The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace is the second in a series of operettas based on classic fairy tales written and directed by Robin Field. The story, originally titled “Le Prince Desir et la Princesse Mignonne” by French author Madame Leprince de Beaumont and translated into English by Andrew Lang as “Prince Hyacinth and the Dear Little Princess” in The Blue Fairy Book (1889, Longmans, Greene & Co.), is a variation on the beauty-and-the-beast theme and Charles Perrault’s “Riquet a la Houppe” or “Ricky of the Tuft.”
“I found I had to make several changes to the story,” says Field. “In the original, an old fairy blames the Prince for his vanity, as though that were the moral of the story. But his vanity was caused by a twenty-year injustice committed against him by the Queen and the Enchanter. I eliminated the fairy and made sure the Prince learned ‘the true meaning of pride’ from the princess—and that the ‘well-intended’ villains apologized for their wrongdoing.”
This work was first performed in 1981 by a community-theatre cast directed by Field. It was also translated into Portuguese for a Brazilian production, but the producer and star were both killed in a tidal wave before it could be produced. This recording was completed in 1992, produced and directed by Field at Angel Sound, New York, engineered by David Shaich, and featuring Broadway stars Rebecca Luker and Lorraine Serabian.
Musical synopsis
SCENE ONE: A Palace Nursery
- “Ah, My Son”
- “Tee Hee Hee Hee!”
- “Ah, My Son” – Reprise
SCENE TWO: A Palace Corridor
- “The Prince’s Education”
- “Here He Comes”
- “Who Is She?”
SCENE THREE: The Royal Dining Hall
- “The Prince’s Invitation”
- “A Man of Few Words”
- “Chatter”
- “She Liked Me”
SCENE FOUR: The Royal Pavilion
- “Her Majesty the Queen”
- “The Prince’s Twenty-First Birthday”
- “You’ve Always Been Around”
- “The Crystal Palace”
- “Dear Little Princess”
- “The Enchanter’s Confession”
- “Me, Too”
- “Finale”
Tracks
Complete script (PDF)
Liner notes (PDF)
Copyright © 1981 Robin Field