Countess Maritza

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Countess Maritza (Marica grófnő) is an operetta in three acts composed by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kalman, with a libretto by Julius Brammer and Alfred Grünwald. It premiered in Vienna, as Gräfin Mariza, on 28 February 1924 at the Theater an der Wien.

As Countess Maritza it made its New York debut at the Shubert Theatre, in an adaptation by Harry B. Smith, and with interpolated music by other composers, on 18 September 1926, playing 318 performances. Since the 1981 production by the Lubo Opera Company, however, most American productions have been straightforward English translations of the original, with Kalman's music intact.

As Maritza, it opened in London at the Palace Theatre on 6 July 1938.

There have been many movie versions and recordings.

Note: The English name of this work is usually Countess Maritza, though it is sometimes given as Countess Mariza; the German name is rather uniformly Gräfin Mariza: they would all be pronounced the same. Emmerich Kalman also wrote a musical called Marinka; despite the similar name, this is a distinct work.