Die Rache der Fledermaus

Just in time for their 75th birthday, the Pfister siblings return with Johann Strauss' die Fledermaus, the work with which Walter Felsenstein opened the house on Behrenstraße in 1947. But now, instead of violins and plush, there's bass, guitar, and strange rhythms. The Komische Oper Berlin presents this classic in a way that will please both operetta fans and skeptics.

Musical director Kai Tietje and director Stefan Huber make irreverent use of all musical cliches in their witty, offbeat adaptation of die Fledermaus, turning the waltz king's hits into swing and tango or allowing the renowned overture to be performed a cappella. The Pfister siblings sing, play, and cheat in the tale of pleasure-seeking, mischief, and pitiful inebriation as Stefan Kurt stumbles through the action as the prison guard Frosch.

The trio of Zucchini-Sistaz, Kai Tietje on piano and accordion, and Francesco Carpino, who plays ten instruments almost simultaneously, provide their accompaniment. Danny Costello's stirring choreography helps the music and characters whirl wildly as they travel through musical magic and the moth-box, from the Belle Époque to the hippie era.

For this production, Stefan Huber, who previously enjoyed success at the Komische Oper Berlin with his productions of Clivia and Roxy und ihr Wunderteam, only needs a few chairs, a few props, and some period clothing.

In German language only.