Opera Quad Cities' “Die Fledermaus" at St. Ambrose University -- June 20 and 22.
Friday, June 20, and Sunday, June 22
St. Ambrose University's Galvin Fine Arts Center, 2101 North Gaines Street, Davenport IA
One of history's most adored classical operettas enchanting audiences at Davenport's St. Ambrose University on June 20 and 22 when the talents of Opera Quad Cities debut Die Fledermaus, Johann Straus II's legendary 1874 work that's sure to deliver mischief, masks, laughter, and some of the area's most astounding voices.
Composed by Strauss to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée, Die Fledermaus whisks audiences away to a glamorous masquerade ball where secrets come out, old grudges bubble up, and the champagne never stops flowing. What begins as a harmless prank quickly spirals into a night full of clever disguises, mistaken identities, and unexpected twists, and as Strauss’ masterpiece offers unforgettable waltzes and plenty of charm, Opera Quad Cities' annual summertime production is set to offer the perfect blend of elegance and fun.
The original literary source for Die Fledermaus was Das Gefängnis (The Prison), a farce by German playwright Julius Roderich Benedix that premiered in Berlin in 1851. But in 1872, a three-act French vaudeville play by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, Le Réveillon, loosely based on the Benedix farce, opened at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal. Meilhac and Halévy's play was soon translated into German by Karl Haffner, at the instigation of Max Steiner, as a non-musical play for production in Vienna. The French custom of a New Year's Eve réveillon, or supper party, was not considered to provide a suitable setting for the Viennese theatre, so it was decided to substitute a ball for the réveillon. Haffner's translation was consequently passed to the playwright and composer Richard Genée, who had provided some of the lyrics for Strauss' Der Karneval in Rom the year before, and he completed the libretto.
Directing Die Fledermaus for Opera Quad Cities is Augustana College music professor Michelle Crouch, who also helmed last summer's La Bohème for the organization as well as area productions of The Marriage of Figaro and last fall's La serva padrona. Dr. Nathan Windt acts as the operetta's conductor, and with costume rental courtesy of the Sarasota Opera Association, other members of Die Fledermaus' creative team include: costume designer Howard Tsvi Kaplan; costume coordinators Lora Adams, Sarah Kahler, Cindy May, and Greg Hiatt; orchestra manager Laurel Filzen Etzel; technical director Michael Turczyński; lighting designer Miranda Richards; co-stage managers Grace Hagerman and Nat Hansen; rehearsal accompanist Sheila Doak; choreographer Shelley Cooper; assistant director Jesslyn Cohen; Ballet Quad Cities choreographer Nora Ambler; and Galvin Fine Arts Center director John Hagar.
Featured among Die Fledermaus' principal cast are: Chelsea Crumbleholme (Adele); Benjamin Laur Frank); Alice Lind (Prince Orlofsky); Zinnia Manning (Ida); Marcus Mills (Dr. Blind); Joshua Morey (Alfred); Travis Richter (Eisenstein); Rochelle Schrader (Rosalinde); Kai Swanson (Frosch); and Sean Wallace (Dr. Falke). Nearly two dozen area talents, meanwhile, compose the operetta's chorus: Miriam Anderson; Jesslyn Cohen; Lillian Dawn; Georgi Feigley; Bob Gull; Law Ger Htay; Olha Huska; Abi Jensen; Catie Johnson; Sophia Kizzier; Josephine Koppes; Thayne Lamb; Trevor Loes; Sophia Marmion; Karmi Rivera; Caleb Schrader; Jon Schrader; Morgan Wehling; David Sywassink; Shyam Devasthali; and Noah McCracken.
Opera Quad Cities' Die Fledermaus will be performed at in the Galvin Fine Arts Center of Davenport's St. Amborse University on June 20 and 22, with performances at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and 3 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $25-30 with students ages 18 and under free, and more information and tickets are available by visiting Opera QC.org.
