It's really a fun show. I mainly know it from the movie versions. The non-musical with Ronald Colman and the musical with Howard Keel. It's one of those stories written when Arabs were Romantic figures (of fun, mostly).
I knew the music was by Borodin, as I have heard his Polovtsian dances many times. However, I assumed Baubles, Bangles and Beads was probably original. One day, I was listening to Sirius/XM Symphony Hall in my office at work, as I usually do. A string quartet was playing, and I was sort of half listening. I kept getting Baubles, Bangles and Beads stuck in my head. I looked at the radio dial and saw that the string quartet was by Borodin; and thus was able to hear the source for the song. Borodin was a great part-time composer and full-time chemist.
Thank God you and others have come to my rescue! I thought I would have a heart attack when I started reading these comments.
Yes, all of the music was adapted from Borodin. When I was a kid I would listen to classical music stations and always wondered why they were playing music from “Kismet.”
I’m sorry the people involved in this production are not going to be allowed to perform this show because of stupid people. It’s not often revived in community/high school theatre and it needs to be.
BTW, Howard Keel of so many fifties musicals like Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, found a second career on the Dallas TV show playng the husband of Miss Ellie, the matriarch of the clan.