His expertise may have been questionable, when with regard to producing White Horse Inn, he confessed: “I am the only person in my family who’s never seen it.”[35] Warner Brothers was interested in White Horse Inn primarily as a film property, and agreed to co-finance the stage production with the intent of filming the show in 1937. After the opening, Charell trimmed thirty minutes running time, by shortening some of the dance sequences and cutting the duets “White Sails” and “In a Little Swiss Chalet,” so that the performance could conclude in less than three hours. As in London, the basic narrative structure of the German original remained intact, but many more musical numbers were dropped or replaced with interpolations by other composers. William Gaxton refused to rehearse until his contract was signed, at double the salary offered to Jimmy Savo, and with onerous riders, including Gaxton’s right of approval of all his dialogue and lyrics. It’s also unlikely that Actors Equity would have permitted a visiting all-English company at a time of severe local unemployment. Ihr Romantik Hotel am Wolfgangsee wurde international bekannt durch die Operette „Weisses Rössl am Wolfgangsee“ von Ralph Benatzky. [17](o. In February 1936 the New York Times finally disclosed that a triumvirate of producers, Rowland Stebbins, Warner Brothers and the Rockefellers would present White Horse Inn in September 1936[33]. Die Mitwirkenden sind zwar traurig über die Verschiebung, jedoch top motiviert, Sie im August 2021 auf der Leuker Freilichtbühne gesanglich verwöhnen zu dürfen. Januar 2020 sich der Vorhang öffnen zu unserer neuen Spielsaison. Once again, Giesecke becomes a vacationing Berliner (not an Englishman or American on holiday), and the only interpolations were those by Benatzky and Stolz (“Im Prater blüh’n wieder die Bäume”). Its generic music and lyrics are totally unrelated to the characters and plot, and would comfortably fit into any dozen musical comedies. Why is it he’s the one—and none before or since? The entire White Horse Inn score was freshly orchestrated by Hans Spialek, whose graceful and witty instrumentation blessed 12 Rodgers & Hart musicals, and nine Cole Porter shows. He announced that the production would tour next season. ), “News of the Stage: White Horse Inn to continue,” in: New York Times, 3 April 1937. Had the White Horse Inn played a traditional 8-performance week, it might reasonably have run as long as Chu Chin Chow, Maid of the Mountains or Me and My Girl, all of which attained runs of nearly 4 years. White Horse Inn afforded the producers a unique opportunity for promotional tie-ins, now common practice in theatre and film some 70 years later, but seldom deployed in the New York theatre industry in 1936. Es stammt aus der weltberühmten Operette „Weisses Rössl“ und besagt auch heute noch nichts als die Wahrheit. Leopold (gazing at her in dreamy admiration): When you ask me things like that, I forget everything. Well, the pitch wasn’t right, so they stopped the scene until they found the right note. Alle Darsteller agierten sowohl als Sänger, Tänzer und als Schauspieler und … Souvenir broschure for the London production starring Lea Seidl. Macy’s further agreed to promote White Horse Inn with store window displays and in newspaper print ads.[50]. Das Singspiel wurde in insgesamt drei Akten verfasst. Prospective American audiences, in particular the New York theatre-goers who read the New York Times, were well acquainted with the work of Erik Charell despite the fact that his shows had yet to be seen in America. A. Meanwhile, William Gaxton was eventually hired to star opposite young Kitty Carlisle as Katarina, as Josefa had been re-named. Clifford Mollison, cast as Leopold, worked first as a dramatic actor in the West End before appearing as Adolar von Sprintz in London’s The Blue Mazurka (Lehár’s Der blaue Mazur) in 1927, after which he committed to musicals almost exclusively: Rodgers & Hart’s The Girl Friend , Lucky Girl, Here Comes the Bride, Nippy. The joyous refrain of “Im Salzkammergut” becomes very contemporary (telephones included) as “High Up on the Hills”: High up on the hills – up on the hills, A. Both the New York Times[65] and Variety[66] reported that Warner Brothers wished to withdraw from the production, claiming its investment was intended merely to secure its rights to make the film version. The foremost American practitioners of this trans-Atlantic business were the Messrs. Shubert, brothers Lee and J.J., whose revisions of Walter Kollo’s Wie einst im Mai andHeinrich Berté’sDas Dreimäderlhaus, became American cash cows under the titles Maytime and Blossom Time. [26](o. Here was a unique opportunity to shed Graham’s operetta conventions for a faster, modern White Horse Inn. A. Disputes with representatives of the backers are known to have been frequent.[53]. Ganz im Gegenteil: Das von der Familie Peter geführte Romantik Hotel Im Weissen Rössl am Wolfgangsee ist eine Legende, die nicht müde wird, sich neu zu definieren. Still, the sound amplification in the Center Theater ought to make the hearing easy. The public response for the first three months was exceptionally strong. [23]Earl Carroll was a rival to Broadway producers Florenz Ziegfeld and George White in producing his own series of annual revues 1923-1940. In the summer of 1933 Erik Charell, now a refugee from the Nazi regime because of his Jewish background and homosexuality, accompanied by his production staff, arrived in New York on the Ile de France to negotiate an American production[26]. Ottilie Giesecke wurde in Brigitte umbenannt. A. It’s so calm on the farm Im weißen Rößl Alt ernative. Giorgio Madia’s Two New Strauss Productions. This was no doubt possible only because Stoll retained the entire German production team, Erik Charell as conceiver and director, Hans Müller as its original author, Ernst Stern as the production designer, and Max Rivers for dances. The only plausible reason for this neglect is that White Horse Inn’s score was divided between eleven composers and lyricists, and two competing publishers, Chappell and Harms; however, to dispel this theory, the concurrent 1936 edition of the Ziegfeld Follies was divided between two publishers, and five of its songs were widely recorded. ), “White Horse Inn reaching $40,000 gross weekly at Coliseum, London,” in: Variety, 13 May 1931. The London reviews amply rewarded Stoll for his courage. Kern der der Operette “Im Weissen Rössl am Wolfgangsee“ sind schmelzende Liebesduette. That is Charell’s method. Lea Seidl as Josepha was given an all new Act 2 solo “Why Should We Cry for the Moon,” prior to the Act 2 Finale. In Ihrem stilvollen Zimmer im Weissen Rössl haben Sie die Gelegenheit, noch weitere Weisse Rössl-Momente zu genießen. Characters names and much of the topical humor were Americanized. [2]PEM(Paul Markus), Und der Himmel hängt voller Geigen, Berlin: Blanvalet 1955, S. 139-140. Rehearsals however did not go smoothly. The Berlin cast of “Im weißen Rössl”, 1930. The sheer spectacle of the cast size, enormous “Im weissen Rössl” set with its windows and balconies, the view of the Austrian Alps beyond, the arrival of tourists by boat, the train, the lake, the rain finale to Act 1, the innumerable (fake) cows, the procession of live animals, the athletic male ensemble in their authentic “slap dance,” combined with the catchy songs and gusty humor to make a popular entertainment of broad commercial appeal. [4]The present-day home to the English National Opera (ENO). Oral sex was obviously not something to sing about in Great Britain 1931. His theater, the Admiralspalast, stood on the opposite side of the Spree River in Berlin, across from Charell’s temple, the Grosses Schauspielhaus. At the same time, the music with its jazz band integrated into the orchestra, the big revue-style choreography and the ultra-modern stage effects gave it enough of a contemporary touch to prevent White Horse Inn from looking old-fashioned and stuffy. Author Harry Graham was unable to find a precise foreign equivalent for Gieseke. Heute präsentiert sich das Romantik Hotel als ein „gutes Stück Österreich“ – eine Philosophie, die