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Magyar Melody

Cover for the sheet music of "Mine Alone"

Romance with Music : Adapted by Eric Maschwitz and George Posford from the play by Eric Maschwitz, Fred Thompson and Guy Bolton. Music by George Posford and Bernard Grun. Revised from Paprika

Premiered at the Opera House, Manchester - 29 Nov, 1938
His Majesty's Theatre, London - 20 January, 1939 (105 perf.)

Magyar Melody was the first musical to be broadcast directly from a theatre and shown on television on 27 March 1939


The play in its original version was presented at His Majesty's Theatre, London with the following players in the principal parts

ROSZI BELVARY - Binnie Hale
MICHAEL - Roger Treville
JULIKA - Betty Warren
MIKKI (JARvIS) - Jerry Verno
COUNT FERENC - Arthur Margetson
THE EMPRESS - Stella Arbenina
BARDOS - Jimmy Godden

Story Outline

A simple tale of an aristocratic Englishman and opera composer, whose Hungarian gypsy love becomes an operetta star and conquers Budapest, but fails to conquer the social world of London. She returns to her homeland, to be followed, at the last moment, by her lover.

The story remained very similar to the original Paprika, except that Roszi is now just an Hungarian actress (her violin solos have been cut!),and she does not return to London with Michael. Most of the action now takes place in Hungary, with very little staged in London.

Michael is informed of the death of his uncle, the Duke of Firth and is obliged immediately to return to England, with no time to explain to Roszi. Count Ferenc, entrusted to deliver the farewell message and explanation, fails to do so and consequently Roszi believes she has been abandoned.

Cast:

Cover to libretto(in order of appearance)

MUSICAL NUMBERS

ACT I

OVERTURE

  1. Harvest Festival — Home is the Harvest - Chorus and Dancers
    1A. Fanfare
  2. Roszi - Julika and Chorus
  3. My Song is Born - Michael and Chorus
    3A. Exit Chorus
    3B. Entrance of Roszi
  4. Magyar Melody - Roszi, Michael and Chorus
    4A. Melos
  5. Boy Meets Girl - Roszi, Michael, Chorus and Dancers
  6. Just Like a Gipsy Band - Julika and Mikki
    6A. Czardas - Gipsy Dancers and Peasants
  7. Empress's Anthem - Chorus
  8. Hungarian Anthem (Exit of the Empress)
    9. Finale, Act I — Reprise — Roszi - Julika and Chorus

    ENTR'ACTE

ACT II

  1. Café Continental - Istvan and Clientele
  2. Never Bring Mamma! - Marika, Ilona, Zita and Actresses 1
    1A:. Exit
  3. Reprise — Magyar Melody - Roszi and Chorus
  4. Reprise — Boy Meets Girl - Roszi and Michael
  5. My Heart Belongs to Budapest - Roszi and Michael
    14A. Dramatic Melos
    I4B. My Heart Belongs to Budapest - Chorus
  6. Link to Scene 3
  7. Operetta Scene - Roszi and Tenor
    16A. Fanfare and Hungarian Anthem - (Entrance of the Empress)
  8. Link to Scene 4
  9. Music for Romance - Roszi, Guests and Dancers
    18A. Exit
  10. No Married Men Need Apply - Julika, Mikki and Bardos
  11. Mine Alone - Roszi, Michael and Chorus
    20A. Melos and Roszi Waltzing
    20B. Finale — Dramatic Melos

    ENTR'ACTE

ACT III

  1. A Truly Tyrolean Band - Bandmaster, Chorus and Dancers
    21A. Music for Romance (Brass band effect)
  2. The Waltz I Would Rather Forget - Roszi and Chorus
    22A. Exit — Reprise — A Truly Tyrolean Band - Chorus
    22B. Melos - Mine Alone
  3. Shot Gun Wedding - Julika, Mikki, Chorus and Dancers
    23A. Melos — Hunting Music
    23B. Melos — Mine Alone
  4. Day Dream - Michael
    24A. Entrance of Julika, Mikki and Bardos
  5. Finale — Mine Alone - Roszi, Michael and Company
  6. Finale Ultimo - The Company

Scenes and Settings:

ACT I

A Farmhouse on the Great Plain of Hungary

ACT II

SCENE 1. The Café Continental, Budapest (A few months later)
SCENE 2. Outside the Royal Theatre (A few weeks later)
SCENE 3. Behind the Theatre Gallery (The same evening)
SCENE 4. The Café Continental (Later the same evening)

ACT III

The Inn of The Golden Horn in the Tyrol (One year later)