Mam'zelle Nitouche
Mam'zelle Nitouche is a vaudeville-opérette in three acts by Hervé. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Albert Millaud.
Performance history
It was first performed at the Théâtre des Variétés, Paris on 26 January 1883.
Roles
Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 26 January 1883 (Conductor:Hervé) |
---|---|---|
Denise de Flavigny, called "Mam'zelle Nitouche" | soprano | Anna Judic |
Major, comte de Château-Gibus | baritone | Christian |
The director | bass | Édouard Georges |
Célestin, an organist | baritone | Louis Baron |
Fernand de Champlatreux, lieutenant | tenor | Henri Venderjench ('Cooper') |
Loriot, a brigadier | tenor | Léonce |
Mother Superior | contralto | Rosine Maurel |
Corinne, an actress | mezzo-soprano | Beaumaine |
Two officers | Gustave, Robert | |
'La tourière' | Mériani | |
Gimblette, an actress | Marguerite | |
Lydie, an actress | Caro | |
Students, dragoons, actors, etc. | ||
Synopsis
The story is set provincial France sometime in the 19th century. Denise de Flavigny, a young convent student, discovers a double-life of the organist Célestin, who teaches her music at the convent. He secretly composes popular operettas for his mistress Corinne.
Célestin visits the city to witness the premiere of his latest effort; Denise escapes the convent as well. Following a quarrel with Célestin, Corinne walks out and instead, Denise appears in her role, taking the name Mam'zelle Nitouche. Denise falls in love with Fernand, a handsome young soldier. Both Denise and Célestin are mistaken for soldiers absent without leave and shipped off to an army camp. A series of coincidences brings happiness to all concerned.
Title
Mam'zelle Nitouche can loosely be translated as Little Miss Hypocrite; the title is derived from the French expression "sainte nitouche" (literally "(female) Saint Wouldn't-Touch-It") for a female hypocrite. Mam'zelle is a graphic form or bastardisation of "mademoiselle", French for "miss".
Films
Mam'zelle Nitouche has been the subject of a number of films:
- a 1912 Italian silent short film Santarellina, directed by Mario Caserini
- a 1918 Hungarian silent film Nebántsvirág, directed by Cornelius Hintner
- a 1923 Italian silent film Santarellina, directed by Eugenio Perego
- a 1931 French film Mam'zelle Nitouche, directed by Marc Allégret
- a 1931 German film Mamsell Nitouche, directed by Karel Lamač
- a 1944 Swedish film Lilla helgonet, directed by Weyler Hildebrand
- a 1944 Italian film Il diavolo va in collegio, directed by Jean Boyer
- a 1946 Argentine film Mosquita muerta, directed by Luis César Amadori
- a 1954 French film Mam'zelle Nitouche, directed by Yves Allégret, starring Fernandel
- a 1963 Danish film Frøken Nitouche, directed by Annelise Reenberg
- a 1976 Soviet film Heavenly Swallows, directed by Leonid Kvinikhidze