in allen Bereichen des Hotels Im Weissen Rössl gelebt wird. Dezember 1952 im Stachus-Filmpalast in München seine Premiere. Freuen Sie sich jetzt schon auf ein unterhaltsames Singspiel unter der Musikalischen Leitung von Willi Büchel und der Regie von Anatol Preissler. After seeing this show, Wilk determined that Savo was not capable of playing their leading man[45], and in a bitter public spat (“Not with our money”), resolved to break the actor’s contract; he was fired 19 August 1936. [7], While the basic narrative structure of the German original remained intact, several characters and much of the topical humor was Anglicized for local tastes. Alas for Charell, the summer of 1933 marked the commercial and economic nadir of the Great Depression in the United States. [76]Close examination of the production typescript, on deposit at the New York Public Library, credited to David Freedman and Irving Caesar, reveals it is very closely modeled upon the New York version. Stebbins was expected to return from Florida on 1 April 1936 for pre-production; several props from the London production had been salvaged and were already stored at the Center Theatre. And although, as we know, Josepha (enters, with her back to the audience, angrily): Himmel donnerwetter noch ein mal. Mit der Ankunft der zahlreichen Urlauber gerät … The accumulated cost of all these alterations to the front of house were estimated at $30,000. Leopold: That silvery voice! (The Sunday Times noted that “Mr. Getragen von einem glänzend aufgelegten Schauspielerensemble, erzählt der Film ebenso romantische wie turbulent-humorvolle Geschichten von Liebe, Lügen und Eifersüchteleien. [44]Richard Barrios, “A Song in the Dark: The Birth of the Musical Film” (Oxford University Press, 1995), p. 347. All of this was abandoned for a more generic, gentler contrast of big city vs. provincial behaviors. Ernst Stern’s fantasy costumes for the girl dancers. The “Tiroler Gruppe” as Charell originally used them in “Für Dich” 1925. [66](o. Im schönen Salzkammergut ist Oberkellner Leopold in Herzensnöten: Seine Chefin, die burschikose »Rössl«-Wirtin, hat es ihm angetan. For New York audiences, Wilhelm Giesecke/John Ebenezer Grinkle, became William McGonigle, manufacturer of the one-piece Lady Godiva bathing suit, which buttons up the front with no back. The only plausible rationale is that Warner Brothers, as was the then-common practice with musical films among all Hollywood studios, often junked a show’s original stage score for other new and inferior songs they owned or controlled. Im weißen Rössl. Given the success of the “Encores Series” in New York, and “Reprise!” in Los Angeles, whose concert stagings of classic musicals in concert form with full original orchestrations (and subsequent CD releases) have enabled new generations to rediscover great musical theatre scores like the Romberg operetta The New Moon, Erik Charell’s Broadway White Horse Inn is now ready to recapture its English-speaking audience in all its former glory. Often derided by the critics but beloved by audiences, the Messrs. Shubert proved equally adept at producing revue and operetta, less so with musical comedy. With the possible exception of Billy Rose’s Jumbo which capsized the preceding season at the Hippodrome, White Horse Inn was unquestionably the most lavish and eagerly awaited musical theatre premier of the New York season. Going West: The White Horse Inn and Hollywood. The overwhelming and instant success of Erik Charell’s operetta spectacle Im weißen Rössl at Berlin’s Großes Schauspielhaus (the so-called “Theater der 5000”[1]) on 8 November 1930 sparked immediate interest from foreign producers. An examination today of Harry Graham’s libretto suggests that his text is decidedly old-fashioned, in the declamatory style typical of English operetta of the 1910s and 1920s, but it does stick closely to the German original. speaking dialect), is meant to sound vastly superior in the German original, if not downright arrogant! Under exclusive contract to Sam Goldwyn, Cantor currently commanded a fee of $175,000 