Lovely lady
| Work data | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Lovely lady |
| Shape: | Singspiel |
| Original language: | German |
| Music: | Ralph Benatzky |
| Libretto : | Ralph Benatzky |
| Literary source: | La petite chocolatière |
| Premiere: | May 24, 1933 |
| Place of premiere: | Vienna |
| Playing time: | approx ... hours |
| Place and time of the action: | In any city around 1933 |
| people | |
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Bewitching Fräulein is a musical comedy in four pictures that is close to the operetta. Ralph Benatzky not only wrote the music, but also the libretto. The French Schwank La petite Chocolatière by Paul Gavault served as a template . It premiered on May 24, 1933 at the Deutsches Volkstheater in Vienna . The casting of the roles according to certain voices - as indicated in the adjacent info box - is not mandatory; they can also be cast with singing actors.
orchestra
A piano, a flute, an oboe, two clarinets, two trumpets, a trombone, three saxophones, a banjo, a guitar, drums and strings. Alternatively, the instrumental music can also be played with just two grand pianos.
action
place and time
The play takes place in some city in German-speaking countries in the early 1930s. If the play is staged these days, the plot is usually moved to the present.
First picture
Living hall in Paul's weekend house
The slightly exaggerated painter Felix and his favorite model Rosette are visiting the weekend house of their friend Paul, a senior ministerial official. After they have just finished their last game of bridge, they want to retreat to sleep. Paul is looking forward to the next day. For the first time, his boss announced that he would visit him on Sunday, especially since he now knows that his daughter Luise is secretly engaged to Paul. Luise's visit is also announced.
Felix and Rosette know Luise and find her pretty boring. They don't think their looks are special either. They therefore wonder how they could manage to dissuade Paul from marrying Luise. A lucky coincidence comes to their rescue in the middle of the night: the front door bell announces that someone is asking to be admitted. When Felix opens, he is literally beaming at the sight of the lovely young lady standing in front of him. Your car breaks down and is asking for help. While Paul only reacts disgruntled, Felix accompanies the "charming lady" to the car, pretending to help her, but when she is not at the point and is talking to her chauffeur, he pierces the tires and breaks down just bigger. It goes without saying that Annette, that's the name of the dashing lady, has to be offered to spend her night in Paul's country house. The chauffeur sets off on foot with Paul's housekeeper Julie to notify Annette's father. Everyone else goes to sleep.
Second picture
Again the hall in Paul's weekend house
A new day has dawned. Paul makes every effort to get rid of Annette, but the more he persuades her, the more she likes him. She wants to wait calmly until she is picked up by her father, the extremely rich “chocolate king”. When the doorbell rings, Paul hopes that this will happen soon. But instead of Annette's father, Paul's boss enters the apartment with his daughter Louise. The two are horrified when they meet a stranger in a negligee and leave the house after a few minutes. While Paul is on the verge of desperation, his friend Felix is extremely pleased with how things are developing.
It doesn't take long before the “Chocolate King” finally arrives. But he is not alone, but has Annette's fiancé Hector in tow. Actually, Annette now expects him to reproach her, but Hector is very relaxed. Not a word of anger escapes his lips. Now it's Annette who has a tantrum. She can't stand Hector's beer quiescence and quits the engagement on the spot. Felix's plan seems to be working.
Third picture
Office in the Ministry
Felix arranged for Annette to visit Paul in his office during the lunch break. Shy as Paul always is, he doesn't know what to say. He just can't cope with such a situation. When the visitor presses a kiss on Paul at the right moment, Paul's boss enters the room and is indignant. What is his future son-in-law doing? He angrily declares that he wants to make sure that Paul has been his "right hand" for the longest time.
Paul finds out that his friend Felix made him this soup. If he was torn back and forth shortly before whether he should court Annette after all, now his decision has been made: After this intrigue of his friend, Annette must finally disappear from his life! And Felix has been his friend for the longest time too!
Fourth picture
On a river
Although Paul is still haunted by the "charming lady" in his head, he contemplates throwing himself into the river and thus putting an end to his life. Suddenly he notices a lady in the simple dress of a Salvation Army soldier walking towards him. As he approaches, he realizes that it is Annette. His heart starts beating faster again. Annette reveals to him that she will renounce all of her wealth for him. Paul gives up his philistinism and takes her in his arms. Two gentlemen mischievously watch the scene without being noticed by the couple: The “Chocolate King” and Felix. It was this again who, in his own way, pulled the strings to bring the story to its happy ending.
Musical highlights
- Paul's song "Oh Louise, no girl is like this!"
- Felix's couplet "Hokuspokus fidibus"
- Paul's song "What do you get out of it when I love you?"
- Annette and Paul, Tango "You're coming to tea!"
- Annette's father, Felix, chauffeur, Paul, Annette "Charming lady / Yes, what's wrong with me today?"
Film adaptations
- Walter Janssen filmed the play in 1935 under the title Who dares - wins with Heinz Rühmann and Lizzi Holzschuh .
- Max Hansen was the main actor in the Swedish film En förtjusande fröken (1945).
- Benatzky's musical comedy was filmed under its original title in 1953 under the direction of Georg Thomalla . The director himself played the main male role. Ingrid Andree , Herta Staal , Gisela Fackeldey and Karl Schönböck could also be seen. The lexicon of international film has no great respect for this work: "Boulevard routine in a clumsy musical comedy with a few nice melodies from the operetta of the same name by Ralph Benatzky."
- 1977 by the ZDF, see web link