The Blue Paradise
The Blue Paradise is a musical with music by Edmund Eysler and Sigmund Romberg, lyrics by Herbert Reynolds, and a book by Edgar Smith, based on the operetta Ein Tag im Paradies (1913) by Eysler with original text by Leo Stein and Bela Jenbach. The story is set in a Viennese cafe, where a man realizes that he cannot recapture his long lost love. The musical introduced the song “Auf Wiedersehn”, Romberg’s first song hit, originally sung by 18 year-old Vivienne Segal in her professional debut.
Productions
The original Broadway production opened at the Casino Theatre on August 5, 1915 and ran for 356 performances, transferring to the 44th Street Theatre in May 1916. It featured in the cast, besides Segal, Cecil Lean, Cleo Mayfield, Ted Lorraine, Robert Pitkin, Frances Demarest, and Teddy Webb.
The musical also played at The Muny Repertory in St. Louis in July 1932.[1]
Musical numbers
- Prologue
- No. 1 - Overture
- No. 2 - Opening Ensemble - “Here’s a toast to women’s eyes that guide the foolish and the wise...”
- No. 3 - Drinking Song - Rudolph and Chorus - “When I’m with good fellows I never want to think of anything that’s sober...”
- No. 4 - Song - Stoeger and Chorus - “Come to its pretty garden all open to the day...”
- No. 5 - Song and Chorus - “I used to be the Hello central girl, I was the best out on the west...”
- No. 6 - Duet - Rudolph and Mizzi - “Let me hold you close to my heart, brush your tears away, dear...”
- Act I
- No. 7 - Opening Chorus - “We wish you the pleasantest of journeys, sir, wherever you go from here...”
- No. 8 - Duet and Dance - Rudy and Gaby - “Where you are there and I am here, a world of distance lies between us two...”
- No. 9 - Quartet - Stoeger, Hampel, Rudy and Walther - “Hallo, Justus! Hallo, Stoeger! Walther! Rudy! Hallo, Uncle! ...”
- No. 10 - Song - Gladys and Chorus - “Let me begin by saying where I am staying - I want it, and get it, so let it warn you...”
- No. 11 - Duet - Stoeger and Gladys - “Long ago I said I would never take a wife; I have no desire to spoil anybody’s life...”
- No. 12 - Duet - Walther and Gladys - “When I see a loving couple anywhere, I just want to go and whisper:- Have a care...”
- No. 13 - Ensemble - Stoeger and Chorus - “Let me breathe the real Vienna air now; let me know that I am truly there now...”
- Act II
- No. 14 - Opening Chorus - “Will someone please explain to us why we have been invited here, a private house...”
- No. 15 - Comedy Folk Song - Rudy, Hampel and Chorus - “Now Heiny had a little dog what didn’t have no teet’...”
- No. 16 - Folk Song and Yodle - Gladys - “I hear the cuckoo a-calling tonight: Oo-lay-eo, Oo-lay-eo...”
- No. 17 - Duet - Walther and Hazel, with Chorus - “I think you’re perfection, you're quite a model girl...”
- No. 18 - Waltz of the Season - Stoeger and Chorus - “Hark! Hark! Hark! What is it the orchestra’s playing? ...”
- No. 19 - Song - Rudolph - “Most ev’ry foreign nation has a style of song creation...”
- No. 20 - Duet - Stoeger and Gladys - “I’m dreaming of a wonderful night, night long ago...”
- No. 21 - Finale Act II - “If you’d be a happy man, you’d better win a pretty widow...”
Note: Items 2, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 14 & 17 were composed by Romberg, Items 4, 8, 9, 11, 13, 18, 20 & 21 were composed by Eysler; Items 3, 15 & 16 were composed by Leo Edwards; and Item 19 was written and composed by Cecil Lean.
References
External links