Véronique

Véronique is a French opéra comique in three acts by Albert Vanloo (1846-1920)[1] and Georges Duval (1847-1919)[2], with music by André Messager (1853-1929)[3].

Also found as Veronique in English sources.

The original text

First performed in French at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens, Paris, on 10 December, 1898 and and the text published by Choudens, Paris, France in the same year.

Translations and adaptations

Translated and adapted into English by Henry Hamilton (1854-1918)[4], with lyrics by Lilian Eldée (1870-1904)[5] and alterations and additions by Percy Greenbank (1878-1968)[6]. The English version was first performed at the Apollo Theatre, London, produced by George Edwardes (1855-1915)[7], opening on 18 May 1904 and running for 496 performances.

Performance history in South Africa

1905: Performed (presumably in the English version) by a company under the management of the Wheeler Brothers in the Opera House, Cape Town, on 11 September. The original company consisted of inter alia Victor Gouriet, Maude Thorne, Sybil Thorne, Annie Hickish, Daisy Wallace, Myles Clifton and Edmund Sherras.

1906: Revived by the same Wheeler company in the Opera House, Cape Town in the first half of the year.

1911: Performed by a new company, once more under the management of the Wheeler Brothers, in the Opera House, Cape Town, on 3 January. Only Victor Gouriet remained from the original production, and the only newcomer mentioned by D.C. Boonzaier (1923) is Nettie Wheeler, the daughter of Frank Wheeler, in the key role of "Helene".

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A9ronique_(operetta)

Facsimile version of the 1898 French score (piano music and lyrics), Google E-book[8]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Vanloo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Duval_(journalist)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Messager

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Hamilton_(playwright)

https://www.discogs.com/artist/4630933-Lilian-Eldee

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Greenbank

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Edwardes

D.C. Boonzaier, 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1932. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp. 422, 425, 435

Go to ESAT Bibliography