482:
Regina
Giddens schemes with her brothers Ben and Oscar for money and power. When her crippled husband Horace opposes her plans, Regina denies him his heart medication and he dies of a heart attack. Their daughter Alexandra, realizing the true cause of Horace's death, finds the strength to leave her
150:
produced a different version of the opera with greatly expanded orchestration, giving the work a more "operatic" rather than "Broadway" sound. Bobby Lewis directed again, using the same sets. Brenda Lewis, Birdie in the 1949 cast, now took the lead as Regina. The 1953 production restored the party
90:
has been said to straddle the line between entertainment and so-called serious music. Hellman gave
Blitzstein considerable advice and strongly objected to any departures from the play's structure. Blitzstein planned an elaborate choral prologue, but Hellman convinced him to shorten and finally
217:
in 2003, with much music restored but with many scenes involving the black servants deleted, as the well-intentioned portrayals of black characters had come to seem sentimental and patronizing. This last production also added lines of dialogue from
Hellman's play to clarify the story.
39:. It was completed in 1948 and premiered the next year. Blitzstein chose this source in order to make a strong statement against capitalism. In three acts, the musical style has been described as new American
95:
insisted on still further cuts to the opera, asking
Blitzstein to reduce the work from three acts to two. He did so, cutting fifteen minutes of music out of the party scene. Leonard Bernstein described
151:
scene but cut other material. This production was a success, leading the company to revive the work again in 1958, with still more cuts. The 1958 version completely eliminated the onstage
155:
band that had been an essential part of
Blitzstein's plan for the work. The 1958 version, which was Hellman's favorite although furthest from the composer's intentions, was recorded.
249:
to reinstate music and dialogue excised earlier. That version became known as the "Scottish Opera
Version," where it was premiered in 1991, and resulted in a new score published by
768:
186:
in 1992 and cut music further from the 1959 version, which had come to be called definitive. The
Scottish Opera production was released as a recording in 1992 by
245:
Subsequently, conductor John
Mauceri and producer Tommy Krasker (then a student under Mauceri at Yale) worked with Blitzstein's collected papers at the
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1079:
947:
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223:
250:
1159:
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800:
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82:
166:
with John Yaffé, conductor, directed by Frank Rizzo, design by Franco
Colavecchia, choreographed by
621:
969:
120:
706:
700:
219:
214:
202:
163:
1108:
883:
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as "coating the wormwood with sugar, and scenting with magnolia blossoms the cursed house."
1193:
167:
128:
8:
631:
614:
609:
206:
191:
171:
143:
was Birdie. The first production received mixed reviews and closed on
December 17, 1949.
1060:
Mauceri, John. Private email correspondence to the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, Inc.
483:
mother. Having double-crossed her brothers as well, Regina is left wealthy but alone.
1112:
1097:
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891:
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242:
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147:
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72:
67:
44:
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831:
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383:
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116:
63:
31:
1188:
985:
764:
649:
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599:
92:
40:
36:
26:
178:
as Birdie. The first British performance was produced in Glasgow in 1991 by the
1047:
857:
669:
584:
179:
77:
1172:
675:
654:
278:
48:
664:
659:
604:
568:
419:
401:
365:
283:
195:
187:
140:
136:
132:
594:
579:
227:
476:
198:. This recording included nearly all the music written for the opera.
360:
152:
448:
378:
344:
328:
139:, formerly of the pop trio the Pickens Sisters, played Regina, and
56:
396:
296:
52:
738:. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. p. 201.
205:
has championed the opera and produced it in 1994 and 2008. The
432:
414:
22:
890:. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 502–503.
695:
213:
conducting. Yet another version of the opera was mounted by
1138:"Regina" works page on the official Marc Blitzstein website
510:"Night Could Be Time to Sleep" (Blues) sung by Addie, act 2
513:"Make a quiet day/Consider the rain" (Rain Quartet), act 3
162:
since the 1958 production was in 1977, in Detroit, by the
705:. New York, New York: Columbia University Press. p.
942:. Des Moines, Iowa: Des Moines Metro Opera. p. 24.
194:(replacing the original Regina, Katherine Terrell) and
222:
in Victoria, British Columbia, and Long Leaf Opera in
1145:
Mark the Music: The Life and Work of Marc Blitzstein
107:
1096:
732:The Cambridge Companion to Twentieth-Century Opera
504:"What will it be for me?" sung by Alexandra, act 1
759:
757:
755:
209:produced a new staging of the work in 2001, with
1170:
1074:. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 346.
