A Viennese Operetta Company was introduced by Peter Daubeny Presentations Ltd by arrangement with Eugene Iskoldoff Productions. A three week London season opened at the Stoll Theatre on 16 August. This was followed by a national tour through to December. The schedule included Glasgow (Sep 13), Aberdeen (Sep 27), Edinburgh (Oct 4), Blackpool (Oct 11), Manchester (Oct 18), Birmingham (Nov 1), Leeds (Nov 8), Liverpool (Nov 15), Bristol (Nov 22), Bournemouth (Nov 29) and Cardiff (Dec 6).
Alone of the three, the Strauss appears to have been thought to require the services of a Narrator, drawn from the company, to make events comprehensible to the British (or at least non-Viennese) public.
Artists were drawn from the Vienna State Opera and Volksoper, the Munich Operetta and the opera houses of Stuttgart, Bern and Graz. The company was claimed to have 60 artists including full chorus and ballet, with an orchestra of 28.
Artists were drawn from the Vienna State Opera and Volksoper, the Munich Operetta and the opera houses of Stuttgart, Bern and Graz. The company was claimed to have 60 artists including full chorus and ballet, with an orchestra of 28.
The chosen operettas were by Lehár (Merry Widow), Kálmán (Gypsy Princess) and Strauss (Wiener Blut).
Cast details are from a programme in Aberdeen City Library.
The Aberdeen schedule included 4 performances of The Merry Widow and two each of the others. The programme was:
Week commencing 27 Sep: Mon 27 Merry Widow; Tue 28 Gypsy Princess; Wed 29 m Merry Widow; Wed 29 e Wiener Blut; Thu 30 Gypsy Princess; Fri 1 Oct Merry Widow; Sat 2 m Wiener Blut; Sat 2 e Merry Widow.
Glasgow and Edinburgh dates to be confirmed.
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