Operetta by Paul Lincke
Jules Verne's adventure novel "From the Earth to the Moon" - an early forerunner of science fiction - triggered a lively production of moon revues in European cities in the second half of the 19th century. These were very popular among all sections of the population, fueled by the age's belief in technology, the result of rapid progress that seemed to inexorably overcome the previous limitations of human existence.
In Paul Lincke's successful play, the mechanic Fritz finds himself unexpectedly on the moon with some acquaintances, where his mistress (that Luna) celebrates lavish parties with others from the planetary collective (Venus, Mars) - and lovers become entangled and untangled until a happy ending leads the now engaged protagonist back to earth. The moon functions as a supranational utopia far removed from the strictures of bourgeois morality; the journey is both a road movie and a bildungsroman, during which one realizes that life's challenges do not change here and there.
