Naughty Marietta (2009)

Victor Herbert's
Naughty Marietta
(A Semi-Staged Concert)
Original Libretto by Rida Johnson Young
Adapted by Phil Park

Sept. 4, 2009 at 8pm
Sept. 6, 2009 at 2pm

Music Directed by Joseph Sorge
Directed by Guillaume Tourniaire

Cast

Capt. Richard Warrington - John Day
Lieutenant Governor Grandet - John Allnutt
Etienne Grandet - G. Stephen Stokes
Sir Harry Blake - Carlton Maryott
Silas Slick - Clyde Wright
Rudolfo - Blair Eig
Florenze - Rand Huntzinger
Marietta D’Altena - Alexandra Boulé-Buckley
Adah - Denise Young
Lizette - Caroline Shaul
Felice - Theresa Hubbard
Nanette - Felicity Ann Brown
Fanchon - Madeleine Smith
Graziella - Jane Maryott

Ensemble - Corinne Baker, Paul Dudek, Fran Fleming, Tara Hockensmith, Donna Jaffe, Lyle Jaffe, Elaine Kass, Gina Nowacki, Alicia Oliver, Lynn Ritland, Julie Stevens, Mary Stokes, Rusty Suter, Linda Wilson, Kent Woods, Matthew Woorman

Orchestra

Violin 1 - Steve Natrella (CM), Bonnie Barrows, David Friedlander, Carolyn Larson
Violin 2 - Irv Berner, Alexandra Morton, Erin Grace, Martin Brown
Viola - Amanda Laudwein, Andrew Nixon
Cello - Michael Stein, Sheryl Friedlander
Bass - Pete Gallanis, Kimberly Johnson
Flute - Jackie Miller, Louise Hill
Oboe - Gwen Earle
Clarinet - Laura Langbein, Laura Bornhoeft
Bassoon - John Hoven
Horn - Joe Cross, Lora Katz
Trumpet - Curt Anstine
Trombone - Al Potter
Percussion - George Huttlin, Jim Hendricksen
Harp - Meredith Mancini

Production Staff

Producer - Denise Young
Assistant Music Director - Jenny Craley Bland
Audition Pianists - Rick DuPuy, Jenifer Craley Bland
Rehearsal Pianists - Jenifer Craley Bland, Jud Gardner
Photography - Harvey Levine
Program - Denise Young
Surtitles - Doug Maryott
Graphic Design - Denise Young
Publicity - Sandy Rovner, Ed Vilade
House Management - Merle Haber
Set Storage - Rockville Civic Center

Director's Note

In 1981, the Smithsonian’s American Musical Theater series produced the first ever recording of the complete score of Victor Herbert’s Naughty Marietta. Earlier recordings had featured only highlights, and film and television adaptations rewrote the story and changed much of the music. In 2006, William Dorwart published the orchestration we have used, along with an updated script by Alyce Mott. Although the changes made to the script attempted to reconcile historical inconsistencies and rewrite potentially offensive stereotypes, several contradictions yet remained.

A trip to the Library of Congress to view Rida Johnson Young’s original 1910 libretto found it to be quite problematic. In her defense, she was trying to simultaneously juggle several disparate plot elements across a broad timeline: The arrival of Casquette Girls (1720s); New Orleans during French rule (1718-1763); a pirate smuggler based on Jean Lafitte (1776-1823); an American officer from Kentucky (est. 1792) in the style of Gen. Andrew Jackson (1815), leading men who had "smoked the peace pipe with the Natchez" (tribe scattered 1729).

In addition, she had to contend with a producer who insisted on inserting vaudeville comedy to broaden the show’s appeal, and a costumer who changed the period from 1750 to 1780.

Further, Young was writing an early-American drama in the style of 19th century playwrights. Intended for an audience of over a century ago, it represented the many archetypes found in this still-young country: the Yankee, the Southerner, the Indian, the Slave, the Irishman, the Jew, the Italian, the Frenchman, etc. These were written and played as broad stereotypes, to heighten their recognition and comic effect, often offensive by today’s standards.

