Theophrastos Sakellaridis (Θεόφραστος Σακελλαρίδης) (7 September 1883 2 January 1950), was a Greek composer, conductor, and basic creator of Greek operetta. Biography Sakellaridis was born in Athens on 7 September 1883. His mother came from Hydra and his father from Litochoro. He took his first courses of music by his father, Ioannis Sakellaridis. He studied in Athens, Germany, and Italy. In 1903, Sakellaridis gave concerts with his own compositions in the Musical Academy of Munich, as well as in Italy and Egypt. He wrote about 80 operettas, many of them in his own libretto, five operas, various songs and music for revues. Sakellaridis died in Athens on 2 January 1950. "The Godson" The operetta "The Godson" (Greek Ο Βαφτιστικός, O Vaftistikos) remains Sakellaridis' most popular work and is regularly performed to this day. It is a comedy of errors done in the classic manner of the French boulevard. It is set in the Balkan Wars. Athens is basking in the news of successive victories of the Greek armies, but Vivika Zacharouli is furious. Her husband has been drafted, but was able to secure a safe auxiliary post in Athens, and is not actually winning any battle glory at all. Her only consolation is her godson, Marko, (the story's McGuffin) whom she had christened when he was a baby and never seen again since. He is a real war hero, because he regularly writes her from the front and recounts his numerous fighting accomplishments. Then Marko appears all of a sudden, on leave from the front to finally meet his godmother. She is ecstatic; her husband not so much. He is not really Marko, though. He is Peter Charmides, who was serving with poor illiterate Marko and was reading and writing his correspondence for him. Marko is actually an army cook: the only fire he has faced is the one under his pots and pans, and all his supposed battle laurels have been faked by the scheming Charmides, who not only has his eyes upon Vivika, but has also decided to impersonate his colleague and woo this charming grand lady. What he does not know is that his own wife, Kiki, is Vivika's old friend from school, and she is on her way there to ask a favor: Vivika's uncle is a colonel, and maybe he could secure a few days' leave for her husband? The Colonel arrives soon as well: