Bitter Sweet

Bitter Sweet was an operetta written by Noel Coward and first produced in 1929. The relatively simple plot - set in 19th-Century Austria and concerning a young woman's elopement with her music teacher - is used as the hook for a series of excellent light-operatic numbers, many with surprisingly complex melodies strongly reminiscent of the best work of Gilbert and Sullivan. Of the songs in the show, the best known by far is I'll See You Again, used as a recurring motif throughout the play. Short on memorable Cowardian dialogue, Bitter Sweet nonetheless stands out as containing some of Coward's best music and has always been popular in revivals around the world, a number of which have been recorded for posterity on CD. It was filmed twice, in 1933 and 1940.

Related Topics:
Operetta - Noel Coward - 1929 - 19th-Century - Austria - Gilbert and Sullivan - 1933 - 1940

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The operetta has the first uncontested use of the word GAY (meaning homosexual), in the song "Green Carnation" where four overdressed, 1890s dandies sing:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pretty boys, witty boys, You may sneer

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At our disintegration.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Haughty boys, naughty boys,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dear, dear, dear!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Swooning with affectation...

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And as we are the reason

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

For the "Nineties" being gay,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We all wear a green carnation.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Coward uses the "gay nineties" as a double entendre. The song title alludes to the gay playwright Oscar Wilde, who famously wore a green carnation himself.

Related Topics:
Double entendre - Oscar Wilde

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~