The Wizard of the Nile is a burlesque operetta in three acts composed by Victor Herbert to a libretto by Harry B. Smith. It was Herbert's second operetta, after Prince Ananias, and his first real success. It was given 105 performances on Broadway at the Casino Theatre, opening on 4 November 1895.

Dramatis Personæ

MIDI Files

• Overture

ACT I   -   Public Square in Alexandria.

• No. 1 - Opening Ensemble - "Aïah!  Aïah!  Aïah!  Aïah!  Father Nile, keep us in thy care, keep us in thy care, thy children, thy loving sons we are..."
• No. 2 - Duet - Obeliska and Cheops, with Chorus - "He's not egotistic, but most optimistic;  he ever laughs loudest at Fate's severe frown..."
• No. 3 - Oriental March - "Strew the way with flow'rets blooming, deck his path with garlands gay.  Let their blushing and perfuming make a monarch's holiday..."
• No. 4 - Duet - Ptolemy, Simoona and Chorus - "I am the ruler of the whole Egyptian nation ... Excuse me, my dear, but you can't rule me! ..."
• No. 5 - Song - Kibosh and Chorus - "Of all the magicians of lofty positions who give exhibitions, I'm easily King.   My mysteries hazy set ev'ryone crazy..."
• No. 6a - Chorus - "Pure and white is the Lotos Lily flower, tira la!  tira la!  Fa la la la la!  Where it bloometh in its lonely river bower, tira la!  tira la!  Fa la la la la! ..."
• No. 6b - Solo with Chorus - Cleopatra - "I have been a-maying, though the month is June, where the reeds are playing Zephyr's fairy tune..."
• No. 7 - Duet - Kibosh and Cleopatra - "Tell me, tell me prithee tell me, you who are so old and wise, what this article may be that ev'rybody seems to prize..."
• No. 8 - Solo - Ptarmigan - "If it were for me to lead to glory, to glory and the splendid pomp of war, then my love would have a diff'rent story..."
• No. 9 - Finale Act I - "Strew the way with flow'rets blooming, deck the paths with garlands gay.  Let their blushing and perfuming make a monarch's holiday..."

ACT II   -   Terraced roof of the King's palace.

• No. 10 - Serenade, with Abydos and Cheops - "List to our matin serenade, Princess, Princess fair;  List to our greeting, sung and played, voicing our despair..."
• No. 10a - Scene - (in which Kibosh is pursued by an alligator, which eventually retreats in disgust)
• No. 11 - Duet - Ptarmigan and Cleopatra - "If I were a King, I would kneel, sweetheart, to thee ... (Heigho!  Nonny O!  Life is for a day.) ..."
• No. 12 - Quintette - Cleopatra, Abydos, Simoona, Ptolemy and Cheops - "On Cleopatra's wedding day ... Ring merrily, merrily bells ..."
• No. 13 - Song - Kibosh and Chorus - "She kept her secret well, oh yes, her hideous secret well.  We were wedded fast, I knew naught of her past..."
• No. 14 - Finale Act II - "Oh agony, unutterable woe!  That my wedding should have turn'd out so. ... We'll teach you fellows to blow up your betters..."

ACT III   -   Interior of the King's private pyramid.

• No. 15 - Introduction and Stonecutters' Song - Ptarmigan and Male Chorus - "Work away, work away with a song, my boys.  Strike up with a merry, merry lay..."
• No. 16 - Solo - Cleopatra - "I seem to have known you my whole life long, yet only today I found you.  You were the soul in ev'ry song..."
• No. 16a - Entrance of Kibosh, Simoona, Ptolemy and Cheops
• No. 17 - Waltz Quintette - Abydos, Simoona, Kibosh, Cheops and Ptolemy - "When sitting alone at eventide and watching the stars peep out..."
• No. 18 - Pages' Chorus - "To the pyramid softly stealing now we come, our plan concealing, for as yet we are in doubt what said plans may be about..."
• No. 19 - Echo Duet - Kibosh, Ptolemy and Pages - "In our bravery we're peerless;  we're absolutely fearless;  at all peril that may threaten us we scoff..."
• No. 20 - Finale Act III - "Ah! love we know ... Now we know what is love ... all that to life thou art ... all in life that thou art ... all joy and woe..."

MIDI Files

External Links

Vocal Score at Musopen

The Wizard of the Nile at Wikipedia

The Wizard of the Nile at The Guide to Musical Theatre

American Musical Theatre

Page modified 24 May 2017