Les noces d'Olivette

Les noces d'Olivette is an opéra comique in three acts composed by Edmond Audran, with a libretto by Alfred Duru and Henri Charles Chivot. The farcical romance story concerns Olivette, who loves Valentine (who is also loved by a Countess) but is engaged to a sea captain, who she refuses to marry. Valentine secretly weds Olivette, the captain declares that Olivette is his rightful bride, Valentine is arrested, Olivette is disowned, but eventually her marriage to Valentine is upheld. It premiered in Paris in 1879. English-language adaptations were mounted in 1880 in both London, where it played for 466 performances, and New York. Revivals followed. Premiere The work premiered under the direction of in Paris on 13 November 1879 at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens. Alfred Jolly sang the role of the Duc des Ifs, with Élise Clary as Olivette and Giulia Bennati as the Countess. English adaptation The opera played for 466 performances, entitled Olivette, at the Strand Theatre in London from 1880 to 1881 in an English-language adaptation by H. B. Farnie, starring Florence St. John. Olivette opened at the Bijou Opera House in New York City on 25 December 1880. It was revived there the next Christmas and in 1882; a squib in The New York Times noted that it "has been drawing good-sized audiences [and] seems to retain its hold upon the public favor. The cast at the Bijou includes Mme. Dolaro as Olivette". it also played at the American Theatre in New York City in March 1899.