VICTOR HERBERT The Fortune Teller THE OHIO LIGHT OPERA STEVEN BYESS STEVEN DAIGLE Conductor Artistic Director The Fortune Teller Music......................................Victor Herbert ENSEMBLE: Book and Lyrics......................Harry B. Smith Jacob Allen, Natalie Ballenger, Sarah Best, Lori Birrer, John Vocal Score Reconstruction........Adam Aceto Callison, Ashley Close, Christopher Cobbett, Mary Griffin, Anna-Lisa Hackett, Geoffrey Kannerberg, Andy Maughan, Ohio Light Opera Olivia Maughan, Evan McCormack, Geoffrey Penar, Will Perkins, Madeline Piscetta, Zachary Rusk, Mark Snyder, Raina Thorne, Artistic Director........................Steven Daigle Angela Vågenes, Joey Wilgenbusch. Conductor.................................Steven Byess Stage Director.......................Ted Christopher Sound Designer..........................Brian Rudell PROGRAM NOTES ...............................Michael D. Miller Choreographer.....................Carol Hageman Victor Herbert, acknowledged as Costume Designer.................Whitney Locher the Father of American Operetta, Scenic Designer...............................Erich Keil was born in Dublin in 1859, the Lighting Designer.....................Krystal Kennel grandson of Irish novelist-artist- Production Stage Manager...Katie Humphrey composer Samuel Lover. The family eventually moved to Stuttgart where CAST: Victor’s initial studies toward a Musette / Irma...........................Amy Maples career in medicine or law were soon Sandor...........................David Kelleher-Flight replaced by an overwhelming desire Stanislas...................................Stephen Faulk to become a professional cellist. Mlle. Pompom........................Elisa Matthews Young Herbert began playing Victor Herbert (1859-1924) Fresco.............................................Gary Moss with concert orchestras throughout Count.........................................Logan Walsh Europe, eventually securing a position in Vienna with the orchestra of Eduard Strauss, the youngest brother of Waltz Boris...............................................Max Nolin King, Johann Strauss Jr. Vaninka.........................................Sarah Best In 1886, he married opera soprano Therese Förster (1862- Rafael..............................................Lori Birrer 1927) who soon thereafter was engaged by New York’s General Korbay.......................Geoffrey Penar Metropolitan Opera Company to open the 1886-87 season Lieutenant....................Geoffrey Kannenberg in the title role of Goldmark’s The Queen of Sheba. She Wanda.................................Natalie Ballenger accepted, but only under the condition that her husband be Vera....................................Madeline Piscetta engaged as cellist in the opera orchestra. Once in America, Matosin........................................Jacob Allen Herbert pursued conducting and composing in addition to his ❦ 2 ❦ Metropolitan Opera duties. By draw, Nielsen had starred in score which is rich in all varieties of 1893, with two children and a Herbert’s The Serenade the delightful operetta music. There wife who had given up her own previous season in New York and are numbers grave and gay, light career to support his, Herbert had then toured the work with her and serious, catchy in the most turned his hand to composing for own company. She brought The popular manner and musicianly in the musical stage. Fortune Teller to London in 1901. a thoroughly praise-worthy style.” The Fortune Teller, the eighth At the premiere, The Times The first-act csardas “Romany life” of more than 50 Herbert stage noted, “Herbert has written a and the second-act “Gypsy love works, opened in Toronto, in a pre- song” both became instant hits. Broadway tryout in September In 1929 The Fortune Teller 1898. The New York Times re- returned to Broadway as part of ported “a remarkably smooth first an operetta revival series that also night performance,” with “the showcased Herbert’s Mlle. Modiste ensembles and finales being so and Naughty Marietta (both avail- strong as to closely resemble grand able in complete recordings on the opera.” Twelve days later, the work Albany label). The leading role was premiered at Wallack’s Theater on assumed by operetta star Tessa Broadway. The Times was un- Kosta in her last Broadway appear- qualified in its praise for the show, ance. In the opening night audi- its composer and its star, Alice Soprano Alice Nielsen (1872-1943) ence was Alice Nielsen, long re- Nielsen. An enormous box office starring in The Fortune Teller tired from the stage. FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR For more than 30 years little of everything: a well-known Wooster, its community and The Ohio Light Opera has been and lesser-known Gilbert and nearly 500,000 patrons who dedicated to producing, promo- Sullivan, a Viennese operetta, a have championed the company's ting and preserving the best of French operetta, an American dedication to operetta have given the traditional operetta reper- operetta and a revival of a long- OLO a reputation that reaches toire. In any summer season, forgotten work that is given a