View source for Bitter Sweet (operetta)

{{Short description|Operetta by Noël Coward}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{italic title}}
[[Image:Bitterimage003.jpg|right|thumb|[[Nelson Eddy]] and [[Jeanette MacDonald]] in the [[Bitter Sweet (1940 film)|1940 film version]], described by Coward as "dreadful"]]
'''''Bitter Sweet''''' is an [[operetta]] in three acts, with book, music and lyrics by [[Noël Coward]]. The story, set in nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century England and [[Austria-Hungary]], centres on a young woman's elopement with her music teacher. The songs from the score include "The Call of Life", "If You Could Only Come with Me", "[[I'll See You Again]]", "Dear Little Café", "[[If Love Were All]]", "Ladies of the Town", "Tokay", "Zigeuner" and "Green Carnation".

The show had a long run in the [[West End theatre|West End]] from 1929 to 1931, and a more modest one on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] in 1929–1930. The work has twice been adapted for the cinema, and the complete score has been recorded for CD.

==Background==
Coward wrote the leading role of Sari with [[Gertrude Lawrence]] in mind, but the vocal demands of the part were beyond her capabilities.<ref name=h202/> His second choice, [[Evelyn Laye]], refused the role because of a private grievance against the producer of the show, [[Charles B. Cochran|C. B. Cochran]].<ref name=h202>Hoare, p. 202</ref> Coward's third choice, [[Peggy Wood]], made a considerable success in the part, and Laye, realising her mistake in turning it down, willingly accepted the role in the subsequent [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] production.<ref>Hoare, p. 207</ref> For the part of the leading man, Cochran and Coward toured the theatres of Europe in search of someone suitable. According to Coward, a likely candidate named Hans Unterfucker was ruled out because of his name, and [[Georges Metaxa|George Metaxa]] was cast.<ref>Hoare, p. 203</ref>

===Original cast===
* Parker, a butler – Claude Farrow
* Dolly Chamberlain – Dorothy Bond
* Lord Henry – William Harn
* Vincent Howard – [[Billy Milton]]
* Marchioness of Shayne (Sari) – [[Peggy Wood]]
* Marquess of Shayne – [[Alan Napier]]
* Carl Linden – [[Georges Metaxa|George Metaxa]]
* Manon la Crevette – [[Ivy St Helier]]
* Nita – [[Isla Bevan]]
* Captain August Lutte – [[Austin Trevor]]
* Hugh Devon – [[Robert Newton]]
* Helen – Nancy Bevill
* Jackie – Maureen Moore
* Frank – Arthur Alexander
: Source: ''[[The Times]]''<ref name=times/> and [[Stanley Green (historian)|Stanley Green]].<ref>Green, p. 52</ref>

==Plot==

=== Act I ===
In 1929, the elderly and widowed, but still lively, Marchioness of Shayne is holding a party at her home in London to celebrate the impending society marriage of a young woman, Dolly Chamberlain, who is in love not with her fiancé but with a poor musician ("That Wonderful Melody"). Dolly is torn between love and fortune, and Lady Shane is reminded of her own youth ("The Call of Life").

Nearly 55 years earlier, in 1875, Lady Shayne is the young Sarah Millick, a wealthy London society debutante, who is having a singing lesson with her dashing music teacher, Carl Linden. The spirited Sarah is engaged to Lord Hugh, a wealthy but stuffy young nobleman, but Sarah and Carl have fallen in love ("If You Could Only Come With Me"). Carl's integrity makes him decide not to ruin Sarah's 'proper' life and return directly to his native Austria, but vows to think of Sarah each Spring ("I'll See You Again"). At the pre-wedding party, Sarah realises she would be unhappy with Lord Hugh and that true love is more important ("What Is Love?"). Carl is entertaining at the party ("The Last Dance"). Later, during a game of blindman's buff, Carl and Sarah declare their mutual love and decide to elope to Vienna.

