Mlle. Modiste (1905), an operetta by Henry Blossom (book, lyrics), Victor Herbert (music). [Knickerbocker Theatre, 202 perf.] Fifi (Fritzi Scheff), a salesgirl in a hat shop, and Capt. Etienne de Bouvray (Walter Percival) are in love, but the romance is opposed by both Fifi's employer and by Etienne's rich, determined uncle, the Compte de St. Mar (William Pruette). An American, Hiram Bent (Claude Gillingwater), stumbles into the shop and takes a liking to the girl. She tells him of her ambition to become a singer and performs for him, so Bent agrees to pay for her schooling. A year later the stubborn Count holds a fete at which one Mme. Bellini wins applause for her fine singing. When the count learns she is none other than Fifi, he withdraws his objections to the match. Notable songs: The Time and the Place and the Girl; Kiss Me Again; The Mascot of the Troop; I Want What I Want When I Want It. Many critics considered this Charles Dillingham offering the finest American musical written up to its time, admiring its solidly constructed, humorous book and its superb score, which “fit the story like a glove.”
Mlle. Modiste
| American Theater Guide: Mlle. Modiste |
| Wikipedia: Mlle. Modiste |
| Mlle. Modiste | |
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| Sheet music cover | |
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| Music | Victor Herbert |
| Lyrics | Henry Blossom |
| Book | Henry Blossom |
| Productions | 1905 Broadway 1906 Broadway revival 1907 Broadway revival 1907 Broadway revival 1913 Broadway revival 1929 Broadway revival |
Mlle. Modiste is an operetta in two acts written by Victor Herbert, libretto by Henry Blossom. It premiered on Broadway on December 25, 1905 at the Knickerbocker Theatre, where it ran for 202 performances. It was frequently revived early in the 20th century.
The operetta features the song "Kiss Me Again". Mlle. Modiste was revived several times by the Light Opera of Manhattan in the late 1970s and early 1980s; and also by Ohio Light Opera in 2009.
Contents |
Synopsis
- Act I
Fifi is a shop girl, selling hats in Mme. Cécile's shop in the Rue de la Paix in Paris. She is the shop's best saleswoman, so Mme. Cécile plots to keep her there for free by marrying her off to her artist son, Gaston. But Fifi dreams of a career on the stage. In addition, Fifi and French army Captain Etienne de Bouvray, Viscount de St. Mar, are in love. But his uncle, the old aristocratic Count de St. Mar, is scandalized that Etienne would marry a shop girl. He threatens to cut off Etienne's allowance and to disinherit him. Fifi hopes that a stage career would allow Etienne to marry her because no one need be ashamed of such an alliance.
One day, when she is alone in the shop, a rich and eccentric American theatre promoter, Hiram Bent, bumbles in. Fifi tells him of her lifelong ambition, singing a wonderful number for him that serves as a kind of "audition" piece, because she shows him exactly how she would play three very different kinds of roles, if given the opportunity (the last of these is "Kiss Me Again"). He loans her $1000 to help her achieve this goal and win over her sweetheart's crotchety uncle, Count Henri. She leaves for Vienna to develop her talent.
- Act II
A year later, Etienne is still pining for Fifi, who has not written him during that time, but who has, meanwhile, become a great success throughout Europe. Etienne and his sister, Marie Louise, are hosting a charity ball at the Chateau de St. Mar. Unknown to Etienne, Hiram Bent has arranged for Fifi to sing at the ball. The Count, learning of this, is enraged and forbids Fifi to sing. However, Hiram arranges for Etienne to "discover" Fifi's presence. The two stage a "performance" for the Count in which Fifi defends the Count and Etienne calls him a "stupid old idiot". The Count, impressed by Fifi's sincerity and her new position, as well as by Etienne's behavior, allows Fifi to sing, and ultimately to marry Etienne.
Roles
- Mme. Cecile, owner of a Parisian hat shop (mezzo soprano)
- Fifi, (Mlle. Modiste) clerk in the hat shop (soprano)
- Etienne de Bouvray, nephew of the Count (tenor)
- Count Henri de Bouvray, uncle of Etienne (baritone)
- Hiram Bent, American entrepreneur (bass)
Musical numbers
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Recordings
A recording of Mlle. Modiste was made by Reader's Digest for their 1963 album Treasury of Great Operettas. Each of the 24 operettas in the set is condensed to fill one Lp side. The Mlle. Modiste selections have not been re-released on Cd. Ohio Light Opera released a CD of Mlle. Modiste in fall of 2009 with Albany Records.
References
- Engel, Lehman, The American Musical Theatre
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
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| Frederick G. Latham (American Theater) |
| Victor Herbert (literature) |
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Copyrights:
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 | American Theater Guide. The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. Copyright © 2004 by Oxford University Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Mlle. Modiste". Read more |
- What is Mlle?
- What does Mlle in English mean?
- What is the significance of la modiste sur les champs elysees?
Mentioned in
- [Friedrike Jaeger] Fritzi Scheff (American Theater)
- Frederick G. Latham (American Theater)
- Victor Herbert (literature)
- Fritzi Scheff (Actor)
- Henry [Martyn] Blossom, Jr. (American Theater)
- Homer [Farnham] Emens (American Theater)
- Charles [Bancroft] Dillingham (American Theater)
- Victor Herbert (Soundtrack Artist, 1900s-'20s)
- Speaking of Love (1957 Album by Shirley Jones & Jack Cassidy)
- Victor Herbert (Classical Musician)
- Kiss Me Again
- Fritzi Scheff
- 1905 (chronology)
- Light Opera of Manhattan
