The Rose of Persia

The Rose of Persia; or, The Story Teller and the Slave, is a two act comic opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by Basil Hood. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 29 November 1899, closing on 28 June 1900 after a profitable run of 211 performances. The opera then toured, had a brief run in America and played elsewhere throughout the English speaking world. The original cast included Savoy Theatre regulars Ellen Beach Yaw, Rosina Brandram, Emmie Owen, Louie Pounds, Isabel Jay, Walter Passmore, Henry Lytton and Robert Evett. Later, Decima Moore joined the cast as Scent of Lillies. The opera was regularly revived by amateur theatre groups, particularly in Britain, through the 1950s, but it has been produced only sporadically since then. The New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players produced the opera professionally in 2007 at New York City Center.

1. "As We lie in langour lazy I'm Abu'l Hassan" (Chorus of Girls [Wives], with Hassan)
2. "When Islam first arose" (Abdallah with Girls)
3. "O Life has put into my hand" (Dancing Sunbeam)
4. "Sunbeam, the priest keeps saying If a sudden stroke of fate" (Blush of Morning, Dancing Sunbeam, and Abdallah)
5. "If you ask me to advise you" (Rose in Bloom, Scent of Lilies, and Heart's Desire)
6. "'Neath my lattice through the night" (Rose in Bloom)
7. "Tramps and scamps and halt and blind" (Chorus of Beggars and Girls)
8. "When my father sent me to Ishpahan" (Hassan with Chorus)
9. "Peace be upon this house I care not if the cup I hold" (Yussuf with Chorus)
10. "Musical Maidens are we Dance and Song (Ensemble, Honey of Life and Hassan with Chorus and Dancers)
11. "We have come to invade" (Abdallah with Hassan and Chorus)
12. "The Sultan's Executioner" (Dancing Sunbeam, Rose in Bloom, Scent of Lillies, Heart's Desire, Honey of Life,Yussuf, Hassan, and Abdallah)
13. "I'm the Sultan's Vigiliant Vizier" (Sultan, Vizier, Physician, and Executioner)
14. "Oh, luckless hour!" (Company)

The only professional British revival of The Rose of Persia was at Princes Theatre in London from 28 February 1935 to 23 March 1935, closing after 25 performances. This immediately followed a successful revival of Merrie England by Hood and Edward German. The producer, R. Claude Jenkins, hoped to make the Princes the home of a series of British light opera, but the disappointing response to The Rose of Persia quashed these plans. In recent decades, interest in performing the work has revived among amateur and professional societies. The work has been seen several times at The International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in Buxton, England (most recently in concert in 2008), and the Festival has a video of the 2008 performance available. The New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players performed the opera at New York City Center in January 2007. The St. David's Players of Exeter in the UK performed the piece in October 2009 having previously presented it in October 1990.