794:
792:
790:
788:
786:
911:
909:
907:
1099:The Metropolitan Opera Guide to Recorded Opera
1072:Marc Blitzstein: His Life, His Work, His World
752:
123:in New York on October 31, 1949, conducted by
1015:begins impressive season for Long Leaf Opera"
940:Des Moines Metro Opera, A 35-Year Perspective
937:
878:
876:
874:
783:
501:"The Best Thing of All" sung by Regina, act 1
904:
1094:
498:"Music, music, music" sung by Birdie, act 1
91:jettison it. Before the premiere, producer
871:
850:"Brenda Lewis Recalls Marc Blitzstein and
838:, May 11, 1984; accessed December 13, 2011
491:Musical highlights include the following:
921:"Those Greedy Little Foxes, Set to Music"
915:
495:"Stand where the angels stand", prologue
170:. It was again produced in 1980, by the
29:, to his own libretto based on the play
1069:
882:
824:"Opera: Ensemble Presents Blitzstein's
763:
190:and the Scottish Opera Orchestra, with
1171:
247:State Historical Society of Wisconsin
965:"Squabbling Southern family schemes"
729:
798:
507:"Regina does a lovely party", act 2
13:
962:
699:; Hermine Weigel Williams (2003).
486:
226:, produced the opera in 2008. The
14:
1215:
1131:
1008:
983:
938:Egel, Michael; McB Smith (2007).
847:
519:"Greedy Girl" sung by Ben, act 3
516:Birdie's Aria ("Lionnet"), act 3
182:. New York City Opera revisited
108:Performance history and versions
1199:Operas set in the United States
1160:John Maucieri comments on the "
1088:
1063:
1054:
1032:
1002:
977:
956:
66:styles, in a manner similar to
931:
841:
817:
723:
689:
230:produced it in 2000 and 2016.
62:Borrowing from both opera and
1:
736:Cambridge Companions to Music
523:
428:a businessman from the North
7:
470:
444:trumpeter in the Angel Band
224:Chapel Hill, North Carolina
158:The first major revival of
10:
1220:
1152:Lillian Hellman speaks of
1105:W. W. Norton & Company
557:opera house and orchestra
43:, abounding in the use of
1184:Operas by Marc Blitzstein
533:
290:Alexandra "Xan" Giddens,
83:Four Saints in Three Acts
1070:Pollack, Howard (2012).
702:A Short History of Opera
683:
356:the Giddens' housekeeper
256:
201:Robert L. Larsen of the
1179:English-language operas
970:The Des Moines Register
884:Griffel, Margaret Ross
374:the Giddens' house man
220:Pacific Opera Victoria
215:Lyric Opera of Chicago
203:Des Moines Metro Opera
164:Michigan Opera Theatre
1204:Operas based on plays
848:Blue, Robert Wilder.
769:"Lyric Opera Review;
730:Cook, Mervyn (2005).
672:Orchestra and Chorus
617:Orchestra and Chorus
131:with choreography by
1095:Paul Gruber (1993).
919:(October 12, 1992).
860:on November 26, 2006
773:With Music restored"
767:(October 21, 2003).
168:Grethe Barrett Holby
632:Katherine Ciesinski
615:New York City Opera
610:Samuel Krachmalnick
340:her younger brother
301:Priscilla Gillette
207:Florida Grand Opera
192:Katherine Ciesinski
172:Houston Grand Opera
121:46th Street Theatre
1021:on October 9, 2008
925:The New York Times
836:The New York Times
777:The New York Times
636:Sheri Greenawald,
426:William Marshall,
390:"Birdie" Hubbard,
317:William Wilderman
243:Chappell & Co.
100:s relationship to
55:, aria and large,
1147:by Erik A. Gordon
1123:Elisabeth Carron.
1081:978-0-19-979159-0
963:Morain, Michael.
949:978-0-615-17627-7
917:Rothstein, Edward
888:Operas in English
697:Grout, Donald Jay
681:
680:
479:in the year 1900
468:
467:
464:Clarise Crawford
324:her elder brother
241:was published by
235:piano-vocal score
211:Stewart Robertson
148:City Centre Opera
125:Maurice Abravanel
73:Trouble in Tahiti
68:Leonard Bernstein
1211:
1126:
1125:
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1092:
1086:
1085:
1067:
1061:
1058:
1052:
1036:
1030:
1029:
1027:
1026:
1017:. Archived from
1006:
1000:
999:
997:
996:
981:
975:
974:
960:
954:
953:
935:
929:
928:
913:
902:
901:
880:
869:
868:
866:
865:
856:. Archived from
845:
839:
832:Will Crutchfield
821:
815:
814:
812:
811:
799:Krasker, Tommy.
796:
781:
780:
765:Holland, Bernard
761:
750:
749:
727:
721:
720:
693:
638:Angelina Réaux,
590:George S. Irving
573:Elisabeth Carron
528:
527:
453:William Dillard
384:William Warfield
306:Horace Giddens,
261:
260:
233:An out-of-print
176:Elisabeth Carron
127:and directed by
102:The Little Foxes
32:The Little Foxes
1219:
1218:
1214:
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1210:
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1134:
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1007:
1003:
994:
992:
982:
978:
961:
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936:
932:
914:
905:
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863:
861:
846:
842:
822:
818:
809:
807:
797:
784:
762:
753:
746:
728:
724:
717:
694:
690:
686:
668:
658:
653:
650:James Maddalena
648:
646:
644:
641:Theresa Merritt
639:
637:
635:
613:
603:
600:Andrew Frierson
598:
593:
588:
583:
578:
576:
571:
556:
551:
549:
547:
545:
543:
541:
539:
537:
535:
526:
489:
487:Musical numbers
473:
338:Oscar Hubbard,
275:Regina Giddens
259:
110:
93:Cheryl Crawford
51:, dance forms,
37:Lillian Hellman
27:Marc Blitzstein
12:
11:
5:
1217:
1207:
1206:
1201:
1196:
1191:
1186:
1181:
1167:
1166:
1157:
1149:
1140:
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1132:External links
1130:
1128:
1127:
1117:
1087:
1080:
1062:
1053:
1051:, January 2016
1048:The New Yorker
1039:"Bronx Opera:
1031:
1009:Dicks, Roy C.