per film, plus 15% of the gross, which no Broadway producer could hope to match[44]. You can have your favorite wine, On 19 October 1948, Charell announced plans to revive L’Auberge du Cheval Blanc at the Théâtre Chatelet in Paris on 10 November; he had commenced discussion with Warner Brothers about a possible film version. ), “Charell wants [White Horse] Inn to tour next season,” in: Variety, 21 April 1937. ), “News of the Stage—Savo controversy settled,” in: New York Times, 31 August 1936. [48]Helen Ormsbee, “Gaxton Finds Great Difficulty in Filling Center Theater Stage,” in: New York Herald-Tribune, 27 September 1936. This new version adhered more closely to the original Berlin score, shedding the later interpolations by Richard Fall, Jára Benes, Gerald Marks, Vivian Ellis and Eric Coates. Giesecke’s daughter Ottilie was renamed Ottoline for London audiences. Giesecke/Ginkle and Josepha’s rousing paean to alpine life “Im Salzkammergut, da kann man gut lustig sein!” was translated simply as “Salzkammergut” replete with thigh-slapping and clog-dance ensemble, a showstopper. A. Once again, the Center Theatre in Rockefeller Center, which had turned legit with The Great Waltz[32] in October 1934, then lapsed back into films in September 1935, was chosen as the premier venue. ), “That ‘White Horse Inn,’” in: the New York Times, 16 August 1936. Charell even rehearses off-stage noises from the beginning. Australia picked up on the London success and J. C. Williamson Ltd., the leading local producer, mounted its own version in Sydney (31 May 1934, Theatre Royal) and Melbourne (28 July 1934, Her Majesty’s) followed by a continental tour, becoming a huge favorite for decades to come. [29]The Hippodrome was a vast, 5200-seat theatre which occupied half a city block on Sixth Avenue between 43rd and 44th Streets in New York City. [19] H.H., “White Horse Inn”, in: The Observer, a.a.O. At the time, Freedman was testifying against Eddie Cantor in a breach of contract lawsuit; at issue was Cantor’s verbal assignment of a disputed share in Cantor’s earnings to Freedman, his leading comedy writer for radio. Working with uncommon haste and skill, librettist Harry Graham adapted the original German libretto and lyrics for English ears, and White Horse Inn opened exactly five months later in London on 8 April 1931. [59]Swiss (?) More sexy, perhaps, but not as incongruously funny. Interference in almost every department by Charell has been evident, it is claimed, since the time he insisted upon having his way about every detail. Undocumented and ignored by the recording and film industries. [77]New lyrics by Richard Traubner, copyright 2005, by permission of the author. (o. [35]Donita Ferguson, “White Horse Inn, the Showpiece of 1936-37,” in: New York Woman, 23 September 1936. Der Hotel-TV-Kanal spielt zu bestimmten Zeiten die Verfilmung der Operette “Im Weissen Rössl am Wolfgangsee“ sowie zahlreiche andere legendäre Filme rund um Ihr Hotel im Salzkammergut. [31](o. For London audiences, Wilhelm Giesecke, the comic but irascible Berlin manufacturer of men’s underwear, became John Ebenezer Grinkle, a choleric, paunchy Oldham[8] manufacturer of ladies’ patent underwear, the “Apollo” combination, and one-piece “Vestinicks” that buttons up the front. [60]Brooks Atkinson, “White Horse Inn an Elaborate Musical Show, Opens the Season in Rockefeller City, in: New York Times, 2 October 1936. Contract with Felix Bloch Erben dated 3 April 1936. Das Salzkammergut Salon Ensemble gestaltet diese Operetten-Abende im legendären Hotel – und als Gast des bekannten Hotels sollten Sie sich die Melodien nicht entgehen lassen. Internal squabbling was not limited to Stebbins and Warner Brothers. Die Musik schließlich wurde von Heinz Gietz in m… Days later, the English syndicate terminated its negotiations for the Hippodrome[29] and abandoned the White Horse Inn project altogether[30]. Warner Brothers was reportedly cold to the idea of a national tour which might compete with their film. Heute will ich Ihnen die wohl bekannteste dieser besagten Legenden näherbringen: die berühmte Operette „Im weißen Rössl“, die Ralph Benatzky vor exakt 90 Jahren komponierte. [70](o. In den Hauptrollen sind Peter Alexander und Waltraud Haas zu sehen. April 1931. Souvenir broschure of the original 1930 Berlin production of “Im weißen Rössl”. The biggest thing in town for the money.”