Localized version of operetta 'The Bat' to amuse audiences
- Source: Global Times
- [03:49 April 19 2011]
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By Jiang Yuxia
A more localized version of Johann Strauss II's famous operetta Die Fledermaus (The Bat) is to be staged at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) from June 4 to 7, with strong performances from China's leading opera singers and well-known comedian Chen Peisi.
The work, to be directed by British theater director Stephen Lawless, is the first operetta to be produced by and staged at NCPA and will be sung in the original German with dialogue conducted in Chinese, said Guan Bo, who adapted the latter, at a press conference on Friday. Well-known Chinese opera singers Mo Hualun and Yao Hong will play the leading roles.
Set in the 19th century Vienna, the light-hearted story of Die Fledermaus tells of the revenge taken by Dr. Falke, a notary, on his friend Gabriel von Eisenstein for abandoning him after a night out in the city dressed as a bat, thus making him a figure of fun the following morning.
Premiered in 1874 Vienna, it has been part of the regular operetta repertoire due to the humorous story and many catchy and yet poignant tunes.
Although it has been frequently presented in the West, the farce is rarely performed in China, and NCPA has been making efforts to make it more localized while maintaining its humorous effect, said Cuccia Giuseppe, the NCPA's opera consultant, who explained that this is standard practice to enhance the comic effect.
"The dialogue is one of the major highlights of an operetta," Giuseppe said. "It has become one of the practices in the international opera scene to adapt the dialogue into local languages when staged in different countries."
Opera houses often invite the country's most famous comedians to play the role of jailer Frosch in the third act, he explained. With Chinese humorist Chen in the comic role, the NCPA's version will be easier for Chinese audiences to understand and enjoy, he added.
According to Guan, the most difficult part of adapting the dialogues is how to make them related to today's society while retaining the 19th century Vienna environment. Besides giving the characters a Chinese name, Guan has also included many Chinese proverbs and common sayings into the text, and tried to shine upon today's social issues in an animated and cheerful way. For example, Prince Orlofsky, who often hosts balls at his residence, is compared to one of China's bored fu'erdai (affluent youth) seeking parties for his fun.
