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Overview

Synopsis

Young Edwin, son and heir to Prince Lippert-Weylersheim, has fallen deeply in love with Sylva Varescu, the incomparably beautiful cabaret singer in Budapest, and cannot bear to let her leave to tour America tomorrow. When his cousin, Captain Baron von Rohnsdorff, arrives to summon him to return to active duty in Vienna, he is reminded of the promises he made at home. His family are desperate to announce his official engagement to his childhood sweetheart, Countess Anastasia Eckenberg, and Rohnsdorff has even brought one of the announcement cards they have prepared. Edwin wants nothing to do with his family anymore, and immediately summons a lawyer and witnesses so that he and Sylva can be married on the spot, much to Sylva’s amazement. It comes as little surprise to find that it was all a charade, when her manager, Boni, shows her the announcement card: Edwin was not free to marry, so the contract is void. She leaves to tour America intent on making the world love her.

Back in Vienna, the Lippert-Weylersheim’s are holding a grand ball, intending to finally make the announcement of their son’s engagement. Things do not completely go to plan when two unexpected guests arrive: Count Bonifazius Kancsianu (Boni), and his wife, the Countess (Sylva), who many remark looks like a wonderful cabaret singer they know. Sylva has a plan to get Edwin to commit to their original contract, but when she finds out from several sources that he is ashamed of her, she tears the contract in pieces. In the meantime, Boni has fallen madly in love with the straight-talking ‘Stasi’, Edwin’s future wife, and she is somewhat taken by his witty tongue, and his professions of devotion to her. With his old friend Feri, they set about untangling these relationships so that everyone ends up with the right person.

In true operetta style, this fabulously funny story is interspersed with lots of waltzes, as well as the raucous choruses that are characteristic of the genre. With its happy ending and some beautiful gypsy-melodies, it is no surprise that Die Csárdásfürstin remains one of the most popular operetta’s in the canon today.

Show Information

Libretto
Leo Stein , Bela Jenbach
Category
Operetta
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
3
First Produced
1915
Genres
Comedy, Romance
Settings
Period, Multiple Settings
Time & Place
pre-WW1, Budapest, Vienna, Early 20th Century
Cast Size
large
Orchestra Size
Large
Dancing
Some Dance
Licensor
None/royalty-free
Ideal For
College/University, Professional Opera, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Young Adult, Adult, Elderly Characters, Large Cast

Context

Plot


Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Edwin

Lead

Male

Spoken, Tenor

Sylva Varescu

Lead

Female

Spoken, Soprano

Count Bonifazius ‘Boni’ Kancsianu

Lead

Male

Spoken, Tenor

Prince Leopold Maria Lippert-Weylershelm (Fürst)

Supporting

Male

Spoken, Bass

Countess Anastasia ‘Stasi’ Eckenburg

Supporting

Female

Spoken, Soprano

Feri von Kerekes

Supporting

Male

Spoken, Baritone

Baron von Rohnsdorff

Featured

Male

Non-singer, Baritone, Bass, Bass-Baritone

Princess Anhilte Lippert-Weylershelm (Fürstin)

Featured

Female

Spoken

Kisch (Notary)

Featured

Male

Spoken

Miksa

Featured

Male

Spoken

Hotelgroom

Featured

Male

Spoken

Lackey

Featured

Male

Spoken

Zigeunerprimas / Gypsy Band Leader

Featured

Male

Silent

Showgirls

Ensemble

Female

Spoken, Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Contralto

Ensemble

Ensemble

Either Gender

Spoken, Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Contralto

Songs

Vorspiel

Act One - The Orpheum Cabaret Theatre in Budapest

Scene 1 ‘Olala! Olala!’ - Feri, Boni, Sylva

No. 1. Lied der Sylva mit Chor ‘Heia, heia, in den Bergen ist mein Heimatland’ - Sylva, Boni, Feri, Audience members

Scene 2 ‘No: was hab’ ich euch gesagt Mittag bei Rennen?’ - Feri, Boni, Merö, Szerenyi, Miksa

Scene 3 ‘Servus Kinder!’ - Endrey, Vihar, Feri, Boni, Merö

No. 2. Marsch-Ensemble ‘Alle sind wir Sünder’ - Boni, Feri, Showgirls

Scene 4 ‘Sie müssen mir etwas besorgen’ - Edwin, Miksa

Scene 5 ‘Servus, Edwin! Wo steckst den ganzen Abend?’ - Boni, Edwin, Sylva

Scene 6 ‘Edwin gescheit sein!’ - Sylva, Edwin, Boni

Scene 7 ‘Edwin es ist mein letzter Abend heute’ - Sylva, Edwin

No. 3. Duett ‘Sylva, ich will nur dich’ - Sylva, Edwin

_Scene 8 ‘Kommt nur, Mauserln!’ - Boni, Juliska, Aranka, Cleo, Rizzi, Selma, Mia, Vally, Daisy (Showgirls) _

No. 4. Lied ‘Aus ist’s mit der Liebe’ - Boni, Showgirls

Scene 9 ‘Kinder schnell!’ - Feri, Merö, Vihar, two Cavaliers, Boni, Showgirls, Sylva, Edwin

