The Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by
John Owen Edwards

Kismet is based on a play by Edward Koblock, first performed in 1911 and made into a film with Marlene Dietrich in the 1940’s. Wright and Forrest have created a modern operetta classic in adapting virtually every usable piece of music written by the composer Alexander Borodin, most notably from the opera PRINCE IGOR. Tempos have been changed, lyrics have been incorporated, and a wealth of new music has been composed to fashion such lovely standards as STRANGER IN PARADISE and BAUBLES, BANGLES AND BEADS.

The first Broadway production opened at the Ziegfield Theater in December 1953 having originated on the West Coast with Edwin Lester’s famous company. Alfred Drake played the role of Hajj, and Doretta Morrow his daughter Marsinah. It ran for 583 performances. It was made into a film by MGM in 1956, directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Ann Blyth and Howard.

Through hundreds of revivals, touring and amateur productions, and literally hundreds of recordings by artists as diverse as Frank Sinatra and, most recently, Valerie Masterson, et al, KISMET has earned a permanent place in the publics heart.

Hit songs include:
Stranger In Paradise
Baubles, Bangles and Beads
And This Is My Beloved