: The love story of a famous opera singer and drama actor who were separated by the will of fate

Part one. Actors

A Jewish theater arrives in a small Bessarabian town of Golenesti. The troupe rents a room from the local rich man Beni Rafalovich. In addition to rent, the entire large family of Rafalovich receives the right to free access to performances. Beni's youngest son, his pride, Label is trained in a header by a local cantor and the cantor's wife asks Label to bring their only daughter Raizle to the theater. Despite the fact that Reisle comes from a poor family, she is well received in the house of the Rafalovich and a romantic relationship is established between her and the Label. The assistant director of the theater, Muravchik accidentally hears Razel singing. Fascinated by her unusual voice and beauty, Muravchik leads the director of the Shchupak Theater to the cantor's house. They promise Razel's parents an unprecedented success, but they flatly refuse to let their daughter on the stage.

The label, carried away by the theater, spends there all the time. This is noticed by comedian Gotzmach, a pale consumptive man who plays the role of an errand man in the troupe of the theater. Having made friends with Gotzmach, the Label shows him how he and his comrades played scenes from the Bible, and Gotzmakh finds dramatic talent in the young man. For his new friend, who is always hungry, the Label brings cigarettes and food from home. Upon learning of this, Benya beats his son. From resentment, the label decides to escape from home.

Raizle suffers from the fact that her mother forbade her to go to the theater, and now she can not see the label. Having improved the moment when the girl is alone, Muravchik offers her a job. The confused Razel meets Label and says that he decided to run away from home and leave with the theater. They swear to each other that they will always be together.

At the end of Saturday, the Label takes money from his father and, together with Reisle, escapes with the Jewish theater. He gives the money to Gotzmach and he leaves the troupe, where Shchupak, Muravchik and Reyzl remain - now he will not be running errands in the theater, but will organize his troupe, in which he will be the master.

Having learned that the theater should be in Bucharest, Benya Rafalovich sends his eldest son Anschl for the fugitives, but Anschl, having arrived in the big city, burns his father's money in cafe-chantans. The label with Gotzmach, meanwhile, go to the theaters of Bucharest. Gotzmach plans to open a new theater, and the label is studying acting. Seeing Anschl, Label and Gotzmach leave.

Wandering, Gotzmach puts together an acting troupe. Now he calls himself Holtzman, and the label takes the new name Leo Rafalescu. The label becomes a famous actor, is popular with viewers and critics. The troupe arrives in Lviv, where Rafalescu completely captures the public. The director of the Lviv theater Getzl ben Getzl, who provided his premises to Holtzman, decides to entice Leo to himself. For this, he attracts his prima donna Henrietta Schwalb. Previously, Henrietta, and in fact Entl, earned a living with easy and good work. The director liked the beauty, and he offered her to work as an actress in his theater. Together with her, he took to the theater her brother Chaim Itzik, who had long dreamed of a stage. Having become in the theater of the prima donna, Henrietta was under the close supervision of her brother. Getsl convinces Chaim Itzik that Rafalescu is needed by the troupe, and he begins to praise the sister of the young actor. And Henrietta herself would not mind getting him a fan. But, oddly enough, unlike the rest, Leo does not pay attention to the beauty. For Chaim-Itzik, Leo is a profitable party, and he tries to stay close to Goltzman, who, in turn, is not indifferent to Henrietta.

Suddenly, in the troupe of the Lviv theater, Holtzman meets Madame Chernyak, an actress of the Schupak theater.Having heard about her, Leo changes his face and plays poorly. He only wants to be left alone with Madame Chernyak and ask about Raizle. Meanwhile, Leo is interested in the famous philanthropist Dr. Levius, who arranges a dinner in honor of the young actor. But Leo's thoughts are only about Raise. Finally, he remains alone with Madame Chernyak, who says that Schupak invested all his money in Raise, hoping that she would be not only a prima donna, but also his consolation. But the girl met with the famous opera singer, who arranged for Reisle to study at the Vienna Conservatory. Raise was very friendly with Madame Chernyak and once asked her to take her to the fortuneteller. The fortuneteller said that in her heart Razel was blond, who, like her, was worn out with anguish, they were torn to each other and wander like two stars in the sky.