No. 5. Lied ‘O jag’ dem Glück nicht nach’ - Sylva, Edwin, Boni, Feri

Scene 10 ‘Melden Sie mich sofort Seiner’ - Rohnsdorff, Miksa, Edwin

Scene 11 ‘Durchlaucht, wo stecken Sie?’ - Sylva, Edwin, Rohnsdorff

Scene 12 ‘Na, na reiss’ dich nur nicht!’ - Edwin, Rohnsdorff

Scene 13 ‘Was hör ich da?’ - Boni, Edwin, Rohnsdorff

Scene 14 ‘Sag’, bin ich deine Freind?’ - Boi, Rohnsdorff

Scene 15 ‘Kommt! Alle! Kommt!’ - Edwin, Sylva, Feri, Cavaliers, Showgirls

Scene 16 ‘Da is der alter Rechtsverdraher, der Kisch!’ - Edwin, Kisch, Sylva

No. 6. Finale I ‘Ich Edwin Ronald’ - Edwin, Sylva, Kisch, Feri, Showgirls, Chorus

Act Two - Grand Hall in the House of Prince Lippert-Weylerrsheim, Vienna

Entr’akt (Scene 1)

No. 7. Tanzwalzer ‘Erstrahlen die Lichter’ - Chorus

Scene 2 ‘Nun, Anhilte, was sagst du?’ - Prince, Princess

Scene 3 ‘Sei nicht so wild, Stasi!’ - Edwin, Stasi

No. 8. Schwalbenduett ‘Ich warte auf das große Wunder’ - Stasi, Edwin

Scene 4 ‘Es ist nichts mit der Verlobung, Leopold Maria’ - Prince, Princess

Scene 5 ‘Wen darf ich melden?’ - Lackey, Sylva, Boni

Scene 6 ‘Was hör’ ich? Der Boni?’ - Prince, Princess, Stasi, Boni, Sylva, MacGrave, Guests

Scene 7 ‘Ja, ist’s möglich? Boni ist da?’ - Edwin, Boni, Prince, Sylva, Guests

Scene 8 ‘Jetzt red’Was soll das heißen?’ - Edwin, Boni

Scene 9 ‘Bonifazius, der Fürst verlangt nach Dir!’ - Boni, Edwin, Sylva

Scene 10 ‘Sylva!’ - Edwin, Sylva

No. 9. Duett ‘Heller Jubel’ - Sylva, Edwin

Scene 11 ‘Ach, gehen Sie! Sie sind ein Schmeichler!’ - Stasi, Boni

Scene 12 ‘Ihre Frau!’ - Stasi, Boni, Sylva, Edwin

No. 10. Quartett ‘Liebchen, mich reißt es’ - Sylva, Stasi, Edwin, Boni

Scene 13 ‘Diese Gräfin - ein himmlisches Weib!’ - Prince, Sylva

Scene 14 ‘Sie sind ja ein Wildling, Ah -ich bin schon matsch!’ - Stasi, Boni

No. 11. Duett ‘Mädel, guck’ - Stasi, Boni

Scene 15 ‘Sylva, Sie belügen sich selbst!’ - Edwin, Sylva

Scene 16 ‘Ha!’ - Edwin, Sylva, Boni

Scene 17 ‘Sylva, alles wird wieder gut!’ - Edwin, Sylva, Boni

Scene 18 ‘Sylva! Boni gibt dich frei. Jetzt bist du mein!’ - Edwin, Sylva

No. 12. Duett ‘Tanzen möcht’ ich’ - Sylva, Edwin

Scene 19 ‘Jetzt komm, Liebste, geh’n wir zum Vater.’ - Sylva, Edwin

Final Scene ‘Ja, Edwin - du läßt mich ja sitzen’ - Stasi, Sylva, Lackey, Prince, Princess, Edwin, Guests

No. 13. Finale II ‘Das Glück wohnt überall’ - All Soloists and Chorus

Act Three - The Grand Hotel

Intermezzo

Scene 1 ‘Is dir jetzt leichter?’ - Sylva, Boni

Scene 2 ‘Ja, schlaf’ ich oder träum’ ich!’ - Feri, Boni, Sylva

Scene 3 ‘Wer denn? Wer denn?’ - Showgirls, Sylva, Feri, Boni

No. 14. Terzett Jay Mamám ‘Nimm, Zigeuner, deine Gelge’ - Sylva, Boni, Feri, Showgirls

Scene 4 ‘Bitte hier zu warten.’ - Edwin, Hotelgroom, Boni

Scene 5 ‘War Edwin da?’ - Prince, Boni

Scene 6 ‘Du Boni, Sylva läßt dir sagen, du sollst packen komme’ - Prince, Feri, Boni, Juliska, Hotelgroom

Scene 7 ‘Verzeihung - hab’ ich die Ehre mit altem Edwin?’ - Feri, Prince

Scene 8 ‘Wo ist mein Sohn, wo ist Edwin?’ Prince, Princess, Feri

Scene 9 ‘Stasi wartet unten mit dem Grafen’ - Prince, Princess

Scene 10 ‘Das ist eine Nacht!’ - Stasi, Boni

No. 15. Duett-Reminiszenz ‘Mädel, guck’ - Stasi, Boni

Scene 11 ‘Sylva kommt! Jetzt mach’ ich meinen Schwindel vor’ - Boni, Sylva, Edwin

Scene 12 ‘Nun?’ - Stasi, Boni, Edwin, Sylva

No. 16. Schlußgesang ‘Tausend kleine Engel’ - Sylva, Stasi, Edwin, Boni

A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

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Scenes

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Guide Written By:

Wendy Silvester

Wendy Silvester

Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.