THE CHOCOLATE SOLDIER

Music by Oscar Straus. Book & Lyrics by Stanislaus Stange. Adaptation by Agnes Bernelle, Adam Carstairs and Ronald Hanmer. Based on the play Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw

Lyric Theatre, New York - 13 September, 1909 (296 perfs)
Lyric Theatre, London - 10 September, 1910

Synopsis

hen Lieutenant Bummerli, a Swiss mercenary in the Serbian army, takes refuge from his Bulgarian enemies in the house of a Bulgarian general - to be precise, in the daughter's bedroom - he sets hearts a-flutter, almost compromises three ladies and then ruins the daughter's wedding to a Bulgarian soldier-hero by being recognised as the fugitive! This is just as well because he and Nadina, the daughter, were destined for each other anyway. This new English version should help to restore this formerly well-loved operetta to the repertoire.

Principals:

3 female, 4 male

  • Lieutenant Bumerli - a serving officer
  • Colonel Kasimir Popoff
  • Nadina Popoff - his daughter
  • Mascha - a kinswoman
  • Major Alexius Spiridoff - a pompous hero

Musical Numbers:

  1. After Today
  2. Alexius the Heroic
  3. Bulgaria Victorious
  4. The Chocolate Soldier
  5. Falling In Love
  6. The Fatherland Is Free
  7. Just A Commission
  8. The Letter Song
  9. My Hero
  10. Never Was There Such A Lover
  11. Say Goodnight
  12. Seek the Spy
  13. Sympathy
  14. The Tale of the Coat
  15. Thank the Lord the War Is Over
  16. That Would Be Lovely
  17. Tiralala (Romance)
  18. We Are Marching Through the Night
  19. We Are Searching For the Foe
  20. we Too Are Lonely
  21. What Can We Do Without A Man
  22. Why Is It Love Makes Us Feel Queer?

Instrumentation:

flute, oboe, 2 clarinets, bassoon, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, percussion, harp, strings