OFFENBACH’s The Island of Tulipatan Light Opera of New York Tyson Deaton, Conductor PROGRAM NOTE.................... John Ostendorf The Island of In a particularly active two seasons, composer Jacques Offenbach produced La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein, Tulipatan Robinson Crusoe, L’île de Tulipatan, and La Périchole, plus a number of lesser-known operettas! His collaboration with the “L’île de Tulipatan” team of Chivot and Duru dated back ten years. Henri Chivot Opéra-Bouffe in One Act (1830-1897) and Alfred Duru (1829-1889) were classmates from boyhood and collaborated on more than 50 operetta Music.................Jacques Offenbach and vaudeville libretti. They worked with Offenbach on four Lyrics........Henri Chivot, Alfred Duru works and served Hervé, Lecocq, Planquette and others. Conductor...................Tyson Deaton Stage Director.................Gary Slavin English Lyrics...............Gregg Opelka English Dialogue.............Jack Helbig CAST:\ Hermosa..................Thomas Mulder Alexis...........................Claire Kuttler Romboidal...................Chad Kranak Cacatois XXII..........Victor Khodadad Theodorine................ Heather Jones Jacques Offenbach Henri Chivot Alfred Duru Islanders: Chelsea Bonagura, John Henri Chivot and Alfred Duru’s libretto has been described Callison and Katherine Cecelia Peck as a “full-strength, crazy burlesque based on that favourite theme—things are seldom what they seem, a libretto which LOONY Producers...........Brian Long overflows with sexual ambiguity, treated, as was usual on the and David Kelleher-Flight island of Tulipatan, located ‘25,000 kilomètres from Nan- Theatre 80 Manager...Laura Gagnon terre, 473 years before the invention of the spittoon.’” Stage Manager..........Kristin Loughry PLOT: Alexis, supposed “son” of King Cacatois XXII, is in Record Producer.......John Ostendorf fact a girl, whom the King’s lieutenant, Romboïdal, has had Engineer..............Stephen J. Epstein raised as a boy so that Cacatois may have a male heir. Unbe- Recorded: Theatre 80, May 22, 2017 knownst to Romboïdal, his own “daughter” Hermosa is St. Mark’s Place and First Avenue, NYC actually a boy whom mother Théodorine has raised as a girl ✧2✧ to avoid military service. The two mis-identified Almeida (1929 -1997) who wrote: “In 1864 the teenagers are attracted to one another. After town of Masulipatan on the western coast of India many farcical complications, things are sorted was destroyed by a cyclone and in the ensuing out so that by the end the young lovers, re- floods 30,000 lives were lost. If not the event, at vealed in their more apt genders—(or are least the town’s name inspired Offenbach’s librettists they?)—are happily married. four years later to submit an operetta first entitled The mini opéra bouffe L’Île de Tulipatan L’île de Pertulipatan.” The present English translation was musically more substantial than some of by Gregg Opelka (music libretto) and Jack Helbig Offenbach’s shorter pieces, with a score of a (spoken dialogue) was first created as an Offenbach dozen numbers for lively chamber orchestra. double bill (with Monsieur Choufleuri) for Light The cast includes three tenor roles, soprano Opera Works 2003 in Chicago and was heard and mezzo and an optional “chorus.” The again in 2005 at The Ohio Light Opera. show was premiered in September 1868 in Paris at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens and was wildly successful. It travelled to Germany and Austria the following year and to the U.K. three seasons later at Leeds as King Kokatoo or Who is Who and Which is Which? The work was reprised in Paris at the Opéra Comique and toured France in 1873 as Kissi-Kissi. In 1886 it reached Australia as Alexis and Hun- gary in 1891 as Cactus XII. Towards the end English language co-librettists Gregg Opelka (left to right) of the century Tulipatan was reprised with the and Jack Helbig and LOONY’s 2017 production stage “Cactus” concept expanded to include the director Gary Slavin. other characters in floral capacity: Hermosa This CD, from the Light Opera of New York’s became “Azalea,” Romboidal “Ficus” and Spring 2017 live NYC production, is the first for the Alexis “Oleander.” work in English. The entire Offenbach score is heard Offenbach’s charming operetta was re- with Opelka’s lyrics, along with a slightly-truncated corded live at Radio France in the late 1950s version of Helbig’s snappy spoken dialogue. and again in the 1980s, both French-language. Albany has also released acclaimed CDs of We owe much to the devotion and research of LOONY’s The Only Girl and Orange Blossoms (both Offenbach enthusiast Maestro