Student Prince'' is an operetta in four acts with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly. It is based on Wilhelm Meyer-Förster's play '' Old Heidelberg''. The piece has a score with some of Romberg's most enduri ...

'' (1924) and ''

The Desert Song ''The Desert Song'' is an operetta with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel. It was inspired by the 1925 uprising of the Riffs, a group of Moroccan fighters, against French colo ...

'' (1926)) written in the style of Viennese operetta. Set in 1792, shortly before the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

, the story centers on a young French aristocrat in disguise, who has fled his country and falls in love with the daughter of a prominent

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

planter. It premiered in Philadelphia in 1927 and played on

in 1928. It spawned a number of revivals and two film adaptations, and it remains popular with light opera companies. The piece turned out to be "Broadway's last hit operetta", as World War II and the Golden Age of musicals approached.

Performance history

''The New Moon'' debuted in Philadelphia on Christmas Eve, 1927. The tryout was a failure, and the show was extensively revised before another tryout in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

in August 1928 and then moving to New York.

Al Goodman Alfred Goodman (August 12, 1890 – January 10, 1972) was a conductor, songwriter, stage composer, musical director, arranger, and pianist. Early years Goodman was born in Nikopol, Ukraine, (another source says that he was born in Odessa, Ru ...

conducted in both Philadelphia and New York.The New Moon, operetta
Allmusic, accessed December 1, 2012 The operetta opened on Broadway at the

Imperial Theatre The Imperial Theatre is a Broadway theater at 249 West 45th Street (George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1923, the Imperial Theatre was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was constructed fo ...

on September 19,

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...

, ran for 519 performances, and closed at the Casino Theatre on December 14, 1929. The production used set designs by

Donald Oenslager Donald Oenslager (March 7, 1902 – June 11, 1975) was an American scenic designer who won the Tony Award for Best Scenic Design. Biography Oenslager was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and attended Harvard University, graduating in 1923. He becam ...

. The work was produced in London's West End at the

Drury Lane Theatre The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Drur ...

in 1929. Although the piece then had international productions and stock revivals into the 1950s,Suskin, Steven
"A Two-Piano ''Finian's Rainbow'' and the Encores! ''New Moon''"
''Playbill'', November 28, 2004, accessed December 1, 2012 it then disappeared for a few decades. One commentator wrote, "What has kept ''The New Moon'' from being as familiar as '' Naughty Marietta'' or ''

'' is perhaps its chronological place at the end of operetta's reign over the musical stage. The operetta was restaged faithfully in 1986 by the

New York City Opera The New York City Opera (NYCO) is an American opera company located in Manhattan in New York City. The company has been active from 1943 through 2013 (when it filed for bankruptcy), and again since 2016 when it was revived. The opera company, du ...

and was telecast by

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

in 1989. The

Light Opera of Manhattan Light Opera of Manhattan, known as LOOM, was an off-Broadway repertory theatre company that produced light operas, including the works of Gilbert and Sullivan and European and American operettas, 52 weeks per year, in New York City between 1968 an ...

staged the work several times in the 1980s. City Center Encores! presented a semi-staged revival at

New York City Center New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama,. The name "City Center for Music and Drama Inc." is the organizational parent of the New York City Ballet and, until 2011, the New York City Opera. and th ...

in March 2003. The Encores production was presented during the run-up to the

Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...

and part of the audience responded with loud applause and cheers to the line "One can be loyal to one's country and yet forswear its leader".Midgette, Anne
"Operetta Review: Much Silliness In a Gilt Frame"
''The New York Times'', March 29, 2003, accessed December 1, 2012

Roles and original Broadway cast

*Marianne Beaunoir (

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

) —

Evelyn Herbert Lady Evelyn Leonora Almina Beauchamp ( ; ; 15 August 1901 – 31 January 1980) was the daughter of George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon. In November 1922, she, her father and the archaeologist Howard Carter were the first people in modern time ...

*Monsieur Beaunoir, ''her father'' —

Pacie Ripple Pacie Ripple (20 April 1864 – 16 April 1941) was an English operatic tenor known for playing in the operas of Gilbert and Sullivan from 1889 to 1890 and again from 1903 to 1907. He later had a career as a performer in the United States. The ...

*Julie, ''her maid'' (

) — Marie Callahan *Captain Georges Duval — Edward Nell Jr. *Robert Misson (

tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...

) — Robert Halliday *Alexander (

baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...

) — *Philippe L'Entendu (tenor) — William O'Neal *Clotilde Lombaste (soprano) — Esther Howard *Besac, ''boatswain of the 'New Moon (baritone) — Lyle Evans *Jacques, ''ship's carpenter'' — Earle Mitchell *Vicomte Ribaud — Max Figman *Flower Girl — Olga Albani *Fouchette — Thomas Dale *Emile, Brunet, Admiral de Jean, etc.

