The Metropolitan Opera’s new production of this delightful operetta is a mixed bag!
Die Fledermaus (2 ½ stars)
Johann Strauss, Jr.’s frothy operetta Die Fledermaus (The Bat) premiered in Vienna in 1874 and has been delighting audiences with its lush, tuneful waltzes ever since. The story of a man seeking revenge whose devious plot backfires on him, Fledermaus was seen on Broadway as Champagne Sec in 1933 (where it starred Peggy Wood and Kitty Carlisle) and has graced the stage of the Metropolitan Opera since 1905, with new productions in 1950, 1986 and, with the new staging that debuted this New Year’s Eve, in 2014. Ordinarily, though I see many productions each year, I don’t write about operas in Next. But the Met’s new production of Fledermaus boasts such a Broadway pedigree it cries out for coverage. The Broadway crossover starts with Fledermaus’s director and new lyricist Jeremy Sams (Amour, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and 13), its new book writer Douglas Carter Beane (Cinderella, The Nance and Lysistrata Jones), and two of its stars, Tony-winner Paulo Szot (South Pacific) and multiple Tony nominee, Danny Burstein (Golden Boy, Follies, South Pacific and The Drowsy Chaperone). Although gorgeous to look at and beautifully sung, Beane’s new libretto, filled with contemporary references and ham-fisted jokes, combined with Sams’ clumsy lyrics and flat-footed direction, almost sink a show that should sparkle and fizz. Despite having gained a few pounds, the rakishly handsome Szot is an utter delight and sings magnificently as Dr. Falke, a disbarred lawyer seeking revenge against his friend Gabriel von Eisenstein, well played by Christopher Maltman. Szot and Maltman both understand that Fledermaus, with its extended ‘book scenes,’ is as much ‘musical theatre’ as it is ‘opera.’ Einsenstein’s wife, her former lover and her maid are all ably portrayed by Susanna Phillips, Michael Fabiano and Jane Archibald, with Fabiano’s ringing tenor especially impressive. Everyone ends up in jail, of course, where the jailer is played by Burstein, who gets laughs Beane’s script doesn’t earn with the sheer force of his talent. But as misguided as Beane’s new script is, it pales in comparison to Sams’ clunky new English lyrics that can’t hold a candle to Howard Dietz’s lyrics for the Met’s 1950 production which was directed and written by Broadway veteran Garson Kanin. Why the Met didn’t simply revive that gem of a translation with a savvier director than Sams, I’ll never know. Still, this Fledermaus can be recommended for its rapturous music and exquisite production design. Of particular note is the stunning jewelry designed by Broadway veteran Larry Vrba (Wicked, La Cage aux Folles and dozens more shows). If only the script and lyrics sparkled as brightly as Vrba’s jewelry, the Met would have a Fledermaus for the ages.
Die Fledermaus plays through February 22 at The Metropolitan Opera (Lincoln Center, www.metopera.org).
