| Princess Flavia | |
|---|---|
 Evelyn Herbert in the title role of Princess Flavia (1925) | |
| Music | Sigmund Romberg |
| Lyrics | Harry B. Smith |
| Book | Harry B. Smith |
| Basis | 1894 novel The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope |
| Premiere | November 2, 1925: Century Theatre, New York City, New York |
Princess Flavia is a 1925 operetta in three acts based on Anthony Hope's novel The Prisoner of Zenda , with book and lyrics by Harry B. Smith and music by Sigmund Romberg. It is set in the fictional European country of Zenda.
Princess Flavia was staged by J. C. Huffman [1] and produced by Lee Shubert and J. J. Shubert. The Broadway show opened November 2, 1925, at the Century Theatre. On February 1, 1926, it moved to the Shubert Theatre, continuing for a total run of 152 performances. [2] The large cast was led by Harry Welchman, a popular tenor of the London stage, and soprano Evelyn Herbert in her first starring role. [3] [4]
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The New York Times review of the premiere of Princess Flavia described the show as "beautiful, tuneful, majestic and splendid in all its appointments."
Last night's audience, a gathering of habitual theatregoers who have known the splendors of The Student Prince and Rose-Marie and The Love Song during recent months, was forced to pay homage repeatedly throughout the evening to the even greater lavishness … and the stirring choruses evoked prolonged ovations at the end of each act. [3]
Particular praise was accorded the performances of Welchman, Herbert, Dumbrille and the large chorus, as well as the sets by Watson Barratt. [3]
The Prisoner of Zenda is an 1894 adventure novel by Anthony Hope, in which the King of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation and thus is unable to attend the ceremony. Political forces within the realm are such that, in order for the king to retain the crown, his coronation must proceed. Fortuitously, an English gentleman on holiday in Ruritania who resembles the monarch is persuaded to act as his political decoy in an effort to save the unstable political situation of the interregnum.
The Winter Garden Theatre is a Broadway theatre at 1634 Broadway in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It opened in 1911 under designs by architect William Albert Swasey. The Winter Garden's current design dates to 1922, when it was completely remodeled by Herbert J. Krapp. Due to the size of its auditorium, stage, and backstage facilities, it is favored for large musical productions. It has 1,600 seats and is operated by The Shubert Organization. The auditorium interior is a New York City landmark.
The Shubert Organization is a theatrical producing organization and a major owner of theatres based in Manhattan, New York City. It was founded by the three Shubert brothers in the late 19th century. They steadily expanded, owning many theaters in New York and across the United States. Since then it has gone through changes of ownership, but it is still a major theater chain.
The Shubert family was responsible for the establishment of the Broadway district, in New York City, as the hub of the theatre industry in the United States. They dominated the legitimate theater and vaudeville in the first half of the 20th century, promoting entertainment attuned to popular taste.
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