Ball at the Savoy

Ball im Savoy (Ball at the Savoy) is a jazz operetta in three acts and a prelude by Paul Abraham to a libretto by Alfred Grünwald and Fritz Löhner-Beda. It premiered on 23 December 1932 at the Großes Schauspielhaus, Berlin. However, Hitler became Chancellor five weeks later, and because composer and librettists were all Jewish, the show was forced to close down (despite its critical and popular acclaim) on 2 April, 1933. It was revived on 9 September 1933 at the New German Theatre in Prague under music director George Szell. The English-language premiere was on 8 September 1933 at the Drury Lane Theatre, London, under the title Ball at the Savoy, with the libretto adapted by Oscar Hammerstein. This was Abraham's last major success. Although Ball im Savoy is a relatively recent operetta, its characters follow the classic scheme: Aristide (tenor) is a rueful rake, excruciated by the possible betrayal. Madeleine (soprano) is a more modern person, ready to give as good as she gets, albeit plagued by scruples: a feminist before the term existed, who receives approval from the other women. Mustafa represents the stock comic. More interesting is Daisy (soubrette): sly, brave, she knows what she wants and how to get it.