internationally. In no small way, 20,000 patrons come to hear much-deserved rebirth for an Albany Records has added to the and see more than sixty perfor- appreciative audience. This CD company’s success. The company mances of seven productions on set will hopefully give the oper- and the operetta art form are the beautiful campus of The Col- etta aficionado a taste of what indebted to John Ostendorf and lege of Wooster in Ohio. These makes this company unique. Albany for their commitment. shows offer the operetta fan a The support of the College of Steven Daigle ❦ 3 ❦ PLOT SYNOPSIS teller, so closely resembles Irma Irma’s brother Fedor. Mlle. ACT I. The Ballet School at that Fresco buys her from her Pompom, Fedor’s girlfriend, the Budapest Opera. Count father, intending to represent arrives, further complicating Berezowski, an impoverished her to the Count as the fugitive matters. A messenger arrives Polish composer, has discovered Irma. Musette’s lover, Sandor, announcing war has broken that a pupil in the ballet class at objects and convinces her to out. All go off to fight for the the opera is the heiress to a escape after the wedding. The homeland. great estate. He visits the school Count is distraught at Irma’s to find and wed her. Fresco, the suicide until Musette enters in ACT III. The camp of the ballet-master, insists the Count one of Irma’s dresses. He is Hungarian forces. The real Fedor split the profits of the potential fooled by the resemblance, and has not yet returned, and sister match. It is discovered that the all depart for the chateau for Irma must continue to take his heiress is Irma. She is chosen as the wedding. place. The Count and Fresco the Count’s bride. cannot claim Irma’s inheritance: Alone with her lover, Cap- ACT II. The Count’s chateau. as she has “disappeared,” tain Ladislas, Irma dreads the Preparations are being made everything will go to Fedor. Mlle. impending marriage and deter- for the wedding. Meanwhile, Pompom enters. Still taking Irma mines to run away. Ladislas tells Musette has fled. Irma now re- for Fedor, she accuses him of her that her twin brother Fedor appears on the scene in her deserting her, and involves has deserted from his regiment brother Fedor’s uniform, having Fedor/Irma in a duel. Just as to elope with a French opera heard that another bride was matters reach their most con- singer. If discovered, Fedor will about to take her place. fused state, an officer appears to be shot. Irma proposes that she Fresco, who has discovered the reveal that, instead of deserting, dress in her brother’s uniform flight of Musette, persuades the real Fedor has in fact led a and take Fedor’s place, thereby Irma, whom he recognizes, to detachment on a secret expedi- escaping marriage with the stay. She goes off and dons the tion resulting in an important Count while saving Fedor. She wedding dress. Sandor takes her Hungarian victory. Fedor is the runs off, leaving a letter for for Musette and Ladislas takes hero of the hour. Irma can now Fresco: overwhelmed at the her for Irma. The Count also marry Ladislas, Musette can prospect of marrying, she claims claims her as his bride, and a marry Sandor, and Fedor can to have been driven to suicide. three-way fight is imminent, so wed Mlle. Pompom—much to A band of gypsies arrives. Irma declares herself to be the chagrin of the Count One of them, Musette, a fortune neither Musette nor Irma, but and Fresco. ❦ 4 ❦ Mesdemoiselles, commençons! Watch me, and you can’t miss, The Fortune Teller Vite! Adagio! With ease and grace, like this! Girls (striking his poses) One, two, one, two... Overture Track 1 Languidly, as odalisques or houris Caramba, no! It is not so. ACT ONE Pass the idle hours of summer day... This way. You’re doing better now! Opening Track 2 Fresco (correcting them) Careful, do not spoil it. Good. Courtyard of the conservatory of No!!! Confound it, no! Now, Finale! Presto con brio. the Budapest Opera. Matosin, stage Forty thousand furies! Watch me! Girls manager at the opera, and the Imitate me! See—this way. Twirling, whirling, sliding, gliding balletmaster Fresco enter.) (He demonstrates again.) Dancing with a grace entrancing. Fresco Now the allegretto grazioso! Hi... Round in circles swinging What do I hear? ‘Tis striking ten! Girls Like gazelles a-springing, Those rogues of mine are late again. La-la-la with pirouetting Scarcely have we breath for The little minxes, always late, With smile enduring singing... Clear the way! The rascals! Tardiness I hate. And yet alluring, In a maze wild and gay... La-la-la! (Bell of the gate rings.) We are coquetting so statuesquely, Fresco What’s that? A ring! Ola! ’Tis they! So picturesquely... Right foot, left foot Girls (outside) Graceful pose, enduring smile That’s not like it, not a bit! Ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! In the real ballet style, Left foot, deft foot, Matosin Languidly we sway... Every bar of music fit. I’ll let them in without delay. Fresco You must do better now. (Pupils of the ballet school of the That was it! Cospetto! Here, I will show you how. Opera rush in, laughing, talking.) You spoil my allegretto. I will give an imitation.