1 2 ▁that ▁Italian - born ▁oper etta ▁div a ▁Emma ▁Tr ent ini ▁would ▁be ▁st arring ▁on ▁Broadway ▁in ▁a ▁new ▁oper etta ▁by ▁Herbert ▁with ▁ly ric ist ▁Otto ▁Har bach ▁entitled ▁The ▁Fire fly . ▁Short ly ▁before ▁the ▁writing ▁of ▁the ▁oper etta , ▁Tr ent ini ▁appeared ▁in ▁a ▁special ▁performance ▁of ▁Herbert ' s ▁N aught y ▁Mar iet ta ▁conducted ▁by ▁Herbert ▁himself . ▁When ▁Tr ent ini ▁refused ▁to ▁sing ▁" Ital ian ▁Street ▁Song " ▁for ▁the ▁encore , ▁an ▁en rag ed ▁Herbert ▁storm ed ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁or chestra ▁pit ▁ref using ▁any ▁further ▁work ▁with ▁Tr ent ini . ▁ ▁Arthur ▁Ham mer stein , ▁the ▁oper etta ' s ▁spons or , ▁fr ant ically ▁began ▁to ▁search ▁for ▁another ▁composer . ▁ ▁Not ▁finding ▁anyone ▁who ▁could ▁compose ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Herbert , ▁Ham mer stein ▁settled ▁on ▁the ▁almost ▁unknown ▁Fr im l ▁because ▁of ▁his ▁classical ▁training . ▁ ▁After ▁a ▁month ▁of ▁work , ▁Fr im l ▁produced ▁the ▁score ▁for ▁what ▁would ▁be ▁his ▁first ▁the atr ical ▁success . ▁ ▁The ▁Fire fly ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁ 3 2 ▁more ▁Fr im l ▁oper ett as , ▁but ▁it ▁remained ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁most ▁popular . ▁ ▁After ▁try outs ▁at ▁the ▁Empire ▁Theatre ▁in ▁Sy rac use , ▁New ▁York ▁beginning ▁on ▁October ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 9 1 2 , ▁The ▁Fire fly ▁opened ▁at ▁the ▁Ly ric ▁Theatre