[63], Rocky Mountains: Trouble in the Alpine Paradise. The show’s advance sale and weekly grosses frequently outpaced its predecessor The Great Waltz with which it was so often compared. [56]Dropped were Stolz’ “Adieu, mein kleiner Gadeoffizier” from Das Lied Ist Aus film which became “Good-bye” in London; Australia’s “Lend Me a Dream” by Ivor Novello; France’s “Je vous emmènerai dans mon joli bateau” composed by Anton Profès; Vienna’s two by Granichstaedten “Ich hab’ es fünfzigmal geschworen” and “Zuschau’n kann I net.”. Die Operette wurde 1930 uraufgeführt und gilt auch heute noch mit seiner schwungvollen Orchestermusik, den satirischen Dialogen und temporeichen Tänzen als absoluter Hit. St. Wolfgang, the Salzkammergut, the White Horse Inn et al. He also provided the lyrics for George Gershwin’s first break-out hit “Swanee” (1918) popularized by none other than Al Jolson, and wrote the American adaptation of Robert Katscher’s Die Wunder-Bar as a vehicle for Jolson in 1930. Das Libretto stammt vom Komponisten zusammen mit Hans Müller-Einigen und Erik Charell. Ihr Romantik Hotel am Wolfgangsee wurde international bekannt durch die Operette Weisses Rössl am Wolfgangsee von Ralph Benatzky. [24](o. The first day I rehearsed with the company I certainly hadn’t expected to hear the steamboat whistle blow on its cue. Indeed, New York’s theatre critics often take offense when told any production has been a success elsewhere, provoking snide cultural slurs or derisive observations about superior local tastes. Gerne erinnert man sich im Romantik Hotel Im Weissen Rössl an die alten Zeiten zurück. A. ), “Production abandoned: White Horse Inn will not be seen here this season,” in: New York Times, 20 September 1933. Stolz’ other two duets (“You Too” and “My Song of Love”) for Hutton and Natalie were discarded as well; English composer Vivian Ellis contributed its Act 2 replacement “White Sails,” and a Richard Fall interpolation “The Waltz of Love” appeared in the Act 3 spot. A. Despite the production’s success in Great Britain, Stoll’s production rights evidently included only the UK and Australia; any option to produce in the United States had presumably lapsed. The show was announced to open 5 September 1936[42]. The rest of the score, which contained songs by Irving Berlin (“Alexander’s Ragtime Band”) and other Broadway giants, was arranged and supervised by Ralph Benatzky, Charell’s musical collaborator from then onwards. For example, contemporary rivals to White Horse Inn which played during its New York run were Cole Porter’s failure Red, Hot and Blue and Rodgers and Hart’s hit On Your Toes. Die Liedtexte stammen von Robert Gilbert, musikalische Einlagen von Bruno Granichstaedten, Robert Gilbert und Robert Stolz. Women will be the ruin of us chaps. Regional professional and amateur productions had been licensed by the Coliseum Syndicate, but with the demise of Oswald Stoll, such performance rights were assigned in 1957 to Samuel French,[20] who commissioned Eric Maschwitz and Bernard Grün[21] to revise the text for smaller productions. Far more common were popular vocal 78rpms by big bands and popular vocalists. ), “White Horse Inn”, in: The Sunday Times, 4. David Freedman was ultimately contracted to prepare the new American libretto; at the time of his signing, Freedman was the “most prolific and best known of radio script writers”[40] especially for his work for Eddie Cantor. White Horse Inn accumulated a profit of $160,000 against production costs of $263,000[64]. On 23 September 1936, Variety reported that all spending on the production had been halted once the outlays reached $300,000, with the excesses now covered by Stebbins: Reported that the temperamental antics of the stager (Charell) have caused almost constant turmoil within the