THE FREE LANCE-I Do It All By Proxy

This production was done in concert style and is the first performance of the work to be recorded in its entirety.
John Phillip Sousa was equally famous in the 19th Century as an operetta composer as he was as the March King. THE FREE LANCE, which opened in 1906, is a farcical satire of warfare in which two small countries go to war over a failed arranged marriage. Although Sousa was a great patriot, he did not feel a bit conflicted about making fun of incompetent generals in war and war in general.
The entrance of the Emperor of Braggadocia is celebrated in tongue-in-cheek praise by the chorus. The Emperor (Thomas Petiet) then introduces himself to us in an introductory song, explaining that his magnificence in all areas of leadership is his ability to delegate, or, in other words, “do it all by proxy.” To obtain recordings of comic operas and operettas, visit comicoperaguild.org