Mam'zelle Nitouche

Mam'zelle Nitouche is a vaudeville-opérette in three acts by Hervé. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Albert Millaud.

It was first performed at the Théâtre des Variétés, Paris on 26 January 1883.

The story is set provincial France sometime in the 19th century. Denise de Flavigny, a young convent student, discovers a double-life of the organist Célestin, who teaches her music at the convent. He secretly composes popular operettas for his mistress Corinne.

Célestin visits the city to witness the premiere of his latest effort; Denise escapes the convent as well. Following a quarrel with Célestin, Corinne walks out and instead, Denise appears in her role, taking the name Mam'zelle Nitouche. Denise falls in love with Fernand, a handsome young soldier. Both Denise and Célestin are mistaken for soldiers absent without leave and shipped off to an army camp. A series of coincidences brings happiness to all concerned.

Mam'zelle Nitouche can loosely be translated as Little Miss Hypocrite; the title is derived from the French expression "sainte nitouche" (literally "(female) Saint Wouldn't-Touch-It") for a female hypocrite. Mam'zelle is a graphic form or bastardisation of "mademoiselle", French for "miss".

Mam'zelle Nitouche has been the subject of a number of films:

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