''The Rajah of Shivapore'' is a comic opera with music by

Alfred Hill Alfred Hill may refer to: * Alfred John Hill (1862–1927), British railway engineer * Alfred Hill (cricketer, born 1865) (1865–1936), English cricketer * Alfred Hill (politician) (1867–1945), British Member of Parliament for Leicester West 19 ...

and libretto by

David Souter David Hackett Souter ( ; born September 17, 1939) is an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1990 until his retirement in 2009. Appointed by President George H. W. Bush to fill the seat t ...

The story

Setting: India The temple to Shiva at Shivapore has been barricaded by the corrupt tippler temple-keeper Chunder, to hide the fact that he has pawned the little golden idol. His only hope of escaping retribution is to persuade his lovely but reluctant daughter, Aimee, to marry the

Rajah ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested fr ...

after somehow disposing of his Ranee. Another rogue, the

necromancer Necromancy () is the practice of magic or black magic involving communication with the dead by summoning their spirits as apparitions or visions, or by resurrection for the purpose of divination; imparting the means to foretell future events; ...

Bunder, has his own cunning plan, which involves exchanging the idol with a cheap replica. Aimee's vagabond lover Jengis thwarts both plans by impersonating the god, and so wins the girl. The Rajah, who has not only been cheated of his prize but also defrauded, orders decapitations all round, but then a supposed

Hindustan ''Hindūstān'' ( , from '' Hindū'' and ''-stān''), also sometimes spelt as Hindōstān ( ''Indo-land''), along with its shortened form ''Hind'' (), is the Persian-language name for the Indian subcontinent that later became commonly used by ...

i beggar reveals himself as the Emperor, and everyone gets their just dues.

The songs

:"Just One of the Girls" (Bul-Bul) :"What's a Maid to Do ?" (Bul-Bul) :"Sad is the Heart" (Aimee) :"Heigho" (Aimee) :"Versatility" :"Coughdrop" :"The Wine of Joy" (Jengis) :"Sword of Mine" (Jengis) :"Maid of the Dear Eyes" (The Rajah) :"But Yesterday" (Jengis and Aimee) :"Love it is the Song" (Jengis and Aimee) :"My Beloved" (Jengis and Aimee) also :Traditional Indian chant (The Rajah)

Premiere

It was first performed at The Playhouse, Sydney from 15 December 1917 to 5 January 1918; produced by Sydney James, of "Royal Strollers" fame, and directed by Frederick Ward.

Personnel

*Aimee, the temple-keeper's daughter — Miss Alice Bennetto *Jengis (or Zengis), the handsome troubador — John Quinlan *The Rajah — George Whitehead *Chunder, the corrupt temple-keeper – Frank Hawthorne *Bunder, the scheming necromancer – Frederick Ward *The Emperor – David Drayton *Bul-Bul, temple attendant — Miss Vera Spaull, her first appearance in an adult role plus chorus and dancers *Costume design —

*Scenic design — Jack Mann *Fight choreography — Frank Stewart, of Sydney Swords Club

Reception

Despite wartime constraints, the opera was received enthusiastically by the first-night audience which, in that tiny auditorium, consisted largely of knowledgeable theatregoers and music lovers.

Later performances

*Brisbane (12–19 January 1918) at His Majesty's Theatre *Toowoomba (21, 22 January 1918) at the

Town Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

. A poor turnout was attributed to wet weather. *Melbourne (9 February 1918 – 2 March 1918) at the Princess Theatre. :Two sensations marked this production: Frank Grahame (real name Ernest William Gollmick), who was to play the Rajah, was charged with deserting his children, but was given bail so he could perform at the opening night, and Robert Colville (real name Bert Coghlan) collapsed and died at an after-show party on 24 February. Hill stated in 1959, aged 89, that he was revising the work.

Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rajah of Shivapore, The 1917 musicals Australian musicals English-language operas 1917 operas Musicals set in India Operas set in India