page_title: The Queen of Brilliants
section_title: Plot summary
hierarchical_section_title: The Queen of Brilliants / Plot summary
caption_attribution_description: English: Photograph of Lillian Russell in The Queen of Brilliants
context_page_description: The Queen of Brilliants is a comic opera in three acts with music by Edward Jakobowski and a libretto by Brandon Thomas. It was adapted from Jakobowski's German-language operetta Die Brillantett-Königin, with a libretto by Theodore Tawbe and Isidor Fuchs, which premiered in March 1894 in Vienna. A vehicle for Lillian Russell, the plot concerns Betta, who runs away from a nunnery to join a variety troupe known as "The Brilliants" and is nicknamed their queen. She proves the worth of her lover, Florian, and turns out to be a real countess. A feature of the spectacularly-staged production was several corps de ballet.
  Musical numbers include "Love's Freedom", sung by Florian, "Whisper Song" sung by Betta, and a lovers' duet sung in the first act; while the second act includes "A Soldier's Heart", Florian's "Tho' Cruel Fate" and Betta's "'Tis True I Am a Caprimonte". The third act includes a waltz song for Betta and a duet and dance for the lovers.
context_section_description: Count Radaman Caprimonte of Borghoveccio is a descendant of the Emperor Diocletian. A young architect named Florian Bauer has been adopted by Count Caprimonte. He loves Betta, a fisher girl, who is actually a Countess in her own right, to whom the Count is distantly related. A duplicitous marriage broker, Madame Engelstein, wants Florian to marry her daughter. She causes Betta to believe that Florian is faithless and sends Betta to a nunnery. However, the nuns refuse to accept the wayward girl, and Betta runs away from the convent after a prophetic dream (shown in a series of tableaux) and joins a variety circus troupe called "The Brilliants".
  Betta becomes a celebrated circus singer, known as "The Queen of Brilliants". Her success enables her to become the benefactress of Borghoveccio. She is able to test Florian's affection, and he proves to be true to her, so all ends happily.
caption: Russell as Betta in Act I, dressed as a fisher girl
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