Kismet (musical) London's West End and has been given several revivals. A 1955 film version was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The musical was commissioned by Edwin Lester, founder and director of the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, who conceived of a musical based on the 1911 play "Kismet" by Edward Knoblock. Lester had previously produced "Song of Norway", with the same composing team, adapting the melodies of Edvard Grieg. For "Kismet", the writers seized upon the melodies of Alexander Borodin, which they felt had a suitable exotic flavor and lush melodies. "Kismet" is set in a fictional Baghdad in the times of "The
Kismet (play) Kismet (play) Kismet is a three-act play written in 1911 by Edward Knoblauch (who later anglicised his name to Edward Knoblock). The title means Fate or Destiny in Turkish and Urdu. The play ran for two years in London and later opened in the United States. It was subsequently revived, and the story was later made into several films and the popular 1953 musical. "Kismet" was first produced by Oscar Asche at the Garrick Theatre, London, on 19 April 1911. Knoblock wrote the play for Asche, with the understanding that Asche could revise it. He shortened and partly re-wrote it