"My Maryland" operetta stage guide and score manuscripts, circa 1929

Guide to "My Maryland" operetta stage guide and score manuscripts C0487

Biographical and Historical Note

"My Maryland" was an American operetta from 1927 with book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly and music by Sigmund Romberg. It was based off of the 1899 play "Barbara Frietchie" by Clyde Fitch. "My Maryland" is set during the American Civil War in Frederick, Maryland and is based on the historical figure Barbara Fritchie (last name spelling varies). Fritichie is a folk hero of the Civil War, whose legend is described by the Barbara Fritchie House website as follows: "A Unionist during the Civil War, [Fritchie] is best known for her folkloric defiance in the face of Confederate troops. As the occupying rebel forces were marching out of Frederick in September 1862, Dame Fritchie, then 95, was said to have waved a Union flag from her upstairs window...[which] was immortalized in an 1863 poem by John Greenleaf Whittier." "My Maryland" opened in New York City to moderate success, but quickly fell out of the zeitgeist.

Dorothy Donnelly was an American stage and film actress, librettist, and playwright. Born in 1876, she first achieved fame by playing the lead role of Jacqueline in the play "Madame X" and later reprised the same role on film. "Blossom Time" was her first huge success writing a play, and was her first collaboration with Romberg. Donnelly went on to write other productions like "Poppy" and "The Student Prince." "My Maryland" was her last creative work. She passed away a year after its premiere in 1928.

Sigmund Romberg, born in 1887, was a successful Hungarian-American composer. In addition to "My Maryland," Romberg was famously known for the Broadway operettas "The Desert Song," "Blossom Time," and "The Student Prince." The latter two were also collaborations with Dorothy Donnelly. Romberg's career later shifted to composing film scores. Romberg passed away in 1951.

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Scope and Content Note

Piano/vocal score and stage guide to the operetta "My Maryland" by Dorothy Donnelly and Sigmund Romberg, both created circa 1929. Both volumes originated from Century Library, Inc. of New York, NY. The piano/vocal score contains music and lyrics for all musical numbers in the operetta. The stage guide contains drawing of sets, blocking guides, lighting plots, and the full script. Each volume is spiral bound with printed pages and handwritten additions and notes.

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Arrangement

This collection contains two volumes.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions on personal use. Permission to publish the "My Maryland" operetta stage guide and score manuscripts must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

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Related Material

The Special Collections Research Center holds many other collections on the performing arts, including materials on American musicals, opera, and operettas.

The University of Arizona Special Collections holds the American Vaudeville Museum Archive which contains materials related to Dorothy Donnelly.

The Music Division of the New York Public Library holds the Sigmund Romberg collection.

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Index Terms

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Subjects:

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

"My Maryland" operetta stage guide and score manuscripts, C0487, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Acquisition Information

Purchased by Steve Gerber from J & J Lubrano Music Antiquarians in July 2017.

Processing Information

Processing completed by Amanda Brent in July 2021. EAD markup completed by Amanda Brent in July 2021. This item was formerly part of the Performing Arts Manuscript Materials collection, C0215.

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Bibliography

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Sigmund Romberg." Encyclopedia Britannica, accessed July 3, 2021. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sigmund-Romberg.

"Dorothy Donnelly, Dramatist, Dies." The New York Times, January 4, 1928. Accessed July 23, 2021. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1928/01/04/94116349.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0.

"History." Barbara Fritchie House, 2021. Accessed July 23, 2021. https://barbarafritchie.org/history/.

"Your Land and My Land." 1983.0692.13 National Museum of American History, Behring Center, accessed July 23, 2021. https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_679618.

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Contents List