Then, an unexpected find: a 1959 adaptation by Phil Park, which streamlined the plot and kept most of the characters and intended humor. This version has proved a most effective way of telling this story, coming closer to the original audiences’ perception of the operetta, without the distraction of overly dated material.

What has been most intriguing about this adaptation is which characters were kept and which ones were amended. Just one example is Silas, originally Simon: a Jewish manservant, performed fully in Yiddish dialect and later changed to a simple rustic hayseed for the 1911 touring production. Other characters, however, such as Harry’s "Faith-and-Begorrah" Irishman and Rudolfo’s hand-wringing Italian, have remained mostly unchanged.

Falling neatly a half-century between the original opretta and today, it has brought up some interesting questions about what we nowadays find humorous – or even acceptable – and why.

Synopsis

The action takes place in a public square in New Orleans. The son of the Lieutenant Governor, Etienne Grandet (who is also the notorious pirate, Bras Pique) enters, flirts with the flower girls and rebuffs his lover, Adah, a local courtesan.

Captain Richard Warrington arrives with his own band of men and a warrant for Bras Pique’s arrest. Etienne tells Captain Dick the Governor is away and that his father has authority in New Orleans. The fact is that Bras Pique is holding the actual Governor hostage on the Isle of Pines, and plans to take over Louisiana himself. Captain Dick’s men are also in the city to find wives: the King of France has sent a boatload of ―Casquette Girls‖ unwed girls looking for husbands.

One of these girls, Marietta, a feisty Italian maid (who is really the Contessa D’Altena) has escaped her parents and arrived on the casquette boat. She has taken a fancy to Captain Dick. Another, Lizette, encounters Silas, a young, ambitious Cajun with Dick’s band. She wants him – and he wants her gold. Meanwhile Dick discovers Marietta who has been hiding. She claims her true love will be able to finish a song melody, the start of which she hears in her dreams. Dick agrees to keep her incognito: Marietta will pretend to be the son of Rudolfo, owner of a local Marionette troupe.

Dick hides his true feelings for Marietta, despite her teasing. Etienne sees through Marietta’s disguise, guesses she is the runaway contessa. He urges her to drop her masquerade and invites her to a ball, which Dick has advised against. Adah learns this, is again rebuffed by Etienne, and defiantly accepts Dick’s invitation. Marietta then determines to go to the ball as well. All attend, including Lieutenant Governor Grandet, who with his Secretary’s help, has employed Silas as his Whipping Boy. Marietta and dick confront each other, seem to reconcile, but Dick is still unwilling to admit he lovers her. In a rage, Marietta reveals to all that she is the Contessa and offers her hand to Etienne to spite Dick. Adah betrays Etienne’s true identity, verified by Sir Harry Blake, a member of Dick’s band, who arrives with news of the rescue of the Governor. Lieutenant Governor is forced to have his son arrested, and, when Captain Dick arrives – singing Marietta’s love song – he gets the girl. All ends happily.

Musical Selections

Act I

Opening Chorus (Watchman, Flower Girls, Vendors, Chorus)
Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! (Capt. Dick, Men Chorus)
Taisez-Vous (Chorus)
Naughty Marietta (Marietta)
It Never, Never Can Be Love (Dick & Marietta)
If I Were Anybody Else But Me (Silas & Lizette)
‘Neath the Southern Moon (Adah)
Italian Street Song (Marietta, Chorus)
Finale (Adah, Marietta, Etienne, Dick, Rudolfo, Governor, Chorus)

Act II

Dance of the Marionette (Marietta, Rudolfo)
You Marry a Marionette (Etienne)
New Orleans Jeunesse Dorée (Men’s Chorus)
Loves of New Orleans (Women’s Chorus, Men’s Chorus)
The Sweet By and By (Lizette)
Live for Today (Marietta, Adah, Dick, Etienne, Chorus)
I’m Falling in Love with Someone (Dick, Marietta)
It’s Pretty Soft for Silas (Silas)
Finale (Dick, Marietta, Etienne, Silas, Ensemble)