Written for Paris Grand Exposition of 1866, La Vie Parisienne is a trove of Offenbachs best music, but a comprehensible plot is often ignored in the interest of editing. The crucial 4th scene was restored by Ronald Orenstein for this 1982 production, filmed here specifically for television. By the end of Act 3, passing Bobinets (Robert Douglas) house off as the Admirals has become harder to sustain, so the ladies decide to get Gandermack (Wayne Morrow) drunk at dinner. The Germans return as more guests, join in the drinking and the act ends in wild abandon. For more comic operas and operettas, including the complete DVD of La Vie Parisienne, visit comicoperaguild.org.
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