=== Act II ===
Five years later, in Vienna, Carl is a bandleader, and Sarah (now called Sari), sings his songs, but their employment at Schlick's Café, a racy establishment patronised by army officers and whores, requires Sari to dance with the patrons, and perhaps more ("Ladies of the Town"). Carl's previous lover, Manon La Crevette, entertains at the café and expresses feelings of lost love ("If Love Were All"). Sari and Carl plan to quit and find their dream café ("Dear Little Café"), but it's a busy night ("Tokay"), and after Manon's number ("Bonne Nuit, Merci"), Sari is obliged to dance with an army captain who makes a determined pass, provoking Carl to intervene. The captain challenges him to a duel, which he wins easily, killing Carl; Sari is distraught, as Manon reprises a sad waltz number ("Kiss Me").

=== Act III ===
Thirteen years pass, and in 1893 London it is the [[Gay Nineties]] ("Ta Ra Ra Boom De Ay"; "Green Carnation"). The young ladies are now respectable society matrons ("Alas! The Time is Past"). Sari, now a Viennese star singing Carl's music ("Zigeuner"), is pursued by the Marquis of Shayne, who seeks to restore her youthful spirit. He has proposed to her in every European capital, and now home in London, she finally accepts him, but reprises "I'll See You Again" to her lost love, Carl.

Again at the 1929 party, Dolly, inspired by Lady Shane's story of love pursued and lost, rejects her society fiancé and declares her love for the poor musician, whose reaction is to burst into a syncopated piano rendition of "I'll See You Again" as the heartbroken Sarah gives way to bitter mirth.

==Critical reception==
After the opening night in Manchester the reviewer in ''The Manchester Guardian'' wrote that the future of the show seemed rosy: "If a wealth of light melody, a spice of wit, and much beauty of setting can assure it, Mr Coward need have no misgivings".<ref name=mg/> In London, [[James Agate]] praised the piece: "a thundering good job … a thoroughly good light entertainment".<ref>Hoare, p. 205</ref> When the piece was revived in 1988, Jeremy Kingston wrote in ''The Times'', "Coward's melodic gift reached its peak in this show, with its gipsy music, drinking song, witty jokes about the gay Nineties and the waltzes that, once heard, are imperishable."<ref name=jk/>

==Productions==
The piece, directed by Coward, opened on 2 July 1929 at the [[Palace Theatre, Manchester]],<ref name=mg>"''Bitter Sweet'' – Mr Noel Coward's Operette", ''The Manchester Guardian'', 3 July 1929, p. 13</ref> before the London premiere at [[Her Majesty's Theatre|His Majesty's Theatre]] on 18 July.<ref name=times>"Bitter Sweet", ''The Times'', 19 July 1929, p. 12</ref> It ran in London for 697 performances, at five different theatres, concluding its run at the [[Lyceum Theatre, London|Lyceum]], with Laye returning from New York to succeed Wood as Sari.<ref>Gaye, p. 1529; and "Lyceum Theatre – 'Bitter Sweet'", ''The Times'', 15 April 1931, p. 12</ref> [[Ivy St. Helier]] played Manon, and the role of the aged Marquess of Shayne was played by the 26-year-old [[Alan Napier]], later to gain fame as Batman's butler, [[Alfred Pennyworth|Alfred]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sundaymercury.net/news/midlands-news/2009/01/03/birmingham-actor-was-batman-s-butler-66331-22600422/ |title=Birmingham actor was Batman's butler |publisher=www.sundaymercury.net |access-date=23 January 2010 }}</ref>

With the success of the London production, Cochran wanted a [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] presentation. Rather than wait until the end of the [[West End theatre|West End]] run and take the original cast to New York, Cochran insisted on moving quickly. The musical opened on Broadway on 5 November 1929, starring Evelyn Laye as Sari. She was well received by audiences and critics, but otherwise the cast was not as strong as their London counterparts. The production ran for 159 performances, closing on 22 March 1930.<ref>Hoare, pp. 206–210</ref>

