Marinka (operetta)


Marinka is an operetta by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kálmán with book by George Marion, Jr. and Karl Farkas, and lyrics by George Marion, Jr. The operetta is a retelling of the story of the Mayerling Incident, but with a happy ending replacing the infamous 1889 double suicide of Austrian Crown Prince Rudolf and his mistress, Maria Vetsera. The best-known songs include "Only One Touch of Vienna," "Sigh by Night," "The Cab Song," and "When I Auditioned for the Harem of the Shah".

Productions

It was first produced on Broadway by Jules J. Leventhal and Harry Howard with financial backing from Lee Shubert and Warner Bros.. It was staged by Hassard Short, choreographed by Albertina Rasch and used set designs by Howard Bay and costume designs by Mary Grant. The work premiered on July 18, 1945 at the Winter Garden Theatre. The production moved to the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on October 1, 1945, running until December 8, 1945, for a total of 165 performances. The opening night cast included Joan Roberts, Harry Stockwell, Romo Vincent, Michael Barrett, Paul Campbell, Ronnie Cunningham, Bob Douglas, Leonard Elliott, Jack Gansert, Noel Gordon, Adrienne Gray, Taylor Holmes, Jack Leslie, Ethel Levey, Reinhold Schünzel, Elline Walther, Ruth Webb, and Luba Malina. Later in the show's run radio personality Jerry Wayne replaced Stockwell as Rudolph and actress Edith Fellows replaced Roberts as Marinka.

Synopsis

The plot, set in Vienna, Mayerling, and Budapest, with a prologue and epilogue in an open air movie theatre in Connecticut, was a retelling of the story of the Mayerling Incident.
In the prologue, youngsters at a movie palace watch a film about the Mayerling story and feel that it is too tragic. Their bus driver, the son of Rudolph's coachman, has his own version of the story.

Musical numbers

Act 1
Act 2