1001:
986:"Blitzstein's
976:
955:
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896:
870:
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782:
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670:Scottish Opera
662:
647:Timothy Noble,
645:David Kuebler,
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625:
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585:Loren Driscoll
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437:Donald Clarke
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270:Premiere cast
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180:Scottish Opera
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78:Virgil Thomson
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1143:Excerpt from
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984:Stape, J. H.
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745:0-521-78009-8
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733:
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718:
716:0-231-11958-5
712:
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698:
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676:Decca Records
674:
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655:Bruce Hubbard
651:
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577:Helen Strine,
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475:Setting: the
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460:
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436:
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425:
424:
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418:
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408:Leo Hubbard,
407:
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389:
388:
385:
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371:
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364:
362:
359:
357:
353:
352:
349:David Thomas
348:
346:
343:
341:
337:
336:
332:
330:
327:
325:
322:Ben Hubbard,
321:
320:
316:
314:
311:
309:
305:
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298:
295:
293:
289:
288:
285:
282:
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279:mezzo-soprano
277:
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146:In 1953, the
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115:premiered on
114:
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99:
94:
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84:
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69:
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60:
58:
54:
50:
49:parlour music
46:
42:
38:
34:
33:
28:
24:
20:
19:
1161:
1153:
1144:
1122:
1098:
1090:
1071:
1065:
1056:
1046:
1040:
1034:
1023:. Retrieved
1019:the original
1012:
1004:
993:. Retrieved
987:
979:
968:
958:
939:
933:
924:
887:
862:. Retrieved
858:the original
851:
843:
835:
825:
819:
808:. Retrieved
802:
776:
770:
731:
725:
701:
691:
665:John Mauceri
660:Samuel Ramey
622:Sony Records
605:Joshua Hecht
569:Brenda Lewis
490:
481:
474:
461:silent role
443:
427:
420:Russell Nype
409:
402:Brenda Lewis
392:Oscar's wife
391:
373:
366:Lillyn Brown
355:
339:
323:
307:
292:her daughter
291:
284:Jane Pickens
251:Tams-Witmark
238:
232:
200:
196:Samuel Ramey
188:John Mauceri
183:
159:
157:
145:
141:Brenda Lewis
137:Jane Pickens
133:Anna Sokolow
112:
111:
101:
97:
87:
81:
71:
61:
47:, Victorian
30:
17:
16:
15:
1194:1949 operas
595:Emile Renan
580:Carol Brice
410:Oscar's son
308:her husband
267:Voice type
228:Bronx Opera
129:Bobby Lewis
1173:Categories
1107:. p.
1025:2008-07-09
995:2008-07-09
864:2008-07-10
810:2008-07-10
555:Conductor,
540:Alexandra,
524:Recordings
477:Deep South
45:spirituals
805:Restored"
536:(Regina,
361:contralto
153:Dixieland
57:symphonic
1164:project"
886:(1999).
552:Horace)
471:Synopsis
449:baritone
379:baritone
345:baritone
329:baritone
117:Broadway
64:Broadway
538:Birdie,
397:soprano
354:Addie,
297:soprano
119:at the
98:Regina'
59:score.
53:ragtime
41:verismo
1189:Operas
1162:Regina
1154:Regina
1115:
1078:
1041:Regina
1013:Regina
988:Regina
946:
894:
852:Regina
826:Regina
803:Regina
771:Regina
742:
713:
560:Label
548:Oscar,
542:Addie,
458:Belle
442:Jazz,
239:Regina
184:Regina
160:Regina
113:Regina
88:Regina
21:is an
18:Regina
684:Notes
565:1958
534:Cast
531:Year
433:tenor
415:tenor
372:Cal,
264:Role
257:Roles
174:with
23:opera
1113:ISBN
1076:ISBN
944:ISBN
892:ISBN
740:ISBN
711:ISBN
628:1991
620:CBS/
550:Cal,
546:Ben,
544:Leo,
313:bass
76:and
830:by
707:742
237:of
80:in
70:in
35:by
25:by
1175::
1121:.
1111:.
1109:60
1103:.
1045:,
967:.
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785:^
775:.
754:^
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667:,
634:,
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135:.
86:,
1084:.
1043:"
1028:.
1011:"
998:.
990:"
973:.
952:.
927:.
900:.
867:.
854:"
828:"
813:.
801:"
779:.
748:.
719:.
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652:,
643:,
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587:,
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575:,
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