The bat, it could be said, will be fluttering back to the Saigon Opera House for a single display on Sunday, October 28.

HBSO to stage operetta “The bat” in the Saigon Opera House on October 28

“The bat” is the English translation of the German title “Die Fledermaus”, literally the flying mouse. It’s an operetta previously seen several times in HCMC in this spectacular production.

Many patrons who’ve seen it before will want to renew their acquaintance with one of the best-loved performances of the HCMC Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO). And those who have never seen it should certainly take this opportunity to do so.

Just as a reminder, let us say that it is a fully-staged production, with scenery, costumes, and the HBSO symphony orchestra playing live throughout. Costumes are by the well-known and widely admired fashion designer Quynh Paris.

The production was originally master-minded by the European theater director David Hermann, also responsible for Mozart’s Die Zauberflote (The magic flute) and the recent Die Freischutz (The marksman) for HBSO.

The cast will be the same as previously, with Cho Hae Ryong as the frustrated housewife Rosalinde, Phan Huu Trung Kiet as her husband Eisenstein, Pham Trang as her former lover Alfred, Pham Khanh Ngoc as her maid Adele, and Dao Mac as the lawyer Doctor Falke.

In addition, Nguyen Hoang Nhat Quang will sing Frank, the prison governor, Tran Thanh Nam will be Prince Orlofsky, and Vu Minh Tri will sing another lawyer, Doctor Blind.

Ida, Adele’s sister, will be Ly Hoang Kim, and Thai Kim Tung will take the speaking role of the jailer Frosch.

The plot centers round a ball due to be staged by the rich Prince Orlofsky. Einstein would love to attend but has been sentenced to eight days in prison for some minor offence. He nonetheless manages to attend in disguise, much to the surprise of Rosalinde.

The first act takes place in Eisenstein and Rosalinde’s home, the second at the ball, and the third in the local prison.

The HBSO Chorus will feature prominently, both at the ball in Act Two and in the climax to the opera in Act Three.

The bat of the title is Doctor Falke, who on an earlier occasion was found wandering the streets drunk, wearing a bat costume.

Die Fledermaus is an operetta, in other words a light-weight opera. It will be sung in German, but the many spoken passages will be in Vietnamese.

The production is taking place in cooperation with the Goethe Institut in Vietnam and Quynh Paris. The symphony orchestra will be conducted by Tran Nhat Minh, Interim Head of HBSO Opera.

With its comic intrigue in Act One, its spectacular night-time visual effects in Act Two, and its farcical conclusion in the prison governor’s office in Act Three, Die Fledermaus is a crowd-pleasing entertainment that should attract a large audience.

Ticket prices are appropriately at the top end of the HBSO’s range, from VND900,000 down to VND350,000, with a concessionary rate for students of VND150,000 on production of a student card. The performance begins at 8 p.m.

SGT