DIE FLEDERMAUS

Composer - Johann Strauss II Libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée Premiered 1874 in Vienna DATES October 26 – November 3, 2024 VENUE Queen Elizabeth Theatre Vancouver, BC RUNNING TIME Approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes, including one intermission. Join the party: Strauss’ most-beloved operetta kicks off a celebratory 65th anniversary with laughter and mischief. With a title that translates to “The Bat” (sometimes even presented as “The Revenge of the Bat”), you’d be forgiven for expecting some ominous dark fluttering while gravel-strafed voices say intense things indecipherably. But with its huge chorus, boisterous party scene, and rousing songs like “King Champagne”, Strauss’ beloved operetta absolutely radiates charm, wit, and good-natured mischief! An audience favourite since its 1874 premiere, Die Fledermaus remains the most-performed operetta in the world for good reason. This vaudeville and farce-inspired comedy masterwork revels in effervescent odes to drinking, dancing, dining, laughing, and, well, more drinking, while a madcap plot pinballs through masquerade and mistaken identities, romantic dalliances, pranks and payback. Ashlie Corcoran returns to direct her second Vancouver Opera season opener in a row, having helmed the fantastical Magic Flute in 2023, while the high-spirited score is conducted by Vancouver Opera Music Director Jacques Lacombe. (Sharp-eyed audience members might recognize some special guests during the gala scene...but we’ll say no more for now!)