Zarzuela is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular song, as well as dance. The etymology of the name is not totally certain, but some propose it may derive from the name of a Royal hunting lodge, the Palacio de la Zarzuela near Madrid, where, allegedly, this type of entertainment was first presented to the court. The palace was named after the place called "La Zarzuela" because of the profusion of brambles (zarzas) that grew there, and so the festivities held within the walls became known as "Zarzuelas".There are two main forms of zarzuela: Baroque zarzuela (c.1630--1750), the earliest style, and Romantic zarzuela (c.1850--1950), which can be further divided into two. Main sub-genres are gnero grande and gnero chico, although other sub-divisions.Zarzuela spread to the Spanish colonies, notably Cuba.La zarzuela es una forma de msica teatral o gnero musical escnico surgido en Espaa que se dist