Antonio de by Victor Herbert) and Sally (by Jerome Kern). ✧3✧ THEODORINE ROMBOIDAL The Island of My husband! Yes, dear! Hermosa. ROMBOIDAL THEODORINE Tulipatan This is more than I can stand. My She was probably just playing. horse is lame because someone ROMBOIDAL THEODORINE, wife of Romboidal rode it too hard. My expensive Oh, that girl is a menace to and mother of Hermosa oriental vases destroyed because society. ROMBOIDAL, her husband, father someone turned our living room THEODORINE of Hermosa, and Secretary to into an obstacle course. My Aren’t you being a little harsh? Duke Cacatois favorite salon chairs are full of She’s just a little high-spirited. HERMOSA, their daughter muddy footprints because ROMBOIDAL CACATOIS XXII, Grand Duke of someone wanted to practice A little high-spirited? I wish my the Island of Tulipatan climbing the Matterhorn. And do soldiers had half her spirit—we’d ALEXIS, son of Cacatois you know who that someone is? never lose a battle. THEODORINE THEODORINE OVERTURE Track 1 Who, dear? I am sure she didn’t mean it. DIALOGUE Track 2 A park on the island of Tulipatan. THEODORINE (aside) A woman’s face is a work of art, don’t you think? Or it can be, if a woman works at it. Look at this face. Look at this skin: smooth, soft, firm like a schoolgirl’s. Not a wrinkle, not a worry line. You’d think I don’t have a care in the world. Oh, you’d be so wrong! For the last eighteen years, I’ve been carrying a terrible secret. A terrible, terrible secret. (Romboidal enters.) ROMBOIDAL (agitated) Theodorine! Theodorine! Theodorine (Heather Jones) and husband Romboidal (Chad Kranak) ✧4✧ ROMBOIDAL Sweet the musket’s roar. She never means it. Still, she needs Sweet demoliton is what I adore. someone to teach her how to be a I’m a girl with cheeks red and glowing, lady. And that, my dear, is your job. To which fact, alas, I’m resigned. THEODORINE But to sit at home with my sewing, I have done all that I can. Sacré bleu, I’ll lose my mind! ROMBOIDAL (ignoring this) I need entertainment that’s louder It’s incredible that this would My boudoir will not be my tomb. happen to me, Romboidal, the My perfume is Eau de Gunpowder. Undersecretary of External Affairs Give me things that go bang to Duke Cacatois the 22nd, sov- And kaboom! Oh! ereign of the great nation of the I love the heat of battle And the Bugle Corps, Isle of Tulipatan, a country almost Big hordes of swords as big as Luxembourg! That I, me, And warriors at war. of all people, would have an un- I’ll not make any man ladylike daughter like Hermosa. Hermosa (Tom Mulder) A meek and mousey wife. This is your fault, she takes after THEODORINE I love too much the martial life: your side of the family. Well, you have a boy and a girl— Piff, paff, poof, bing, bang, oof! THEODORINE all in one. (A crash is heard.) Thud, bam, bow, My side of the family? You’ve got THEODORINE Pitter pop, pitter pow... that uncle who’s the opera fanatic. What was that? All restrictions now are revoked, ROMBOIDAL ROMBOIDAL For I at last have turned eighteen. He’s not a fanatic, he just likes That was our dear, sweet daughter, Cigarettes were meant to be smoked. operas. Anyway, you have that again. (Hermosa and friends enter. And if I can’t smoke one, aunt who never married... She carries a huge hunting bow.) I’ll make a scene. Tell me, then, THEODORINE What God gave us brains for? She never met the right man. Song Track 3 Age is long but youth very short. Listen, Hermosa is all I’ve got. HERMOSA, then ALL Well I know ROMBOIDAL I love a lovely racket What good champagne’s for. Why do you say it like that? I And the happy noise of guns Popping corks is my favorite sport. wanted a bigger family too. I And cannons and military toys, Oh! I love a lovely racket hoped at least for a boy and a girl. Sweet smell of ammunition, And the joyful din of horns ✧5✧ THEODORINE Oh, honey, you are being too hard on yourself. HERMOSA No I’m not. The piano and I just don’t get along. Why can’t I learn an instrument that suits my tem- perament more... like the hunting horn? ROMBOIDAL The hunting horn? HERMOSA Yes, I love the sound it makes. So noble. Theodorine and Romboidal disagree over Hermosa. ROMBOIDAL And trumpets, not the violin! THEODORINE And I say you should master I’ll not make any man... Yes, but she was still a goddess. ALL ROMBOIDAL Piff, paff, poof... Did she like boys? I seem to remember her not being too fond DIALOGUE Track 4 of men. Like your aunt who never HERMOSA (showing off her bow) married. See, this is a problem. Bonjour, Maman! bonjour, Papa! Hermosa’s eighteen—it’s time for Oh, I love this new bow. her to start getting down to the ROMBOIDAL business of being a woman.