As a young child, Viola was found abandoned and wearing a silver star by a hobo-musician, Professor Alfonzo Dinel, who has raised her as his adopted daughter. One
Christmas Eve, Viola and the professor deceive a wealthy family with a mansion on
Fifth Avenue that Viola is the long-lost daughter of a wealthy banker in order to win an invitation to their lavish Christmas party. They attend the party, but their deception is discovered. In the attempt to get away, Viola is magically transported first to
Paris,
France and later to
London,
England. In a series of magical transformations, Genée transforms back and forth from Viola into various dancing characters, including "The Christmas Fairy", "The Spirit of Champagne", and "The Queen of the Floral Fete". In London Viola is united with her birth father. ==History==