Operetta “La Mascotte” at Gomhouria Theatre

15 December 2023

Operetta “La Mascotte” on Sayed Darwish’s Centenary Commemoration

Under the supervision of Dr. Khaled Dagher, Chairman of the Cairo Opera House, and in collaboration with the Faculty of Music Education at Helwan University, Operetta “La Mascotte” is held at the Gomhouria Theatre on Sunday, 17 December 2023 at 8 p.m.
Operetta “La Mascotte” is a three-act comic opera that was originally composed by Edmond Audran and words by Alfred Duru and Henri Chivo. In 1921, the renowned folk artist Sayed Darwish decided to write the music to this work as one of his significant contributions to enrich the Egyptian theatre and musical heritage. The operetta was translated into Arabic by Mahmoud Mourad and Youssef Helmy and the songs were written by Abdel Aziz Ahmed. In French, the word ‘mascotte’ means ‘good luck charm’, hence the “La Mascotte” tells the story of a farm girl who brings happiness and prosperity to everyone around her.
Directed by Mahdi El-Sayed on orchestral arrangements by Wagdi El-Foui, the operetta’s cast includes Dr. Hani Abdel Nasser as Prince Laurent, Lydia Luciano as Bettina, Abdel Aziz Soliman as Pippo, Mohamed Turki as Rocco, Hagar Ahmed as Fiametta, Youssef Tarek as Fritellini, Youssef El-Safoury as Parafante, and Mohamed Moustafa as Mathéo.
Sayed Darwish, born in 1892 in Alexandria, remains a prominent figure in Arab music. He began his artistic journey by chanting alongside friends to the melodies of Sheikh Salama Hegazy and Sheikh Hassan Al-Azhari. Darwish’s distinctive compositions sparked a musical revolution, and his rich repertoire of songs, plays, and enduring operettas made a lasting impact. Notably, he composed the Egyptian national anthem before passing away in 1923 at the age of 31.