Synopsis

Robert is a young French aristocrat whose

revolutionist A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective, to refer to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor. ...

inclinations force him to flee his country. Under an assumed name, he sells himself as a bond-servant to planter and ship-owner Monsieur Beaunoir and his family in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

in 1792. Because the Paris police are looking everywhere for him, Robert cannot tell Beaunoir or Beaunoir's beautiful daughter Marianne, with whom he has fallen in love, that he is of noble blood. Eventually he is tracked down by

Vicomte A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...

Ribaud, the detective villain, and put aboard a ship, the ''New Moon'', so that he can be returned to France. Robert thinks he has been betrayed by Marianne, who has gained her father's consent to travel on the same ship, pretending that she is in love with the ship's captain, Duval. A

mutiny Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military, of a crew or of a crew of pirates) to oppose, change, or overthrow an organization to which they were previously loyal. The term is commonly used for a rebellion among member ...

occurs, and Robert and the bond-servants come into power. Everyone goes ashore on the Isle of Pines, and a new republic is founded. The republic flourishes under Robert's guidance, but Marianne, her pride hurt, at first refuses to marry Robert. French ships arrive, apparently to reclaim the island. Vicomte Ribaud expects them to conquer the island for the King of France. But the French Commander reveals that there has been a

revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...

in France, and that all aristocrats must die unless they renounce their titles. Ribaud, a

Royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governme ...

, heads for execution, but republican Robert renounces his title. All ends happily for him and Marianne.

Musical numbers

;Act I *Dainty Wisp of a Thistledown (Ensemble) *Marianne (Robert) *The Girl on The Prow (Marianne, Besac and Ensemble) *Gorgeous Alexander (Julie, Alexander and Girls) *An Interrupted Love Song (Captain Georges Duval, Marianne and Robert) *Tavern Song (Flower Girl, a Dancer and Ensemble) * Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise (Philippe and Ensemble) *Stout-hearted Men (Robert, Philippe and Men) *Fair Rosita (Girls and The Dancers) *One Kiss (Marianne and Girls) *Ladies of the Jury (Alexander, Julie, Clotilde Lombaste and Girls) *Wanting You (Marianne and Robert) ;Act II *A Chanty (Besac and Men) *Funny Little Sailor Man (Clotilde Lombaste, Besac and Ensemble) *

Lover, Come Back to Me "Lover, Come Back to Me" is a popular song composed by Sigmund Romberg with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II for the Broadway show ''The New Moon'', where the song was introduced by Evelyn Herbert and Robert Halliday (as Robert Misson). The song wa ...

(Marianne) *Love Is Quite a Simple Thing (Robert, Besac, Alexander and Julie) *Try Her Out at Dances (Alexander, Julie and Girls) *Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise (reprise) (Phillippe and Men) *Never (for You) (Marianne) *Lover, Come Back to Me (reprise) (Robert and Men)

Film versions

Two film versions were produced by

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

. The first, in

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

, starred

Grace Moore Mary Willie Grace Moore (December 5, 1898January 26, 1947) was an American operatic soprano and actress in musical theatre and film.Obituary ''Variety'', January 29, 1947, page 48. She was nicknamed the "Tennessee Nightingale." Her films helped ...

and

Lawrence Tibbett Lawrence Mervil Tibbett (November 16, 1896 – July 15, 1960) was an American opera singer and recording artist who also performed as a film actor and radio personality. A baritone, he sang leading roles with the Metropolitan Opera in New York ...

, with a setting in

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

. It added two new songs by

Herbert Stothart Herbert Pope Stothart (September 11, 1885February 1, 1949) was an American songwriter, arranger, conductor, and composer. He was also nominated for twelve Academy Awards, winning Best Original Score for '' The Wizard of Oz''. Stothart was widel ...

and Clifford Grey. The second, in 1940, starred

Jeanette MacDonald Jeanette Anna MacDonald (June 18, 1903 – January 14, 1965) was an American singer and Actor, actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (''The Love Parade'', ''Love Me Tonight'', ''The Merry Widow (1934 ...

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 ...

Recordings

No original Broadway cast recording was made, but the 1928 London cast recorded some selections for Columbia. These 78 rpm records have been transferred to CD on the Pearl Label. The song "Stout-hearted Men" was recorded in 1930 by

Perry Askam Perry Askam (1898–1961) was a 20th-century American actor and baritone singer, most active in musical theatre and opera around the San Francisco area. Askam was born in 1898 to Oiver and Helena Askam. Helena was the daughter of ferryman and ...

and in 1967 by

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...

