Prince Ananias

Prince Ananias was the first operetta composed by Victor Herbert.

It was first produced by a troupe called "The Bostonians" at The Broadway Theatre on November 20, 1894, directed by Jerome Sykes.

They are tasked with finding his sense of humor; the penalty for failure is death.

They produce a work, Prince Ananias, that is not well-received, except that the title character is so inept that the king bursts out laughing.

Thus, the players have a happy ending, as do the several pairs of lovers who overcome various romantic and backstage complications.