FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Sarah Snyder
ssnyder3@umd.edu
301.405.8151
College Park, MD— The UMD School of Music’s Maryland Opera Studio will present Johann Strauss II’s beloved comic operetta Die Fledermaus, April 11-19 at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center’s Kay Theatre. Combining two plays – a German farce about a prison and a French comedy about a New Year’s Day ball – Die Fledermaus unites some of opera’s favorite motifs – infidelity, revenge and disguises – with amusing results.
Die Fledermaus features a libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée. The performance is directed by Nick Olcott, Interim Director of the Maryland Opera Studio, and conducted by Edward Maclary.
About Die Fledermaus
This performance of Die Fledermaus marks 140 years since its Viennese premiere, and the opera is still a beloved favorite. Director Nick Olcott says, “That may be because, in another sense, every production of Die Fledermaus is a premiere. The script and even the score of this well-loved piece have been rather fluid as it’s roamed around the globe through the years. It’s been performed in myriad languages. Fresh dialogue gets written. New pieces of music get inserted, and old ones get thrown out. Die Fledermaus may look so good because it’s been getting facelifts for over a century.”
The comic libretto follows a prankster, Dr. Falke, who seeks revenge on his friend Gabriel von Eisenstein after Eisenstein leaves Falke drunk in the middle of a public square following a costume party. A year later, Falke sneaks Eisenstein off to a lavish masked ball for a last hurrah before Eisenstein goes to prison. It’s the perfect chance for Falke to get his revenge.
The libretto is based on two plays: Das Gefängnis by Julius Roderich Benedix and Le réveillon by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. German playwright Richard Genée produced a script for Strauss that may be based on an earlier translation and draft by Karl Haffner. This production will be spoken in English and sung in German with English surtitles.
Tickets
More information can be found on our website. Tickets for this performance are $25/$10 (Regular/Students), and can be purchased online or by calling (301) 405-ARTS (2787).
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Located on the University of Maryland campus and a part of the College of Arts and Humanities, the School of Music is a dynamic arts community committed to cultivating and transforming musical traditions and preparing students for meaningful engagement with their art, their culture and the world community. The School is an integral part of the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, a premier arts presenting venue and creative laboratory for professional artists, teachers and students, serving the university and community. The School of Music, the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies, the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library, and the staff and administration of the Center comprise the Center‘s creative community.
The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center is supported by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive. An agency of the Department of Business & Economic Development, the MSAC provides financial support and technical assistance to nonprofit organizations, units of government, colleges and universities for arts activities. Funding for the Maryland State Arts Council is also provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.