Johann Strauss II's Die Fledermaus at the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège

Johann Strauss's uproarious comedy of errors, Die Fledermaus (The Bat), comes to the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège in a scintillating new production! From the famous opening waltz to the Champagne Song that closes the final act in effervescent celebration, Strauss's ebullient score — one of his finest creations, conducted here by German maestro Nikolas Nägele — accompanies the witty libretto's scenes of disguise and deception, flirtation and mistaken identity, from the raucous New Year's Party hosted by Prince Orlofsky to the prison cell where Eisenstein (Austrian baritone Markus Werba) and his wife Rosalinde (Belgian soprano Anne-Catherine Gillet) ultimately reconcile. Olivier Lepelletier-Leeds's staging transposes the action from fin de siècle Vienna to 1980s Los Angeles, adding Hollywood glamour, cabaret flair, and gender-bending performance while stoking the festive spark that makes this one of operagoers' most beloved confections during the holidays, through the New Year, and beyond!