While it is often unclear (and disputed!) what exactly should be considered an “operetta” (vs. “light opera,” “comic opera,” “lyric theatre,” “musical theatre,” or other terms), the Operetta Repertory generally consists of:

• The American Operetta tradition (the direct ancestor of modern Musical Theater/Broadway), by composers such Victor Herbert (the “grandfather of American Musical Theater”), Reginald de Koven, Sigmund Romberg, Rudolph Friml, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Will Marion Cook, John Philip Sousa, etc. Their shows  were some of the original “Broadway shows,” premiering in such venues as the New Amsterdam theater in New York City. These shows heavily influenced many “Golden Age Musicals,” (most notably Kismet, Brigadoon, Carousel, The Sound of Music) as well as more contemporary works such as A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, the Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Beauty and the Beast, Love Never Dies, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, and more.
• Viennese Operetta (“Golden Age” and “Silver Age”) works by Johann Strauss Jr., Franz Lehar, Emmerich Kalman, Franz von Suppé, etc.
• English Comic Operas, as exemplified by Gilbert & Sullivan, but also German & Hood, Lionel Monckton, etc. 
• French Operettas, the ones that “started it all,” as written by Offenbach, Herve, Charles Lecoq, Messager, Planquette, etc.
• Zarzuela and Sarswela, the Spanish-language operettas that began in Spain and spread throughout Latin America, Cuba, and the Philippines.
• Various other linguistic and stylistic traditions, including ballad operas by Irish composers William Vincent Wallace and Michael Balfe, the German language works of Kurt Weill, Czech pieces such as The Bartered Bride, and works from the Yiddish theater tradition. 

Regardless of semantics and terminology variations, Operetta is a hugely underrated genre which, just 80 or so years ago, was the pop music of its day. Its influence on modern musical theater cannot be overestimated. The genre is a treasure trove of theatrical interest and just plain fabulous music! At Great Lakes Operetta, we are committed to both preserving and re-imagining the genre, recognizing and acknowledging the problematic elements of many historical works. Fortunately, the public domain status of so many operettas allows us to modify them for contemporary audiences, while retaining the positive elements (such as the glorious music)! We believe that operetta still has an important place in the canon of theatrical musical works and are excited to explore this delightful genre with our audiences!