The Wedding Day is a comic opera in three acts with book and lyrics by Stanislaus Stange and music by Julian Edwards. It opened at the Casino Theatre, New York on 8 April 1897. Actually it was an adaptation of Audran's La Petite Fronde, and in this instance Edwards merely supplemented the score. In its story a French peasant girl, a lady and a baker combined their efforts to secure a Franco-Spanish treaty. Although it offered three top stars in the same show — a rarity at the time — it was something of a disappointment. Jefferson De Angelis, Della Fox and Lillian Russell combined could not earn it more than seventy-two performances in two separate engagements.

Dramatis Personæ

MIDI Files

ACT I   -   Interior of Polycop's Baker Shop.

• No. 1 - Introduction and Opening Scene - "Planchette!  Planchette!  Oh, where is that baker's man?  Planchette!  Planchette!  Come hurry if you can! ..."
• No. 2 - Song - Raoul - "The lovers who sigh, for married life cry, merit the sorrow they woo.  To love and to wed are things that I dread, I try to avoid them, I do..."
• No. 3 - Ensemble - "Here comes Polycop!" (etc.)  "Here comes Polycop!  Stand aside.  Long life, Polycop!" (etc.)  "Welcome, Polycop, where is your bride? ..."
• No. 4 - Chorus, and Song - Rose Marie - "To Polly and his wife, hola!  Here's to their wedded life..."  &  "I am a simple Norman maid, my cheeks are rosy red..."
• No. 5 - Duet - Raoul and Lucille - "It seems to me that we have met, yes, sometime long ago.  But when and where I now forget, your face I surely know. ..."
• No. 6 - Ensemble, and Song - Lucille - "Monsieur, all is well!  Thanks to you.  From Captain Rappell, this billet-doux.  I told him you were waiting here for me..."
• No. 7 - Ensemble, and Song - Polycop - "Though the years have made him mellow..."  &  "Far down in the depths of the Southern sea, there lived a mermaid fair..."
• No. 8 - Finale Act I - "At last I find you in! ... And I have found you out! ... Your trouble will begin this day without a doubt ... You have betray'd your trust..."

ACT II   -   Salon of Madame de Montbazon's House.

• No. 9 - Chorus and Song - "Montbazon!  Montbazon, her charms we love to gaze upon.  Montbazon!  Montbazon!  Vive Madame de Montbazon..."
• No. 10 - Song - Polycop and Girls - "In Italy I lov'd a girl with iv'ry skin and teeth of pearl;  she own'd a sharp stiletto blade, for cutting lovers it was made..."
• No. 11 - Ensemble - Mme. de Montbazon, Polycop and others - "Ladies, I am sorry to send you thus away, needless tho' to worry, you'll meet again today..."
• No. 12 - Song - Mme. de Montbazon - "Happy were the days of long ago!  Fair and bright, the heart's love light, dissipating shadows, sombre, low, shining..."
• No. 13 - Duet - Lucille and Bouillon - "All kisses, tho' Platonic, are signs of love masonic, for hidden, embryonic, rascal Cupid lies in wait..."
• No. 14 - Ensemble - "This is the hour!  The fateful hour!  This is the hour!  The fateful hour!  We must decide, by that abide, so have a care to what we swear..."
• No. 15 - Quartett - Raoul, Bouillon, Lucille and Rose-Marie - "Come, my dearest, this is folly ... To my thinking this is jolly ... There is danger in each minute..."
• No. 16 - Duet - Polycop and Rose-Marie - "The girls are idle butterflies;  a fool is he who even tries to catch one in Love's golden net, for woman is a born coquette."
• No. 17 - Trio - Lucille, Rose-Marie and Bouillon - "Drink!  Drink!  Drink!  A rogue lies hid in the wine.  Drink!  Drink!  Drink!  'Tis Cupid, that rogue divine..."
• No. 18 - Finale Act II - "A nation's fate lies in the scale, the risk is great if I should fail.  Her watch o'er France an angel keeps.  Now's my chance;  he sleeps..."

ACT III   -   Frondist Outpost.

• No. 19 - Chorus - "Gaily marches the soldier to the sound of drum and fife!  Merrily sings the soldier of the joys of martial life, when banners wave defiance brave..."
• No. 20 - Song - Lucille - "One dreamy mid-summer's night, when the moon shone clear and bright, way up in a tree sat a little Tom-tit, there singing his solo..."
• No. 21 - Chorus - Vivandiers - "The vivandiere has a grateful task to jolly the boys and fill the flask;  we carry the drinks that always please, the essence of grape..."
• No. 22 - Song - Rose Marie - "There once liv'd a wise maid of France, and she led all the boys such a dance;  she was pretty and witty and wise..."
• No. 23 - Song - Polycop - "I've dreamt many dreams, some good and some bad, but the worst of all dreams that I ever had was the dream of a land where winter..."
• No. 24 - Finale Act III - "The General has relented ... I'm glad he has consented ... I'll take no substitute ... That fact I'll not dispute ... To matrimonial dangers..."

MIDI Files

External Link

Vocal Score at the Internet Archive

American Musical Theatre

Page modified 24 May 2017