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Most everyone can use a little chocolate in times of minor crisis, but who would have thought the confection's soothing powers were protection enough for a war zone? In Oscar Straus' operetta The Chocolate Soldier, the title character arms himself with truffles--and nary a bullet--to face the frontlines.
Lyric Theatre is presenting this comic opera through June 26 at the Montgomery Theatre, Market and San Carlos streets, San Jose.
The Chocolate Soldier is based on George Bernard Shaw's popular 1894 play Arms and the Man. The operetta debuted in 1908 in Vienna, where it was performed in German. The English-language version premiered the next year in New York and London. It became a Broadway hit and later inspired a 1941 film, starring singer Nelson Eddy.
Lyric Theatre presents a new performing edition of The Chocolate Soldier by Don Tull. He also conducts the orchestra for this production.
The operetta tells the story of Captain Bluntschli, a soldier in enemy territory who seeks refuge at a home that turns out to be the abode of Petkoff, the opposing army's leader. Petkoff's daughter, Raina, is engaged to Sergius, a pompous major in the army. But when Raina encounters Bluntschli, she learns why veteran soldiers pack bon-bons instead of bullets and eventually discovers a more realistic view of war and heroism.
Tickets are $15-$26. For more information, call 408.986.1455 or visit www.lyrictheatre.org.
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