Richard Strauss / Victor/Victoria

On this day in classical music: Richard Strauss conducted the premiere of his “Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme” in Stuttgart in 1912. Originally designed to be an updated version of Moliere’s 1670 play followed by the opera “Ariadne auf Naxos,” the production’s enormous length proved to be impractical and the two were eventually split. Strauss composed incidental music for “Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme” and extracted an orchestral suite that was premiered in 1920. Listen to the Overture from “Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme” performed by Vladimir Jurowski and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSLJyTxVGWs

On this day in the musical theatre: “Victor/Victoria” opened on Broadway in 1995. Based on Blake Edwards’ screenplay of the 1982 film, “Victor/Victoria” featured a score by Henry Mancini and Leslie Bricusse. After Mancini’s death during the show’s tryouts, Frank Wildhorn was called on to write additional songs. “Victor/Victoria” was to be Julie Andrews’ final Broadway musical. After developing vocal problems during the show’s run, she underwent a botched surgery which left her unable to sing. When the Tony nominations were announced, Andrews was the only member of the cast to be honored. Feeling the rest of the cast had been overlooked, she created some controversy when she refused her nomination. “I have searched my conscience and my heart and find that I cannot accept this nomination,” Andrews stated, adding that she would “stand instead with the egregiously overlooked” cast and crew. The musical’s story followed the antics of a struggling singer (Andrews) who reluctantly agrees to disguise herself as a man named Victor who had an incredible vocal range. As the toast of Paris, she ended each performance by removing her wig. “Victor/Victoria” ran three months short of two years. Listen to Andrews perform “Louis Says” from “Victor/Victoria.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds5Y1liaVeI

Musical musings: Thirteen years have passed since Blake Edwards made his cinematic chef d’oeuvre, “Victor/Victoria,” but as far as Julie Andrews is concerned, 13 years is no more than the blink of an eye. That’s gloriously apparent in Mr. Edwards’ otherwise big, patchy stage adaptation, which opened last night at the Marquis Theater. Ms. Andrews is reprising her most enchanting screen role, that of a woman who plays a man who plays a woman, thus to become the toast of 1930’s Paris as a female impersonator. At 60, Ms. Andrews looks terrific and sings with a sweet purity not heard on Broadway since she last played the street in “Camelot.” That was more than 30 years ago. Even as today’s usually invidious sound amplification equipment can’t distort her voice, time has made no dent in her immaculate appearance and diction, and in her grandly funny stage presence. She’s been away too long, but I suspect she will now be around as long as she wants. “Victor/Victoria” is Julie Andrews’ generous option. – Vincent Canby in The New York Times

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