NBC OPERA: OFFENBACH'S COMIC OPERA: R.S.V.P., OR A MUSICALE AT MONSIEUR CAULIFLOWER'S (TV)
Summary
One in this series of NBC Opera Company productions. This production is of "R.S.V.P., or a Musicale at Monsieur Cauliflower's," an English-language version of Jacques Offenbach's comic opera "M. Choufleuri restera chez lui le…" ("Mr. Cauliflower will be at home…"). The composer, who introduces himself as Stuart Offenbach, no relation, explains that he has declined to join his wife at the opera because he finds the art incomprehensible. Upon finding a trunk full of old letters and notes, including an invitation from a Monsieur Choufleuri from 1865, however, he decides to write his own opera in English. He imagines the overture and a set depicting a fancy home in Paris, and he introduces his heroine, young Ernestine, recently returned from boarding school. She has a secret lover, Chrysodule Babylas, and she sings about her great affection for him. Offenbach decides that Ernestine's father hates Babylas because he is an impoverished musician and composer, "the lowest of the species," and the two lovers sing a Spanish-inspired song that he has written. Monsieur Cauliflower arrives home with his "nitwit" manservant Peterman and Babylas quickly leaves. Cauliflower prepares for a great party to which he has invited the greatest singers of the age to entertain his guests. However, the singers reply to his invitations by stating that they have all "decided" to become ill and not attend, and Cauliflower panics.
Ernestine has a brainstorm and realizes that her father does not know Babylas to see, and she summons him, explaining to her father that the three of them will impersonate the great singers and fool the partygoers. The guests soon arrive, introduced by Peterman, and Ernestine, pretending to be soprano Henriette Sontag, enters grandly with Babylas, as tenor Giovanni Battista Rubini. Everyone believes them to be the famous singers and they sing a song in poorly faked "Italian," and Cauliflower joins them as baritone Antonio Tamburini. Everyone is impressed with their talents, and Babylas decides to blackmail Cauliflower into allowing him to marry Ernestine, lest he reveal their trick, and Cauliflower is forced to agree. The story concluded, Offenbach joins the singers for their finale, despite his lack of singing talent. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: November 1, 1951 11:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:00
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: B:03269
- GENRE: Music
- SUBJECT HEADING: Music; Opera; Comedy
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1949-1964
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Samuel Chotzinoff … Producer
- Peter Herman Adler … Director
- Kirk Browning … Director
- Dino Yannapoulos … Adapted by
- Jacques Offenbach … Music by, Librettist
- Aida Alvarez … Choreographer
- Lawrence Weber … Cast, Stuart Offenbach
- Virginia Haskins … Cast, Ernestine
- Paul Franke … Cast, Chrysodule Babylas
- George Irving … Cast, Monsieur Cauliflower
- Paul Ukena … Cast, Peterman
- Kenneth Smith … Cast, Balandard
- Jeanne Palmer … Cast, Madame Balandard
- Carl Don … Cast, Regeulsman
- Carole O'Hara … Cast, The Old Woman
- Florence Forsberg … Cast, The Ingenue
- Karl Brock … Cast, The Dandy
- Giovanni Battista Rubini
- Henriette Sontag
- Antonio Tamburini