View source for Princess Charming (operetta)

{{Short description|Operetta composed by Albert Szirmai}}
{{italic title}}
'''''Princess Charming''''' is an [[operetta]] with music composed by [[Albert Szirmai]]. The English libretto by [[Arthur Wimperis]] and [[Lauri Wylie]] is based on the Hungarian libretto by [[Franz Martos]]. The operetta is set in the Palace of the Elyrian Embassy in the fictional European country of Novia and the Sigman Castle adjoining the Royal Palace. The story concerns a young princess who accepts a proposal of marriage from the elderly king of a neighboring country as protection against an uprising by her own subjects. Captain Torrelli, a military officer sent by the king, fears imminent danger to the princess and marries her himself.  The officer then escorts her to his king for an annulment, but the couple fall in love and elope.

The operetta was first presented in Hungarian in 1925 in [[Budapest]] as '''''Alexandra'''''. Its English-language premier was in London in 1926, and it was revived on Broadway and elsewhere. A [[Princess Charming (film)|1934 film adaptation]] was made, starring [[Evelyn Laye]].

==Productions==
After its 1925 Hungarian premiere in [[Budapest]], the operetta was produced in English in London's [[West End theatre|West End]] on 21 October 1926.  It ran for a very successful 362 performances at the [[Palace Theatre, London|Palace Theatre]].<ref>[http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/london_shows_chronology/1926.htm 1926 London theatre chronology], Guide to Musical Theatre</ref>  The production starred Winnie Melville as Princess Elaine of Novia, John Clarke as Captain Torrelli, [[W. H. Berry]] as Albert Chuff, [[Alice Delysia]] as Countess Wanda Navaro and [[George Grossmith, Jr.]] as King Christian II of Sylvania.<ref>[http://www.phyllis.demon.co.uk/theatricalia/14mags/playpict20.htm "Princess Charming"] in ''[[The Play Pictorial]]''</ref><ref>[http://www.moderntheatre.info/productions_detail.asp?ID=1617 "Princess Charming"]{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} at the Modern Theatre site</ref>  It was produced by [[Robert Courtneidge]]. The production then toured in Britain.

After a rewrite of the book by [[Jack Donahue]], with additional lyrics by producer [[Arthur Swanstrom]] and additional music by [[Arthur Schwartz]], the work was presented on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] at the [[Imperial Theatre (Broadway)|Imperial Theatre]] on October 13, 1930, closing after 56 performances on November 29, 1930. The production starred [[Jeanne Aubert]] as Wanda Navarro, Grossmith as King Christian II of Elyria, and [[Victor Moore]] as Irving Huff. Two up-and-coming entertainers were in smaller roles, [[Howard St. John]] as the king's aide and [[Ernest McChesney]] as the second footman.

The show was also produced by the [[J. C. Williamson]] company in Australia.  

It was adapted as a [[Princess Charming (film)|film in 1934]], starring Grossmith, [[Yvonne Arnaud]], [[Evelyn Laye]], [[Max Miller (comedian)|Max Miller]], [[Henry Wilcoxon]] and [[Cecil Parker]].

==Songs (London version)==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
;Act 1
*Take a Letter to the King – Baron Sigman, Marie and Girls 
*Palace of Dreams – Princess Elaine of Novia, Officers and Girls
*The Panic's On – Lulu and Girls 
*I'll Be There – Wanda Navarro, Irving Huff and Rasch Ballet 
*Trailing a Shooting Star – Princess Elaine and Captain Torrelli
*Here Is a Sword – Captain Torrelli and Sailors 
*I'll Be There (Reprise) – Wanda and Captain Torrelli 
*One for All – Ivanoff and Revolutionists
*I Love Love (Lyrics by Walter O'Keefe, Music by Robert Emmett Dolan) – Wanda, Officers and Girls 
*You – Princess Elaine and Captain Torrelli
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;Act 2
*A Wonderful Thing for the King – Christian II of Elyria, Lulu and Girls 
*Not Old Enough To Be Old – Albert Chuff
*I'll Be There (Reprise) – Wanda and Christian II
*I'll Never Leave You – Princess Elaine and Captain Torrelli
*You (Reprise) – Princess Elaine 
*I'll Never Leave You (Reprise) – Princess Elaine and Captain Torrelli
*Wings of the Morning – Rasch Ballet 
{{col-end}}

==Roles and original London cast==
*Wanda Navarro – [[Jeanne Aubert]] 	 	
*Colette – Irene Bostick
*Ivanoff – [[Douglass Dumbrille]] 	
*Marie – Betty Gallagher
*Baron Sigman – Roy Gordon
*Veronique – Yvonne Grey
*Christian II of Elyria – [[George Grossmith, Jr.]]	
*Captain Torrelli of the Cruiser Elyria – Robert Halliday
*Albert Chuff – [[W. H. Berry]]
*Princess Elaine of Novia – Evelyn Herbert
*Attorney General – Paul Huber
*Lulu – Dorothea James
*Anastasia – Frances Markey
*Second Lieutenant – [[Ernest McChesney]]
*Irving Huff – [[Victor Moore]] 	
*Marguerite – Wilma Roeloff
*Aide de Camp to the King – [[Howard St. John]]

==Critical response==
The ''Time Magazine'' review noted "The fact that it has sparkle and distinction is almost entirely attributable to blithe, blonde, beauteous Jeanne Aubert.  As the Princess, Evelyn Herbert ... is luscious-looking, hits good rich notes but experiences difficulty in making the lyrics intelligible."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121104003004/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,787673-2,00.html "The Theatre: New Plays in Manhattan: Oct. 27, 1930"], ''Time Magazine'', October 27, 1930</ref>

Steven Suskin wrote that the operetta "was not especially distinguished, though it contained one song hit – the snappy, interpolated 'I Love Love'".<ref>Suskin, Steven. ''Show tunes'' (2000), Oxford University Press US, {{ISBN|0-19-512599-1}}, p. 39</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{ibdb show|id=7255}}
*[http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=16661 Pathe film of a scene from the operetta]

{{Arthur Schwartz}}

[[Category:Hungarian-language operettas]]
[[Category:1925 operas]]
[[Category:1925 musicals]]
[[Category:Broadway musicals]]
[[Category:Musicals by Arthur Schwartz]]
[[Category:Musicals by Arthur Swanstrom]]
[[Category:Musicals set in fictional countries]]
[[Category:Musicals set in Europe]]