Musical drama similar to opera , usually with a romantically sentimental plot, employing songs, dances, and orchestral interludes interspersed with spoken dialogue.
The modern tradition begins with Johann Strauss . In Britain most of the 14 comic operettas (1871–96) of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan have been enduringly popular. In the U.S. the works of such European immigrant composers as Victor Herbert and Rudolf Friml were widely popular in the early 20th century. See also {{link=musical">musical .