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

When 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:

After Today
Alexius the Heroic
Bulgaria Victorious
The Chocolate Soldier
Falling In Love
The Fatherland Is Free
Just A Commission
The Letter Song
My Hero
Never Was There Such A Lover
Say Goodnight
Seek the Spy
Sympathy
The Tale of the Coat
Thank the Lord the War Is Over
That Would Be Lovely
Tiralala (Romance)
We Are Marching Through the Night
We Are Searching For the Foe
we Too Are Lonely
What Can We Do Without A Man
Why Is It Love Makes Us Feel Queer?

Instrumentation:

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