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Overview

Synopsis

A hilarious twist on a traditional medieval fairy tale, Princess Ida tells the tale of a Princess, who eschews her marriage obligations to the Prince of a neighboring kingdom (made when they both were infants) to run a women's university. Prince Hilarion has been waiting for his wedding day for twenty years. He is about to meet Princess Ida to whom he was betrothed, as a baby. Unfortunately, Princess Ida has decided that she does not want to honor the commitment, and has, instead, gone off and started a women's college. But Hilarion does not give up hope! In an attempt to woo her, Hilarion, dresses up as a maiden and sneaks into the women's compound, accompanied by his friends, Cyril and Florian, who are forced to dress up, as well. Once the "maidens" are in the compound, various girls attending the college discover their secret. These girls attempt to keep their knowledge from Ida, but eventually she Ida discovers and apprehends the intruders. It looks like violence is sure to erupt, but Ida finally relinquishes and agrees to marry Hilarion.

Show Information

Music
Arthur Sullivan
Lyrics
W.S. Gilbert
Libretto
Arthur Sullivan
Category
Operetta
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
3
First Produced
1884
Genres
Comedy, Satire
Settings
Multiple Settings
Cast Size
large
Dancing
Optional
Licensor
None/royalty-free
Ideal For
Chamber Opera, College/University, Community Theatre, High School, Professional Opera, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Late Teen, Young Adult, Elderly, Child, Early Teen Characters, Large Cast

Context


Plot


Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Princess Ida

Lead

Female

Soprano

Hilarion

Lead

Male

Tenor

King Hildebrand

Supporting

Male

Baritone, Bass

Lady Psyche

Supporting

Female

Soprano

Melissa

Supporting

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

King Gama

Supporting

Male

Baritone

Arac

Supporting

Male

Baritone, Bass

Scynthius

Supporting

Male

Baritone, Bass

Lady Blanche

Supporting

Female

Alto

Guron

Supporting

Male

Baritone, Bass

Cyril

Supporting

Male

Tenor

Florian

Supporting

Male

Baritone

Sacharissa

Featured

Female

Soprano

Chloe

Featured

Female

Spoken

Ada

Featured

Female

Spoken

Soldiers, courtiers

Ensemble

Male

Girl graduates

Ensemble

Female

Songs

Act I

  1. "Search throughout the panorama" (Florian and Chorus)
  2. "Now hearken to my strict command" (Hildebrand and Chorus)
  3. "Today we meet" (Hilarion)
  4. "From the distant panorama" (Chorus)
  5. "We are warriors three" (Arac, Guron, Scynthius and Chorus)
  6. "If you give me your attention" (Gama)
  7. Finale Act I (Gama, Hildebrand, Cyril, Hilarion, Florian and Chorus) "P'raps if you Address the Lady" "Expressive glances" "For a month to dwell in a dungeon cell"

Act II

  1. "Towards the empyrean heights" (Lady Psyche, Melissa, Sacharissa and Chorus of Girls)
  2. "Mighty maiden with a mission" (Chorus of Girls)
  3. "Minerva! oh, hear me!" ... "Oh, goddess wise" (Princess) 10a."And thus to Empyrean Heights" (Princess and Chorus)
  4. "Come, mighty Must" (Lady Blanche)1
  5. "Gently, gently" (Cyril, Hilarion and Florian)
  6. "I am a maiden, cold and stately" (Cyril, Hilarion and Florian)
  7. "The world is but a broken toy" (Princess, Cyril, Hilarion and Florian)
  8. "A lady fair, of lineage high" (Psyche with Cyril, Hilarion and Florian)2
  9. "The woman of the wisest wit" (Psyche, Melissa, Cyril, Hilarion and Florian)
  10. "Now wouldn't you like to rule the roast" (Melissa and Blanche)3
  11. "Merrily ring the luncheon bell" (Blanche, Cyril and Chorus of Girls)
  12. "Would you know the kind of maid?" (Cyril)
  13. Finale Act II (Princess, Hildebrand, Melissa, Psyche, Blanche, Cyril, Hilarion, Florian, Arac, Guron, Scynthius and Chorus) "Oh, joy! our chief is saved" "Whom thou hast chained must wear his chain" "Walls and fences scaling" "Some years ago, no doubt you know" "We may remark, though nothing can dismay us" "To yield at once to such a foe with shame were rife"

Act III

  1. "Death to the invader" (Melissa and Chorus of Girls)
  2. "Whene'er I spoke" (King Gama with Chorus of Girls)4
  3. "I built upon a rock" (Princess)
  4. "When anger spreads his wing" (Chorus of Girls and Soldiers)
  5. "This helmet, I suppose" (Arac with Guron, Scynthius and Chorus)
  6. Chorus during the fight, "This is our duty plain" (Chorus)
  7. "With joy abiding" [Reprise of "Expressive glances"] (Ensemble)

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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