John Phillip Sousa - De Wolf Hopper - El Capitan1

''El Capitan'' 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 ...

in three acts by

John Philip Sousa John Philip Sousa ( ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to dis ...

and has a libretto by

Charles Klein Charles Klein (January 7, 1867 – May 7, 1915) was an English-born playwright and actor who emigrated to America in 1883. Among his works was the libretto of John Philip Sousa's operetta, ''El Capitan''. Klein's talented siblings includ ...

(with lyrics by Charles Klein and Tom Frost). The piece was Sousa's first successful operetta and his most successful stage work. The march "El Capitan" became a standard work both for brass bands and a crossover into other genres.

History

''El Capitan'' was first produced at the Tremont Theatre in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, beginning on April 13, 1896. After this tryout, it transferred to the old

Broadway Theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''T ...

on 41st Street in New York on April 20, 1896, where it ran for 112 performances, starring

DeWolf Hopper William DeWolf Hopper (March 30, 1858September 23, 1935) was an American actor, singer, comedian, and theatrical producer. A star of vaudeville and musical theater, he became best known for performing the popular baseball poem "Casey at the Bat" ...

, Edna Wallace Hopper, John Parr, and

Alfred Klein Alfred Asher Klein (May 12, 1861 – February 21, 1904)R ...

. It then toured almost continuously for four years in the United States and Canada and was quickly revived on Broadway. It was produced at the Lyric Theatre in London beginning on July 10, 1899, where it ran for 140 performances. Thereafter, the operetta was produced numerous times internationally and remained popular for some time. Occasional modern performances continue. For example,

Lake George Opera Opera Saratoga (until January 2011, named the Lake George Opera) is a professional opera company based in Saratoga Springs, New York. It performs an annual summer festival of three fully staged operas and operettas. The company and its associated ...

gave a production in 2009, and

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 ...

presented and recorded the work during the summer of 2010."John Philip Sousa: El Capitan"
Amazon.com, accessed December 4, 2012 ''El Capitan'' also refers to the

march March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March ...

of the same name, composed of themes from the operetta. This march is like other operetta marches (1897's ''Bride Elect'', 1900's ''Man Behind the Gun'', and 1906's ''Free Lance'') with its use of both 6/8 (parts A and B) and 2/4 (parts C and D) sections. Also like the ''Bride Elect'' and ''Man Behind the Gun'' this march has an introduction between part C and D. It follows style IAABBCCIDD. The march also influenced "El Capitan" by Memphis Slim and the mambo "El Capitan" by

Tony Pabon Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...

Roles and original Broadway cast

*Don Errico Medigua, ''recently appointed Viceroy of Peru'' (

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 ...

) –

De Wolf Hopper William DeWolf Hopper (March 30, 1858September 23, 1935) was an American actor, singer, comedian, and theatrical producer. A star of vaudeville and musical theater, he became best known for performing the popular baseball poem "Casey at the Bat". ...

*Senor Amabile Pozzo, ''Chamberlain of Peru'' (tenor) –

Alfred Klein Alfred Asher Klein (May 12, 1861 – February 21, 1904)R ...

*Don Luiz Cazarro, ''former Viceroy of Peru'' (

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

) – T. S. Guise *Count Hernando Verrada, ''a Peruvian gentleman'' (

tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing 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 low extreme for tenors is wide ...

) – Edmund Stanley *Scaramba, ''an insurgent'' (baritone) – John W. Parr *Montalba, ''Scaramba's companion'' – Robert Pollard *Nevado, ''Scaramba's companion'' – Harry P. Stone *General Herbana, ''commander of the Spanish Army in Peru'' – L. C. Shrader *Estrelda, ''Cazarro's daughter'' (

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& ...

) – Edna Wallace-Hopper *Isabel, ''Don Medigua's daughter'' (soprano) – Bertha Waltzinger *Princess Marghanza, ''Don Medigua's wife'' (

mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middl ...

) – Alice Hosmer *Chorus of Spanish and Peruvian ladies and gentlemen; soldiers, etc.

Synopsis

Don Errico Medigua is the

viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning " ...

of Spanish-occupied 16th-century Peru and fears assassination by rebels. After he secretly has the rebel leader El Capitan killed, he disguises himself as El Capitan. Estrelda, the daughter of the former viceroy, Cazarro, impressed by tales of El Capitan's daring, falls in love with the disguised Medigua, who is already married. Meanwhile, the rebels capture the Lord Chamberlain, Pozzo, mistaking him for the viceroy. Hearing that her husband has been captured, Medigua's wife Marganza and daughter Isabel (who is being wooed by the handsome Verrada) go in search of Medigua. Medigua, still disguised as El Capitan, leads the hapless rebels against the Spaniards, taking them in circles until they are too tired to fight. The Spaniards win, the mistaken identities are revealed, the love stories are untangled after Medigua explains to his wife the flirtation with Estrelda, and the story ends happily.

Musical numbers

Prelude ;Act I *Chorus: "Nobles of Castilian birth." *Recitative and Solos: "Oh, beautiful land of Spain." *Recitative Solo and Chorus: "From Peru's majestic mountains." *Chorus: "Don Medigua, all for thy coming wait." *Solo and Chorus: "If you examine human kind." *Melodrama *Solo and Chorus: "When we hear the call for battle." *Solo and Chorus: "Oh, spare a daughter." *Chorus: "Lo, the awful man approaches." *Solo and Chorus: "You see in me." *Finale Act I – "Bah! Bah!" ;Act II *Introduction *Solo and Chorus: "Ditty of the Drill!" *Solo and Chorus: "Behold El Capitan" Caleb Sosa *Duet: "I've a most decided notion." *Double Chorus and Solo: "Bowed with tribulation." *Recitative Solo and Chorus: "Oh, Warrior Grim." *Sextette: "Don Medigua, here's your wife." *Finale Act II – "He can not, must not, shall not" ;Act III *Introduction, Duet and Refrain: "Sweetheart, I'm waiting." *Song: "When some serious affliction." *Ditty: "The typical tune of Zanzibar." *Chorus and Entrance of Spanish troops *Finale. "We beg your kind consideration."

References

External links

Images and historical information about ''El Capitan'' from Canton Comic Opera Co.Information from Flyrope.comPhotos from ''El Capitan''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Capitan, El English-language operettas 1896 operas Compositions by John Philip Sousa