Center. [22] With its financial reorganization, Fox’s interest in Charell and White Horse Inn lapsed, since Caravan had flopped. [55]Irving Caesar and David Freedman, White Horse Inn typescript, 1936, on deposit at New York City Public Library, Lincoln Center. Leopold: One woman, yes! ), “News of the Stage,” in: the New York Times, 25 May 1936. She remained in the UK and became a naturalized British citizen, starring in a revival of A Waltz Dream (Ein Walzertraum), Dancing City and No Sky So Blue following her success in a full year’s run of White Horse Inn. 205-217. Ironically, what sounds provincial in English (i.e. Theatre historian Felix Barker in his volume The House That Stoll Built: The Story of the Coliseum Theatre, outlined the strategic £40,000 risk that Stoll undertook to change the theatre’s performance policy. A. Wie schön! Im weissen Rössl deze keer, te Dortmund. Frederick Leister, given the choice cameo as The Emperor, lent the evening a note of gravitas as the production’s sole experienced non-musical dramatic actor. You’ll soon be toasting Miss Carlisle with it. With Charell absent and no firm plans to tour, the production sets ($53,000) were burned, its costumes ($65,000) dispersed for $1500, its orchestrations lost. So…Prosit. Perhaps the lack of stars in the leading roles was the reason. « Im weissen Rössl » wird verschoben auf August 2021 Aufgrund der aktuellen Coronakrise (COVID-19) und der unvorhersehbaren Ausgangslage müssen wir die Operette «Im weissen Rössl» schweren Herzens auf August 2021 verschieben.. [15], From London to the Provinces, Australia and South Africa. Mit dem «Im weissen Rössl» von Ralph Benatzky wird ab Januar 2022 bei der Operette Sirnach die Serie von modernen und zugleich traditionell ausgerichteten Operetten aus den 1930er-Jahren fortgesetzt. Gaxton was Broadway’s preferred leading man, masculine, confident, dapper, elegant, droll, but never outwardly funny. ), “Stallings-Schwartz show next for Center Theatre?” in: New York Daily News, 14 March 1937. Kennen Sie das Lied „Im Weissen Rössl am Wolfgangsee, da steht das Glück vor der Tür“? According to the New York Times, the production had posted a profit in 25 out of 28 weeks of its run, and the cast applied to Actors Equity to continue on a cooperative basis, which Equity refused. To get a Sigismund, a Sigismund, as groom?[77]. It seems that the English could not find an equivalent for “Und als der Herrgott Mai gemacht, da hab’ ich es ihr beigebracht. Katarina’s advice from the Emperor “We Prize Most the Things We Miss” won plaudits from some critics, but was not deemed worthy for publication. Benatzky was particularly good in adapting American style music for German needs, demonstrating a great feeling for the new rhythms which he also included in his other work, created without Charell. Ticketes unter www.operette-balzers.li ), “News of the Stage,” in: New York Times, 20 February 1936. Even though it stayed in nearly all later English language versions of the White Horse Inn, it was never used for German version, possibly because the original German lyrics are so well known, that changing them to fit the story (as was done in London) seemed impossible. Von. The hit songs from the score were widely sung and recorded by the popular bands, Jack Hylton and the New Mayfair Orchestra (HMV), Ray Noble (HMV), Debroy Somers (Regal), Jack Payne (Columbia), Jay Wilbur (Imperial), Rolando (Edison Bell), the vocal selection was published by Chappell & Co, Ltd. Vocal selections were recorded by both HMV and Columbia, but, unusual for a hit show of its day, no Original Cast Album was made. A. [61]Richard Watts, Jr., “The Theatres: Lavishness in the Tyrol,” in: New York Herald-Tribune, 2 October 1936. The producers had exhausted the traditional five weeks of rehearsals at reduced salaries, and for the sixth and final week the entire company was on full salary; Equity denied the producers’ appeals on the grounds that Charell had already staged the show numerous times throughout Europe, and ought to be able to complete the task within the allotted five weeks.