La Verbena de la Paloma Wiki
La verbena de la Paloma (The Fair of the Virgin of la Paloma) —subtitled El boticario y las chulapas y celos mal reprimidos— is an 1894 zarzuela with a libretto by Ricardo de la Vega and music by Tomás Bretón. It premiered on 17 February 1894 in Teatro Apolo, Madrid. It was later adapted for the cinema in 1921 by José Buchs, in 1935 as Paloma Fair by Benito Perojo and in 1963 as The Fair of the Dove by José Luis Sáenz de Heredia.
The work premiered with the cast including Emilio Mesejo (Julián), Luisa Campos (Susana), Leocadia Alba (Señá Rita), Don José Mesejo (tabernero), Manolo Rodríguez (Don Hilarión) and Irene Alba (Casta). The cast was more of actors than singers. The zarzuela's great success for the authors led quickly to a debut in South America where it premiered the same year in Buenos Aires, with a cast including Rogelio Juárez (Don Hilarión), Eliseo San Juan (Julián), Clotilde Perales (Susana), Carmen Ciudad (Casta), Antonia García de Videgain (Señá Rita), Salvador Videgain (Tabernero) and Isabel López (Tía Antonia).
The ambassador of Spain in Argentina recalled all the artistic staff at the premieres in the capital of Buenos Aires in 1894, confirming that La Verbena premiered three months apart in three theaters, the most popular version being the first one in which that took part the Videgain family.
