Sustained musical quality enables it to retain that early popularity. Castillo and Román provided Alonso with a swashbuckling, three-act historical thriller which played directly to the composers great strength: the facility to write colorful, Spanish music in a variety of regional flavors, which rarely descends into picture-postcard cheapness. Its melodic sweep and passionate vitality are manifest in almost every bar, and numbers such as Maravillas first act Seguidillas and the Pasacalle de los chisperos have lost none of their intoxicating rhythmic and instrumental flamboyance.
The comedian Gangarilla provokes a lively dialogue about the repressive nature of the government and likely ban on the next piece the troupe is going to perform, although Maravillas is more concerned for the safety of Rafael Sanabria, a an aristocratic liberal politician and her secret lover, especially when Gangarilla repeats a distressing rumor that he has become engaged to Elena, Marquesa de Albas. Another actor notices a masked man who has been listening intently to the conversation, but consternation turns to relief when the troupe realize that it is none other than the famous libertarian bandit, Luis Candeles. The wedding party enters the café, and the players take advantage of some free drink that is on tap. Their next visitor is slightly less welcome: the Marquesa herself come to await Rafael, accompanied by her faithful majordomo, Calatrava. Having learned of the existence of her beautiful rival, Elena decides to warn her off. When she recognizes Maravillas as a woman who has helped their cause in the past, jealousy turns to controlled spite in a pointed Dúo-Gavota: Usía es damisela de mariñaque. There is a volley of shots, and the wounded Rafael staggers in. Elena quickly tends to his wounds, and the pair sing of their love together in front of the stricken Maravillas in a sweeping Terceto: "No has temer pr mí". Rafael blames himself for his cowardice in surrendering to love when humanity is in chains, and sings a stirring song in praise of freedom (Himno: No hay bien más hermoso que la libertad.) When Candeles and a comrade hasten onto the scene, begging the troupe to guard the flag of rebellion until the moment comes to raise it, even Maravillas is caught up in the fervor, raising the conspirators spirits by waving the flag of rebellion as the curtain falls.
Rafaels gratitude to Maravillas awakens old feelings, and they confess to loving one another still in the intensely felt Dúo: El veto, mí amor sincero Deja, que voy a olvidar. Two policemen duly arrive, but Maravillas and the players sing the swaggering Pasacalle de los chisperos: Yo no quiero querer a un chispero (Pasacalle of the Bums) to put them off guard. The ruse works and the police are about to leave when a slip of the tongue by one of the actors leads to the trick being partly discovered. As Elena is unmasked Rafael swiftly steps forward to be arrested and taken off to prison instead, though not before leading a reprise of the great song of liberty (¡Libertad! Es el grito de la humanidad.) Scene 2 - Inside the prison. Rafael laments his fate in a brief Carceleras, or prisoners song. Gangarilla has managed to impersonate a guard, and Pirulí and Maravillas pretend to be his sisters in order to gain access to Rafael. The situation is complicated by Elenas well-meaning majordomo. Sent to deliver a letter from his mistress and failing to gain entry, Calatrava attempts a robbery to get himself put in jail and so carry out his orders. Unfortunately his victim turns out to be Luis Candeles, who gives him money and sends him on his way. Another tale of marital mishap from the irrepressible comedians (Dúo Cómico: Críspulo se ha casado) distracts the real guards, enabling the conspirators to administer a sleeping potion and make good their escape with the nobleman.
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