The Little Michus

Les p'tites Michu is an opérette in three acts, composed by André Messager. The libretto was by Albert Vanloo and Georges Duval. It has been produced in English under the title The Little Michus.

Dismayed by the Paris reception for his 1896 piece, Le Chevalier d’Harmental, Messager retreated to London vowing to write no more. But when he received the libretto for Les p'tites Michu in 1897 from Vanloo and Duval, he was inspired to finish the new operetta in three months. Encouraged by this success, the same team produced Messager's most successful operetta, Véronique, in 1898.

The first performance was at the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens, Paris, on 16 November 1897, starring Odette Dulac in one of the title roles, with the production running for over 150 performances. A revival at the same theatre in 1899 starred Mariette Sully and Jean Périer.

Vienna first saw the operetta on 16 September 1899 at the Carltheater.

The piece enjoyed a long run in London under the title The Little Michus. The English adaptation was by Henry Hamilton, with lyrics by Percy Greenbank, and was produced at Daly's Theatre, opening on 29 April 1905 and running for 401 performances. The London production starred Adrienne Augarde and Mabel Green, with Robert Evett, Willie Edouin, Huntley Wright, Amy Augarde, Willie Warde, Ambrose Manning, Louis Bradfield, Lily Elsie, and the dancer Adeline Genée. Later, Henry Lytton joined the cast, replacing Bradfield. A bit of comic business introduced during the London run of the show involved a fictional animal called the Gazeka, which became a London fad.

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