Vernon Duke

We're not really fans of politics, so this primary season, we're featuring primary colors found in songs from a variety of musicals from stage and screen.

To follow our April Showers program, we'll look at 14 songs in order to share some May flowers including lilacs, daisies, violets, a bunch of roses, and more.

Today's opera is Rameau's second "dance opera" which premiered in 1739. "Les fetes d'Hebe" begins with Cupid helping Hebe escape the machinations of Momus, and they travel to the banks of the Seine to witness three pageants based on Poetry, Music, and Dance. After the opera, we'll hear a performance of the first version of the second act of the opera as well as a ballet written by the 19 year old Vladimir Dukelsky whom Broadway audiences know as Vernon Duke.