Holtzman is trying to lure Madame Chernyak and Chaim-Itzik into his theater, so that later Henrietta will come to him. Holtzman also counts on the help of his brother Henrietta and Chaim-Itzik Nisla, who lives in London. Madame Chernyak decides that Goltzman can become her life partner, and agrees to play with him in the theater. Henrietta, who is in love with Leo, also agrees, but Leo only thinks about getting into Vienna, finding Raise, and making a career. Holtzman also wants to go to Vienna and tries to ask for money from Dr. Levius, but the doctor believes that Leo should study and gives a letter of recommendation to the famous Viennese actor Sonnental.

In Vienna, Holtzman and Chaim Itzik open a new theater, where they are both equal owners. But in Austria, the Jewish theater is not popular, and companions decide to turn to Sonnental for help. The visit is unsuccessful, Sonnental refuses to accept them, and Leo is still trying to find the singer who made up the Raizel patronage. After a long search, he finds out that neither Reisle nor the singer are in Vienna, their paths diverged. Raizle studied at various European conservatories, and now lives in London with her fiancé, famous violinist Gregory Stelmach.

Holtzman decides to meet Sonnthal's son. But Leo, seeing the game of Sonnental, understands what a real theater is, and now, having lost Raise, decides to focus on the real game. The troupe leaves Vienna and tours the province again. Leo wants to stage the famous play “Uriel Acosta” instead of previous vaudeville and operettas. The new production is an unprecedented success even in Paris.

Holtzman never ceases to think about Henrietta, although Madame Chernyak conducts his household. Having received a refusal from the diva, he guesses who his opponent is. After reading a letter to his mother, who is concerned about the fate of his sister Zlatka, he calls them to him. Now he is a wealthy man and can find his sister a worthy party, secretly hoping for her marriage to Leo.

Henrietta is unhappy with the arrival of Zlatka, she is afraid that a pretty girl will be her happy rival. Madame Chernyak is also unhappy, now Holtzmann no longer needs her services. With a grudge, Madame Chernyak leaves the troupe.

Holtzman takes Zlatka into the troupe, although she does not have the talent of the actress. Gilding, realizing this, agrees to play, because secretly in love with Leo. Having become attached to the girl, as to a sister, Leo pours out her soul. He only dreams of meeting Raise and never parting with her again. Leo does not understand why Zlatka is crying. Once they become close.

Leo meets his father’s cashier, who reports the death of Leo’s mother, who did not survive the disappearance of her son. Leo also learns that Raise's parents became rich thanks to her daughter, the famous opera singer Rosa Spivak, who now lives in London. Razel recently came to Golenesti and wants to buy the house of the Rafalovichs who went bankrupt.

Part two. Wanderers

The owner of one of the cafes in the Jewish quarter, Mr. Klamer, accidentally got letters from one famous singer. Razele wrote to her beloved Label.She described how she fled from her home and was horrified when she found out that the label had separated from the troupe. She demanded that Muravchik find a label. Muravchik promised that he would write a letter, but so far they had bought her new beautiful clothes and let them go on stage - she had to work. Raise was a resounding success. At first, she was ashamed of men who looked at her for a corset, and envious women, but she lived in the hope that the Label would come and take her. Soon from Madame Chernyak, she found out that Muravchik had deceived her. Reisle also learned that Gotzmach and Label were in Bucharest. Once, an old friend of Stelmakh came to Schupak with his son Gregory, a famous violinist. Stelmach introduced Raise to the world famous opera singer. Further, the letter breaks off, but we already know what happened to Raizle.

The troupe arrives in London at the invitation of brother Henrietta and Chaim-Itzik Nisl. In London, Holtzman's disease worsens due to fog. Mutual hostility arose with Nisl, while Leo, on the contrary, was imbued with sympathy for Nisl. Nisl tries to bring Leo and Henrietta together, and tries to organize a tour of the theater.

To get money, Nisl attracted the rich in London. Nisl also introduces Leo to the cantor, who has composed a beautiful orchestra from his large family. Once Nisl mentions the name of Gregory Stelmakh, and now Leo’s thoughts are busy getting to know the famous violinist.

