Vancouver Opera’s Die Fledermaus is just as sweet and bubbly as the champagne they toast in this light-hearted operetta. It is also wickedly hilarious. With mistaken identities, farcical plot twists, and romantic deceptions, it kept the audience chuckling for a good part of the night.
Composed by Johann Strauss Jr, this effervescent operetta is certainly a convoluted one. The wealthy Gabriel von Eisenstein is sentenced to 8 days in jail for insulting a tax official. Before reporting to serve his sentence, he is talked into attending a lavish party by his friend Dr. Falke. Unfortunately for Eisenstein, this is just part of an elaborately plotted revenge by his friend, who is looking to get even with him. (It's for that time Eisentein left an intoxicated Falke on the park bench after a costume party, leaving him to walk home in the morning, dressed as a bat.)
Hilarity ensues when Eisentein’s chambermaid Adela and his wife, Rosalinde show up at the same party in disguise. The former is trying to jumpstart a stage career, while the latter keeps tabs on her unfaithful husband. Meanwhile Rosalinde’s former lover Alfredo has been mistaken for Eisentein and is placed in jail in his stead.
Act I and III really packed the comedic punches, while Act II was a lively showcase of sparkling sets, glamorous costumes and catchy waltzes as the characters attended the lavish soirée – making it a treat for the eyes as well as the ears.
Though it’s set in the high society of Vienna society in the 1800s, director Nancy Hermiston updated the dialogue to give it more of a local feel. Christopher Gaze, artistic director of Bard on the Beach, added to this with his comedic performance in Act III as Frosch the tipsy jailer.
On the musical side, the opera started on a high note with a breathtaking rendition of the overture conducted by Jonathan Darlington. The vocals were equally impressive throughout. Soprano Joyce El-Khoury who made her Vancouver Opera debut was a charming Rosalinde. Roger Honeywell played her swaggering, unfaithful husband Gabriel von Eisenstein. Suzanne Ridgen, who also made her Vancouver Opera debut, plays their ladder-climbing chambermaid Adela.
If you’re looking for a night of laughs accompanied by some truly spectacular singing, Die Fledermaus is the opera for you.
Die Fledermaus is onstage on the Queen Elizabeth Theatre until Sunday, March 8, 2015 with performances on :
Thursday, March 5 • 7:30pm
Saturday, March 7 • 7:30pm
Sunday, March 8 • 2:00pm matinée
Tickets are available exclusively through the Vancouver Opera Ticket Centre: 604-683-0222 or www.vancouveropera.ca
