A FEW theatrical works are typically performed at a specific time of the year. One of those is the operetta by Johan Strauss Junior called The Bat (Die Fledermaus), the plot of which involves the turn of the New Year. Thus, it is often staged on or around New Year’s Eve.
The operetta in three acts is also part of the repertory of the Slovak National Theatre in Bratislava. The current staging premiered at the break of 2012/2013. It contains, as the director Miro Grisa said at a press conference, a section that represents the programme of the New Year’s ball.
The comic operetta takes place at a ball and its plot revolves around the confusion of certain key characters. Since its premiere in 1874, it has been hailed as colourful and spectacular, as well as a demanding work to perform, which has maintained its popularity. The director called the operetta “a fairy tale for adults”.
The piece, directed by Grisa and conducted by Friedrich Haider (the head of the SND’s opera section) and/or Dušan Štefánek, choreographed by Jaroslav Moravčík, with the spectacular stage created by Milan Ferenčík and costumes by Erzsébet Rátkai, will be part of the New Year’s Eve programme of the SND, on December 31 at 19:00 (and again on January 16). The cast includes Miroslav Dvorský, Eva Hornyáková, Juraj Peter, Monika Fabianová (in a male role of a prince), Tomáš Juhás and others.
Tickets for the performance in the new SND building on Pribinova 17 can be bought at the box office or through the SND webpage.
