Patience (operetta) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Patience |
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Lillian Russell as Patience in 1882
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| Written by | W. S. Gilbert (words) Arthur Sullivan (music) |
| Characters | Patience Bunthorne Lady Jane Grosvenor |
| Date of premiere | 23 April 1881 |
| Place of premiere | Opera Comique London, England |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | Aesthetic Movement |
| Genre | Operetta |
| Setting | England in the late 19th century |
Patience; or, Bunthorne's Bride is a funny musical play called an operetta. It was created by W. S. Gilbert (who wrote the words) and Arthur Sullivan (who wrote the music). It first opened in London, England, on April 23, 1881. Later that year, it moved to the Savoy Opera, a brand new theatre. This theatre was special because it was the first one ever to be lit completely by electricity!
Patience was the sixth of fourteen operettas made by Gilbert and Sullivan. It was performed 578 times, which was a very long run for its time. The play makes fun of the way some poets and artists acted in the 1870s and 1880s. These artists were part of something called the Aesthetic Movement. Patience was a huge hit!
Contents
About Patience
What is an Operetta?
An operetta is like a lighter, funnier version of an opera. It has singing, acting, and dancing, just like an opera. But operettas usually have more spoken dialogue, catchy songs, and a humorous story. They are often less serious than traditional operas.
The Story Behind Patience
Gilbert and Sullivan were famous for their operettas. They often made fun of things happening in society. For Patience, Gilbert wanted to make fun of the "Aesthetic Movement". This was a group of artists and writers who believed in "art for art's sake." They often wore unusual clothes and acted in ways that seemed very dramatic to others.
Originally, Gilbert thought about writing a story about two clergymen. But he decided it might be better to make fun of the aesthetic poets instead. This turned out to be a great idea!
Preparing for the Show
The person who produced the operettas, Richard D'Oyly Carte, wanted to make sure people in America understood the jokes in Patience. So, he sent a famous writer named Oscar Wilde on a tour of the United States. Wilde gave talks about the Aesthetic Movement. This helped Americans understand the background of the operetta before it even arrived there.
Images for kids
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1881 Programme for Patience
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Many Punch cartoons satirised æsthetes. Both Patience and The Colonel are mentioned here. A tiny, pennant-waving Gilbert peeks out of Sullivan's backpack at lower right.
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George Grossmith as Bunthorne
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Sydney Granville as Grosvenor
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Aesthetic dress (left and right) contrasted with 'fashionable attire' (centre), 1881
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"Rapturous maidens" await Bunthorne
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Passmore as Bunthorne "curses" Lytton as Grosvenor
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Alice Barnett as Lady Jane
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"...and here we are!" (left to right: Dow, Workman and René, 1907)
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"...sing 'boo' to you" (Lytton and Lewis, 1919)
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Lillian Russell as Patience at the Bijou Opera House in New York, 1882
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Illustration from an 1885 programme
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