The Cat and the Fiddle

Synopsis

On the run for an unpaid cafe bill, composer Victor Florescu jumps into a taxi occupied by Shirley Sheridan, who has just arrived in Brussels.  It turns out she is staying at Pension La Fitte, directly opposite Pension La Tour, where Victor lives. Victor insists on paying the fare, but has no money, so the driver keeps his bundle of music until the 12 francs are paid. 

Victor finds his music teacher, Professor Bertier, waiting for him. The Professor has arranged for the French impresario Jules Daudet to listen to Victor’s music. If he likes it, Victor will be commissioned to write an operetta. But Victor does not have his music and cannot play without it. 

Trying to reconstruct his composition, Victor is distracted by Shirley playing the piano in the room opposite, but forgets his anger when he sees who is playing. Victor crosses to Shirley’s room and tells her he adores her. He also gives advice on a composition she is working on. They become friends, but then Victor kisses her and Shirley slaps him. Victor remembers he must find his music and rushes out. 

Just as he is despairing, he spots the taxi driver. While arguing, they are approached by the newly-rich Charles, who likes music and lends Victor the 12 francs. 

Victor races to keep his appointment with Daudet and collides with him as he is leaving the Conservatoire. Affronted, Daudet finally agrees to go back and listen to the music after Victor makes an impassioned speech about falling in love. 

Shirley arrives while the other students are listening to Victor perform [The Breeze Kissed Your Hair]. Daudet agrees to produce Victor’s operetta, but is more intent on Shirley, who performs her song for him and the Professor [The Night Was Made for Love]. Daudet offers to publish it, but Shirley is upset by his advances, slaps him and leaves. Daudet decides to stay in Brussels, rather than return to Paris. 

It rains that evening, and Victor arrives at Shirley’s room with pans to catch the rain he knew would be coming through the roof. They kiss, but are interrupted by Charles, who has tracked down Victor because he wants harp lessons. Victor’s friends arrive and there is a party. Victor declares in front of everyone that he adores Shirley [She Didn’t Say Yes]. 

Daudet calls and courteously offers to support Shirley financially and in other ways. She declines and he knows it is because she loves Victor. Daudet warns her that Victor is selfish. He tries to prove this by telling Victor that he must leave for Paris immediately or there will be no operetta, but Victor refuses to go. 

Daudet publishes Shirley’s song and it is a great success. 

Victor and Shirley are living together in Paris, where he is struggling to finish his operetta and she is a successful songwriter. He helps Shirley complete her new song for Daudet [I Watched the Love Parade]. Shirley offers to go back to Brussels if it would help Victor with his work. She also suggests Victor approach Odette Brieux, a wealthy opera singer, about appearing in his operetta. Victor visits Odette, and she is interested [A New Love is Old]. 

Daudet tells Victor that Shirley will be throwing away a great career if she goes back to Brussels. Victor tells Shirley that he is no longer in love with her, and that he is looking to Odette to help him stage his operetta [A New Love is Old]. 

Later, Victor’s The Cat and the Fiddle is in rehearsal, with Odette in the lead. She is trying, unsuccessfully, to seduce Victor, who tells her he is in love with someone else. Odette kisses Victor and her husband walks in. He demands that Odette leave the show, which is due to open the next day. 

Victor is forced to give the theatre’s owner a cheque for 10,000 francs, which he does not have the funds to cover. The leading man and the orchestra walk out, but most of the cast agree to support Victor. Charles sees in a newspaper that Shirley is about to marry Daudet. 

Victor asks the Professor and the students to help him by standing in as orchestra. Charles goes to Shirley and tells her what trouble Victor is in, and how the songs in the show were inspired by her [Try to Forget]. 

On opening night, the Professor and his students arrive. Charles has found a very unsuitable leading lady, Lotte Lengel: “she’s old, but she’s got good references”. Charles tells Victor about Shirley’s marriage. The curtain goes up [Don’t Ask Me Not to Sing]. Victor finds Lotte drunk in her dressing room, but then hears Shirley’s voice, singing on the stage [A New Love is Old]. 

Between songs, Shirley tells Victor that she has delayed her wedding by one day and is only there to save him from jail. Daudet says it was his idea that Shirley perform, so that she would not reproach herself later. Victor tells her that he only pretended not to love her, but she does not appear to listen. As they perform, the show reflects their real situation and Shirley begins to waver [I Watched the Love Parade; One Moment Alone]. In the wings, Daudet realizes he is beaten. They kiss, and the curtain comes down to rapturous applause.