"La verbena de la Paloma; o, El boticario y las chulapas y celos mal reprimidos" by Ricardo de la Vega and Tomás Bretón is a zarzuela composed in 1894. Set against Madrid's August festival celebrations, this single-act work tells the story of a young typesetter who spots his girlfriend riding in a carriage with an older admirer. Jealousy threatens to explode at the festival gathering. Born from a real confession, this short operetta became the quintessential example of género chico—accessible theater for everyday Madrileños featuring unforgettable characters from nineteenth-century Spanish life. (This is an automatically generated summary.)