Although popular with amateur operatic societies, ''Bitter Sweet'' has had few professional revivals. A Broadway production played in 1934, starring [[Evelyn Herbert]] and [[Allan Jones (actor)|Allan Jones]].<ref>"Zigeuner", ''[[The New York Times]]'', 8 May 1934, p. 28 {{subscription}}</ref> In America, the [[The Muny|St. Louis Municipal Opera]] presented six productions of ''Bitter Sweet'' between 1933 and 1953 as well as one in 1974.<ref>[http://www.muny.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=100291 "Show Archive – B"], Muny.org, accessed 7 March 2014</ref> The Long Beach Civic Light Opera in [[Southern California]] staged a production in 1983 starring [[Shirley Jones]] as Sari.<ref>[http://www.clarke.edu/page.aspx?id=13038 "Stage and Screen Legend Shirley Jones to Perform at Clarke"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140308010513/http://www.clarke.edu/page.aspx?id=13038 |date=8 March 2014 }}, Clarke University, 30 October 2007, accessed 7 March 2014</ref> The first professional revival in London was in 1988 at [[Sadler's Wells Theatre|Sadler's Wells]]; [[Valerie Masterson]] and [[Ann Mackay]] alternated as Sari, with [[Martin Smith (actor/musician)|Martin Smith]] as Carl and [[Rosemary Ashe]] as Manon.<ref name=jk>Kingston, Jeremy. "Slight case of Coward nostalgia tugs the heart", ''The Times'', 25 February 1988, p. 18</ref> The [[Ohio Light Opera]] produced ''Bitter Sweet'' in 1993, 1998 and 2025.<ref>[http://archive.ohiolightopera.org/index.php Show archive], Ohio Light Opera, accessed 7 March 2014</ref>

==Adaptations and cultural depictions==
The piece has been filmed twice. The first, [[Bitter Sweet (1933 film)|in 1933]], directed by [[Herbert Wilcox]] was filmed in black-and-white, with [[Anna Neagle]] and [[Fernand Gravet]] in the leading roles. An opulent Technicolor version for MGM [[Bitter Sweet (1940 film)|in 1940]], directed by [[W. S. Van Dyke]], starred [[Jeanette MacDonald]] and [[Nelson Eddy]]. In both cases, the score was heavily cut. Coward disliked the much-rewritten 1940 film and vowed that no more of his plays would be filmed in Hollywood.<ref name=1940film>Dugan ''et al'', pp. 399–400</ref> In 1951 he told ''[[The Daily Express]]'', "I was saving up ''Bitter Sweet'' as an investment for my old age. After MGM's dreadful film I can never revive it."<ref>Barber, John. "Now Noël Coward takes his bitter-sweet revenge on Hollywood", ''The Daily Express'', 29 November 1951, p. 3</ref>

Abridged recordings have been made starring [[Vanessa Lee]] (1960)<ref>[http://www.worldcat.org/title/bitter-sweet-orchestrations-by-brian-fahey-and-ray-terry/oclc/6537333?ht=edition&referer=br "Bitter Sweet, Vanessa Lee"], WorldCat, retrieved 7 March 2014</ref> and [[June Bronhill]] (1969)<ref>[https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/15095211 "Bitter Sweet, Bronhill"], WorldCat, retrieved 7 March 2014</ref> The first recording of the complete score was issued in 1989, based on the 1988 Sadler's Wells production, with Masterson as Sari.<ref>[https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/22923260 "Bitter Sweet, Masterson], WorldCat, retrieved 7 March 2014</ref>

A scene from the operetta is depicted in the opening of the 2025 period film ''[[Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale]]''.<ref>{{cite news | title =The Real History Behind'' Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale'' | url =https://time.com/7316087/downton-abbey-grand-finale-history/ | publisher = TIME | author =Olivia Waxman | date =13 September 2025 | accessdate = 17 September 2025}}</ref>

