The Lucky Star

for a run of 143 performances.

The opera starred the usual Savoy Theatre cast from that period, including Walter Passmore, Henry Lytton, Robert Evett, Ruth Vincent, Emmie Owen, and Isabel Jay.

Background

The opera is based on "L'Étoile", written in 1877 by Eugène Leterrier and Albert Vanloo, with additional material by Paul Verlaine and music by Alexis-Emmanuel Chabrier. It is also based on "The Merry Monarch", an American translation by Cheever Goodwin with music by Woolson Morse, produced in 1890.

"The Lucky Star" was the only Savoy Opera where a woman plays a man's part. The piece has many other characteristics of musical comedy, which had become popular on the London stage in the 1890s -- broader comedy, a thin romance, bright tunes, comedians, a chorus of pretty girls, some risqué situations, a "coon" song, songs regarding news of the day, separate authors of dialogue and lyrics, and a star, Walter Passmore.

This half-musical, half-comic opera, though earning a good critical response and possessing a pleasant score and entertaining libretto, did not appeal strongly to the Savoy Theatre's audiences and was unable to achieve a long run. The Cartes discovered that they were presenting a good play at the wrong theatre.

ynopsis

The story of the opera concerns a superstitious monarch, King Ouf. The King is informed by his astrologer Siroco that his destiny is linked with that of an itinerant painter named Lazuli, who is in love with the King's intended bride, the Princess Laoula. Siroco's astrological charts reveal that Lazuli's death will result in the King's. The King decrees that Siroco will be executed moments after the King's death, and so both have an interest in keeping Lazuli alive.

Roles

*King Ouf the First (comic baritone)
*The Baron Tabasco, "Ambassador-Extraordinary from King Mataquin" (baritone)
*Siroco, "the Astrologer Royal"
*Tapioca, "Private Secretary to Baron Tabasco" (tenor)
*Kedas, "a Police officer"
*Cancan, "a Citizen"
*Princess Laoula, "Daughter of King Mataquin" (soprano)
*Aloës, "Daughter of Tabasco and Lady-in-Waiting to the Princess" (soprano)
*Maids of Honour:
**Oasis
**Asphodel
**Zinnia
*Adza, "the Court Dancer"
*Lazuli, "a Travelling Painter" (mezzo-soprano -- a woman portraying a man)
*Citizens, Guards, Courtiers, and Ladies-in-Waiting.

Musical numbers

*Overture ACT I - A Public Square
*No. 1 - Opening Chorus - "Night is done, but it is not day, only a twilight, quiet and grey..."
*No. 2 - Quartet - Laoula, Aloës, Tabasco & Tapioca - "Hush! hark! is anyone near? Hist! ha! can anyone hear?..."
*No. 3 - Song - Laoula - "When I was a child of three, heigh-ho! Long ago! Happy as a child could be..."
*No. 4 - Serenade - Lazuli - "Say little star, when the soft summer glow trembles and dies out of the skies..."
*No. 5 - Trio - Laoula, Aloës, & Lazuli - "Of our disguise advantage take, he won't know who we are..."
*No. 6 - Chorus - "Bring on our King, in a stately and solemn procession..."
*No. 6a - Song - King & Chorus - "I'm a king in everything, I am glorious, great, and good..."
*No. 7 - Finale Act I - "Young man, you have dared to strike the King!..." ACT II - Throne-Room in the King's Palace
*No. 8 - Opening Chorus, with Oasis & Asphodel - "Lolling in sinuous feminine fashion, over a downy divan..."
*No. 9 - Song - Lazuli & Chorus - "There was a minstrel gay who at the break of day..."
*No. 10 - Quintet - King, Siroco, Lazuli, Tabasco & Tapioca - "It's the husband, harsh and hated, as I formerly related..."
*No. 11 - Chorus - Entrance of the Ambassador - "In a courtly train let us welcome with dutiful homage..."
*No. 12 - Elopement Trio - Lazuli, Laoula & King - "Together, darling, let us roam, with staff and scrip and pocket-comb..."
*No. 13 - Song - King & Chorus - "In an African land, that chiefly was sand, an Ostrich went his way..."
*No. 14 - Finale Act II - "It's a shot! Then a lot! Did they pot him, yes or not? ..." ACT III - A Summer-Room in the Palace
*No. 15 - Opening Chorus - "When the tramp, tramp, tramp of our military march is heard..."
*No. 16 - Song - Tapioca - "Dreaming in the dark, your vision comes upon my lonely slumber..."
*No. 17 - Song - King & "Coons" - "Merry little darkie's very kind remark is: 'Life in the old dog yet!'..."
*No. 18 - Duet - Laoula & Lazuli - "There lived in a cage two turtle doves, in happy contentment of mind..."
*No. 19 - Wedding Chorus - "In courtly train, let us welcome, with dutiful homage..."
*No. 20 - Finale - "Let us march away, brave and gay our display, for 'tis plain to see joyful all we should be..."

External links

* [http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/other_savoy/lucky_star/lucky_star_home.html Site with links to the libretto, cast list and other information regarding "The Lucky Star"]
* [http://www.halhkmusic.com/luckystar.html List of songs and links to Midi files and other information]
* [http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/other_savoy/lucky_star/review.html Opening night review]
* [http://www.nodanw.com/shows_e/etoile.htm Information about the French and American productions as well as London's]