Die Fledermaus! (Or…The Bat Gets Even!)

Die Fledermaus! gets its title from a humiliatingly drunken incident involving Dr. Falke, one of the characters in the opera whose friends laughingly refer to him as “The Bat.”This musical comedy involves disguises, seduction, revenge, and even a jail sentence!

Gabriel von Eisenstein has been sentenced to spend a short time in the city jail. He has put off going to jail as long as he can, but his sentence must be started before the end of the calendar year. It is now New Year’s Eve and he must fulfill his sentence; however, Dr. Falke (The Bat) who is still seeking revenge for his past humiliation, suggests that instead of going to jail, Eisenstein attend a party at a famous Russian Prince’s home... without his wife! To make things even more complicated, Eisenstein’s wife shows up at the party disguised as a famous Hungarian Countess and tricks him into seducing her. In the end, everyone at the party winds up at the jail the next morning to make fun of Eisenstein for falling into the trap set by his wife and “The Bat.”