==Musical numbers==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
=== Act I ===
* That Wonderful Melody – Singer and Dancing Chorus
* The Call of Life – The Marchioness of Shayne and Chorus
* If You Could Only Come with Me – Carl Linden
* [[I'll See You Again]] – Sarah Millick and Carl
* Polka
* Tell Me What is Love? – Sarah and Chorus
* The Last Dance – The Marquis of Steere, Lord Edgar James, Lord Sorrel, Mr. Vale, Mr. Bethel, Mr. Proutie, Victoria, Harriet, Gloria, Honor, Jane and Effie
* Finale
{{col-break}}

=== Act II === 
* Life in the Morning – Waiters and Cleaners
* Ladies of the Town – Lotte, Freda, Hansi and Gussie
* [[If Love Were All]] – Manon
* Evermore and a Day – Sari Linden
* Dear Little Café – Sari and Carl
* Bitter Sweet Waltz
* We Wish to Order Wine –
* Tokay – Carl, Officers and Chorus
* Bonne Nuit, Merci – Manon
* Kiss me – Manon and Chorus
{{col-break}}

=== Act III === 
* [[Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay]] (by Henry J. Sayers) – Wealthy and noble couples of London
* Alas! The Time is Past – The Duchess of Tenterton, Lady James, Mrs. Proutie, Lady Sorrel, Mrs. Vale and Mrs. Bethel
* We All Wear a Green Carnation – Bertram Sellick, Lord Henry Jade, Vernon Craft and Cedrick Ballantyne
* Zigeuner – Sari
* I'll See You Again (reprise) – Sari
{{col-end}}

The [[Noël Coward Society]]'s website, drawing on performing statistics from the publishers and the Performing Right Society, ranks "I'll See You Again" and "If Love Were All" as among Coward's ten most popular songs. "Dear Little Café" is among the top twenty.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20090105170739/http://www.noelcoward.net/ncmiindex/appendices/appendix3.html "Appendix 3 (The Relative Popularity of Coward's Works)"]}}, Noël Coward Music Index, accessed 9 March 2009</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* {{cite book | last= Dugan | first= Eleanor Knowles |author2=John Cocchi |author3=J Peter Bergman | year= 2011| title=The Films of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy | location= San Francisco| publisher= Grand Cyrus Press | isbn=978-0979099458 }}
* {{cite book|editor-last= Gaye|editor-first=Freda |year= 1967|title=Who's Who in the Theatre |edition=fourteenth|location=London |publisher=Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons |oclc=5997224 }}
* {{cite book | last= Green | first= Stanley | year= 1980 | orig-year= 1976 | title= Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre | location= New York | publisher= Da Capo Press | isbn= 0306801132 | url-access= registration | url= https://archive.org/details/trent_0116403559523 }}
* {{cite book | last= Hoare | first = Philip | year= 1995 | title= Noël Coward, A Biography | location=London | publisher= Sinclair-Stevenson | isbn= 1856192652}}

==External links==
* {{ibdb show|title=Bitter Sweet|id=2052}}
* [http://www.tamswitmark.com/shows/bitter-sweet/ ''Bitter Sweet''] at [[Tams-Witmark|Tams-Witmark Music Library, Inc.]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120207055912/http://www.jeanettemacdonaldandnelsoneddy.com/films/jmne-bittersweet.htm ''Bitter Sweet (1940 film)''] at Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy: A Tribute

{{Noël Coward musicals}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1929 operas]]
[[Category:English-language operettas]]
[[Category:British plays adapted into films]]
[[Category:Musicals by Noël Coward]]
[[Category:British musicals]]
[[Category:Fiction set in 1929]]
[[Category:Fiction set in 1875]]
[[Category:Fiction set in 1880]]
[[Category:Fiction set in 1893]]