, peaking at No. 2 on the

Easy Listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, n ...

chart. Earl Wrightson and

Frances Greer Frances Greer (12 January 1917 – 28 June 2005) was an American soprano. A leading performer at the Metropolitan Opera and the Philadelphia Opera Company, she recorded 13 albums, mostly musical operettas with RCA Victor, and made several concert ...

starred in

's recording for

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...

(LK-1011).

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...

made an album in 1953 with Lee Sweetland and Jane Wilson covering six selections from the score, which has been reissued on CD paired with ''

''.

Gordon MacRae Albert Gordon MacRae (March 12, 1921 – January 24, 1986) was an American actor, singer and radio/television host who appeared in the film versions of two Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals ''Oklahoma!'' (1955) and '' Carousel'' (1956) and who p ...

recorded a 10-inch LP for

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

(Capitol H-219) in 1950 with

Lucille Norman Lucille Norman (born Lucille Pharaby Boileau, June 15, 1921 – April 1, 1998) was an American mezzo-soprano, radio personality, and stage and film actress active in the 1940s and 1950s. Early life Norman was born Lucille Pharaby Boileau in ...

. It was repackaged as a split release in 1956 on one side of a 12-inch album with

Rudolf Friml Charles Rudolf Friml"Mrs. Rudolf Friml to Receive Divorce"
...

's ''

The Vagabond King ''The Vagabond King'' is a 1925 operetta by Rudolf Friml in four acts, with a book and lyrics by Brian Hooker and William H. Post, based upon Justin Huntly McCarthy's 1901 romantic novel and play ''If I Were King''. The story is a fictionali ...

'' on the reverse, also with Lucille Norman (Capitol T-219). That release was reissued on CD in 2011 by Vintage Music. ''

Reader's Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wi ...

'' included the operetta in the 1963 collection, ''A Treasury of Great Operettas'', starring

Jeanette Scovotti Jeanette Scovotti (born December 5, 1936 in New York City) is an American coloratura soprano. Life and career In 1956 Scovotti was in the ensemble of the original Broadway cast of ''Li'l Abner''; the only Broadway production she ever appeared in. ...

and Peter Palmer and conducted by

Lehman Engel A. Lehman Engel (born September 14, 1910, Jackson, Mississippi - died August 29, 1982, New York City) was an American composer and conductor of Broadway musicals, television and film. Work in theatre, television and films Engel worked in a variety ...

. As part of a new series of stereo recordings of classic operettas, Capitol had MacRae and

Dorothy Kirsten Dorothy Kirsten (July 6, 1910, Montclair, New Jersey – November 18, 1992, Los Angeles, California) was an American operatic soprano. Biography Kirsten's mother was an organist and music teacher, her grandfather was a conductor, and her great-a ...

record three studio cast albums in 1962 and 1963. Their selections from ''The New Moon'' (Capitol SW-1966) are available on the EMI CD ''Music of Sigmund Romberg'', along with selections from ''

'' (Capitol SW-1841), and ''

'' (Capitol SW-1842). The Encores! cast recorded the entire score in 2004, using the original orchestrations, for

Ghostlight Records Sh-K-Boom Records is an independent record label and producer of recorded and live entertainment, which was founded in 2000 by Kurt Deutsch with the mission of bridging the gap between pop music and theater. In 2004 Sh-K-Boom created their secon ...

. A reviewer wrote in ''Playbill'' that the recording "is eminently enjoyable. ... ''The New Moon'' is vibrant, full-bodied and – yes – stouthearted." John Kenrick praised

Rodney Gilfry Rodney Gilfry is a leading American operatic baritone. After launching his career at Frankfurt Opera in 1987, Gilfry quickly established a reputation for stylish singing and acting. A renowned Mozart specialist, he has given acclaimed perform ...

Christiane Noll Christiane Noll (born October 5, 1968) is an American actress and singer known for her work in musicals and on the concert stage. She originated the role of Emma Carew in Frank Wildhorn's '' Jekyll & Hyde'', and had roles in '' Urinetown'', ''Rag ...

Brandon Jovanovich Brandon Jovanovich (born 5 October 1970) is an American operatic tenor whose repertoire encompasses Wagner, Puccini, Strauss, Britten, and from early Baroque to world premiere operas. He is most known for his passionate portrayals of Slavic, Frenc ...

, the supporting cast and the conducting, writing: "What a spectacular delight! ... hesongs soar, exploding with romance and swashbuckling bravado."Kenrick, John
"CD Reviews – 2005"
Musicals101.com, accessed July 14, 2014

References

External links

*
IBDB listing for the original Broadway production
* ttps://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE6DC1739F93BA1575BC0A960948260 ''NY Times'' review of the 1986 City Opera production {{DEFAULTSORT:New Moon, The English-language operettas 1928 operas Operas Musicals by Sigmund Romberg