The co-librettist for The Daughter of the Regiment was also a friend of Scribe's and married his niece. In all he produced over 200 plays: comedies, dramas and, most frequently, vaudevilles. His collaboration with Saint-Georges resulted in one of his few libretti. He started life as a law clerk but his passion was for the theatre. Bayard was also a member of the Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers, a French Society which represented authors. When he fell on hard times in 1857, he became the director of the Théâtre de Variétes for a short time. However, he found the position so demanding that it interfered with his writing and left after a short time. That same year he was named a member of the Legion of Honor.

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Revised May 2009
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