Despite all the efforts of Nisla, the tour did not succeed. Theater performances raise negligible amounts of money, and Nisl decides that the theater should go to America.

Madame Chernyak, who happened to be in America, corresponded with Henrietta. Having decided to take revenge on Goltzman, she invites her to come with Leo, especially since in New York there are billboards about the tours of Rosa Spivak and Grigory Stelmakh. Having lost the prima donna and the actor who brings him the main income, Holtzman will close the theater. Nisl decides to organize his own theater with Mr. Clamer's money, but without Holtzman and with a new troupe leave for America.

The ruin and the London climate finally finish Goltzman, he is seriously ill. Leo with heartache leaves a dying friend and Zlatka.

The Henrietta brothers decide by all means to achieve a marriage between Leo and sister, now there is no Holtzman who prevented this. Having improved the moment, Henrietta comes to the sick Leo and kisses him. It seems to her that she finally conquered Leo.

In America, the arrived troupe meets Madame Chernyak. At first, the troupe does not manage to break through, and Nisl decides to promote his beautiful sister. He presents her as a star from Buenos Aires, who received the first prize in Paris, and the performances have a full house. Leo Nisl comes up with a new biography: he played Uriel Acosta so that the great Sonnental cried. Nisl is trying to promote Leo, thereby causing the envy of other New York actors. But Leo is not interested, he only thinks about how to find Raise, now Rosa Spivak. The famous opera singer bathes in luxury, but recalls her hometown of Golenesti and Label. Stelmakh's father believes that the girl owes his success to him. He would not mind the marriage of Rosa with his son, who is in love with her, but Rosa does not want to hear about marriage, and he and his wife are trying to persuade her. Mr. Stelmakh hopes for the help of mother Reisle, who, remaining a widow, comes to live with her daughter. Finally, Reisle succumbs to persuasion and agrees to marry Gregory.

For the sake of Leo, Madame Chernyak is trying to meet Reisle, but Reisle does not want to see her, and Madame Chernyak decides to help Leo's marriage with Henrietta. With the help of Nisla and Madame Chernyak, the cantor organizes a dinner at which Mr. Klamer proclaims Henrietta and Leo the bride and groom. Leo, suffering from the fact that Reisle connected her life with another and is conceited, decides to submit to fate. He will reach heights and show Raise who is taller.

The day comes for Leo to premiere as Uriel Acosta. Rosa Spivak and Grigory Stelmakh come to the play.The first act takes place under fierce applause from the public. During the break, Rosa, admiring the game of Leo Rafalescu, learns that Henrietta, sitting among the audience, is Leo's bride, and Leo himself is none other than Label Rafalovich.

After the second act, the theater director delivers a fiery speech in honor of Leo and says that the performance is attended by world-famous artists Rosa Spivak and Grigory Stelmakh. Under a storm of applause, Rosa and Gregory run away from the theater. Upon learning that Reisle was in the theater, Leo fails the performance.

Meanwhile, Murachchik is looking for Leo. While in London, Muravchik learned that Goltzman was dead, and Zlatka gave birth to a girl from Leo. Holtzman's former enemy, Muravchik takes care of his mother and sister, and brings women to New York to Rafalescu.

Cheerless Nisl believes that the second performance should improve the matter, but for now you need to prepare for the wedding of Leo and Henrietta. But Leo categorically refuses to marry: he did not promise anything, he was given a drink at a dinner party and declared bridegroom to Henrietta, and a kiss on a ship that has witnesses means nothing. Leo breaks off relations with Nisle, but immediately receives a tempting offer. Feeling remorseful that he had abandoned a dying friend and the seduced Zlatka, Leo decides to unite his fate with the unfortunate girl, but then he receives a letter from Reisle, in which she makes an appointment.

The anthill who informed Leo about the child expects to receive a decent amount not only from Leo, but also from Reisle for information about Leo. Muravchik also decides to marry Zlatka, which Leo allegedly will contain.

Leo finally meets Raise. They understand that love has passed, and they are not the same people. Raise, breaking the engagement with Stelmakh, leads a nomadic life, and Leo signs a contract with the New York Theater, and marries Zlatka.