{"id":108958,"date":"2024-10-29T12:29:20","date_gmt":"2024-10-29T16:29:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=108958"},"modified":"2024-10-29T12:29:20","modified_gmt":"2024-10-29T16:29:20","slug":"preview-toronto-operetta-theatre-opens-39th-season-rombergs-prohibition-era-hit-student-prince","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2024\/10\/29\/preview-toronto-operetta-theatre-opens-39th-season-rombergs-prohibition-era-hit-student-prince\/","title":{"rendered":"PREVIEW | Toronto Operetta Theatre Opens Their 39th Season With Romberg\u2019s Prohibition Era Hit The Student Prince"},"content":{"rendered":"
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L: Tenor Xavier Flory (Photo courtesy of the artist); R: graphic for Sigmund Romberg\u2019s The Student Prince (Photo courtesy of Toronto Operetta Theatre)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Toronto Operetta Theatre opens their 2024-2025 season opens with a new production of The Student Prince, a musical by Sigmund Romberg that became a massive hit in the 1920s. The show takes the stage from November 1 to 3.<\/p>\n

\u201cRomberg\u2019s tale of young love in Olde Heidelberg was the longest running show of its time,\u201d says Toronto Operetta Theatre\u2019s General Director Guillermo Silva-Marin in a statement. \u201cAt 608 performances it even outlasted Showboat, another popular hit from that era.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sigmund Romberg & The Student Prince<\/h3>\n

The Student Prince consists of a prologue and four acts with music by Sigmund Romberg.<\/p>\n

An engineer who studied composition on the side, and who developed his skills as a violinist and organist, Romberg made the move from his native Vienna to New York City in 1909. He became a staff composer for Jacob Shubert, one of the major impresarios of the early 20th century in New York. Romberg ended up preparing the scores for 40 or so shows. His operetta Maytime was the first to garner critical notice in 1917.<\/p>\n

The book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly<\/strong> are based on the German play Olde Heidelberg by Meyer-F\u00f6rster, which debuted in 1901. The story has elements of romance and drama, and tells the tale of a young Prince Karl Franz who goes to university in a small town, only to fall in love with K\u00e4thie, an innkeeper’s daughter. But then, when his father dies and duty calls, he has to leave her to go back to his public life.<\/p>\n

The work, with its setting in a fictitious German town Heidelberg where the students (then as now) flood the beer halls and bars, struck a chord with American audiences of the era. The song \u201cDrink, Drink, Drink\u201d became one of the most popular songs of the year, at a time when Prohibition had closed all the American bars and clubs, and romantic duets like \u201cDeep in my Heart\u201d and \u201cGolden Days\u201d add to its appeal.<\/p>\n

Toronto Operetta Theatre: Casting<\/h3>\n

TOT supports Canada\u2019s vocal talent through its performance seasons. The cast for The Student Prince includes many company debuts.<\/p>\n