Named after the Palacio de la Zarzuela near Madrid, the early form of Spanish musical theatre emerged as early as the 17th century, parallel to Italian opera. Related to vaudeville, farce and operetta, hundreds of these entertaining and effective works were written within a few decades. The genre was increasingly forgotten and only experienced a revival in the mid-19th century. However, it is still neglected on theatre programmes today. Star director Christof Loy, who has been a strong advocate of the zarzuela for many years, is staging an evening at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. read less