TORONTO—At the time of prohibition in the United States, Sigmund Romberg’s operetta “The Student Prince” featured plenty of drinking songs, merriment, and romance, making it the longest-running show on Broadway in the 1920s.
Some of its catchy songs have stayed in the musical repertoire since, such as “Deep in My Heart, Dear,” “Serenade,” “Golden Days,” “Drinking Song,” and more.
“I think the audience will come away humming a tune or two because it’s really beautiful music,” says Canadian soprano Jennifer Taverner, who plays the lead role of Kathie in the Toronto Operetta Theatre’s upcoming production.
“The Student Prince” is based on the Viennese operetta style but has a strong American feel to it, Taverner explains, adding that the music is very heartwarming.
With lighter subject matter and spoken in the local language, the operetta genre combines some of the appeal of the opera and that of the musical.
“It is the best of both worlds, where it is operatic in nature and singing style—you have to have an operatically trained voice—but it’s music theatresque. The tunes are along those lines. It has that feel of Broadway,” says Taverner.
