Die Fledermaus
Johann Strauss, Jr., composer
Karl Haffner and Richard Genée, Librettists
Opera Titles by: Susan Shiplett Ashbaker
PowerPoint and Title Score by: Lucas Heredia and Alexa Farah
INSERTED MUSIC
“Noi siamo zingarelle” from La Traviata by Giuseppi Verdi
“No more walls” by Johnathon Pape
“No more walls” coached by Ben Kirk and Mackenzie Berry and sung by members of the Westminster Choir
WESTMINSTER OPERA THEATRE
Susan Shiplett Ashbaker, director
Susan Shiplett Ashbaker, music director and conductor Johnathon Pape, stage director
Narration written by Johnathon Pape
Friday, November 15, 2024, 7:30 pm
Saturday, November 16, 2024, 7:30 pm
Yvonne Theater
Rider University
2083 Lawrenceville Road
Lawrenceville, N.J.
Rider University gratefully acknowledges the generous support of: The Herbert B. Mayo Performance Endowment
The Martinson Family Foundation for its support of theater technology equipment. Richard and Heather Frye-Ginsberg & Michael T. '89 and Susana Santaguida '89 Gummel for their support of our Rider Friend of the Arts patron program.
PLEASE NOTE:
The unauthorized use of any recording device, either audio or video, and the taking of photographs, either with or without flash, is strictly prohibited. Out of courtesy to the performers and everyone in the audience, please refrain from using cell phones and electronic devices during the performance.
Special Thanks
We are particularly grateful to collaborate with Symphony in C, Noam Aviel, Music Director and Joseph Hart, Vice President of Artistic Operations and Education. The string quartet and percussionist are members of this esteemed musical organization.
A special thank you to all the wonderful and supportive voice teachers that provide the base of learning for all we do. Bryan Hymel deserves enormous thanks for joining us on stage, providing narration to link our story together. A special thanks also to our colleagues in the Music Theater and Dance departments for the rich collaboration that benefits our students and productions. And a very special thank you to Dr. Donald Nally, Tyler Weakland and the members of the Symphonic Choir for being part of our production.
Enormous gratitude to Scott Alboum, Video Technologies Coordinator, for the archival recordings of our production.
Director’s Note
Thank you to everyone who made this production possible. We hope you enjoy! Die Fledermaus can be a delightful romp. The score is charming, witty, and abundantly tuneful. The story is full of humor, intrigue, and romantic entanglements. Written as a picture of Viennese life in the latter part of the 19th century, it beautifully captures the excitement, decadence, and creative ebullience of that time and place. But in addition to all the delicious, stylish fun, Die Fledermaus also has a lot to say about how we come together and learn to trust each other in romantic partnerships, in friendships, and perhaps most importantly, in a well-functioning society.
Having directed Die Fledermaus in different productions and translations, but always in its Viennese setting, I was interested in what it can tell us about modern life. It’s been 150 years since the opera premiered. The world perhaps especially the German speaking world has experienced cataclysmic change in that time, including intellectual and creative brilliance, boundarybreaking societal disruptions and decadence, and ultimately the horrors of the holocaust. The utter devastation of World War 2 was followed by the forced separation, tension, and mistrust of the “cold-war” era and eventually to the dissolution of communism and the creation of a new European system. The last decade of the 20th century, like fin de siècle Vienna before it, had a very high level of excitement, creative disruption, and rapid societal change. In 1994 I had a Fulbright to the Czech Republic. Although I lived in Prague, I traveled extensively throughout central Europe, including Vienna and Berlin. It was, indeed, an extraordinary time, and my experiences there have been instrumental in my approach to this production of Die Fledermaus, which I am setting in Berlin during the first Oktoberfest after The Wall came down.
The Berlin Wall fell on the 9th of November, 1989, reuniting the Eastern and Western parts of the city, and soon thereafter the Eastern and Western parts of the entire country. These were very different worlds. The West, which had already seen a huge amount of rebuilding after World War 2, was fairly affluent, modern, and focused on the economic and cultural norms of Western Europe and the US. The East, which had been under communist leadership for over 40 years, was much poorer, governmentally autocratic (but with a substantial yearning for freedom within the people), and very connected to and influenced by the USSR. Berlin once again became the capital of the reunited Federal Republic of Germany. There was great excitement as the German people came together again, and many cases of family, friends, and associates who had long been separated but were finally able to reconnect. There was substantial euphoria at the new opportunities available, but also an enormous amount of work to restructure how the country and society would function. As one might expect, there were bumps in the road, including rising tensions about the differences in thought, behavior, and worldview of those from the West and the former East. Although many of those tensions continue to the present day, it is to the great credit of the German people that the monumental challenge of reunification went as smoothly as it did.
The energy of Berlin in the early 1990s feels like a great fit for the energy of Die Fledermaus. This is especially true in the famous “Brüderlein/Schwesterlein” ensemble from Act 2, which is all about coming
together and learning to trust. And, as we witness the telling of this story by people who are wearing clothing that is not that different from our own, we can hopefully relate to and be entertained by the antics onstage, but more importantly, apply these messages of coming together in trust to our current political and social landscape.
Johnathon Pape
Synopsis
Setting: Berlin, late September 1990
PROLOGUE
Our intrepid guide for the evening is Frosch, the clerk of the night court and jail. We meet him as we hear a tenor singing a plaintive tune about his “turtledove” Rosalinde from an offstage cell. Frosch calls for quiet and then begins to enlighten us about the tenor, his turtledove, and how they are all part of a grand payback scheme. Frosch is the cousin of the esteemed Dr. Falke, a well-known figure in West Berlin society, but hadn’t actually met him until this year, since he grew up in the former East. Falke took an immediate liking to his Eastern cousin and helped him secure this position. And, recognizing Frosch’s attention to detail and appetite for intrigue, Falke promised that if Frosch helps him with this elaborate scheme, he will soon be on the glide path to success a dream come true for an ambitious bureaucrat-in-training.
It seems that Dr. Falke and his friend Gabriel Eisenstein regularly amuse themselves with practical jokes at the other’s expense. Last year, Eisenstein played a particularly effective stunt on Falke, who as a result has become known throughout Berlin as Dr. Fledermaus, or the bat. But now, with Frosch’s help, the Bat will have his revenge! Frosch continues to share all the devilish details of the plan as the curtain rises on…
ACT ONE - the parlor of the Eisenstein’s townhouse in a fashionable Berlin neighborhood
Adele, the Eisenstein’s maid, has received an invitation to a party at Club Orlofsky the new nightspot in the former East that has rapidly become the most popular club in Berlin. She thinks it is from her sister Ida, a dancer, but it is actually all part of Falke’s ruse. Adele asks for the night off, but Madame Eisenstein (who happens to be the aforementioned Rosalinde) refuses. Tonight, her husband begins his incarceration on a ridiculous charge, and
Rosalinde will need Adele at home. In the meantime, Gabriel and his lawyer Dr. Blind arrive from court where they have been trying to get his sentence reversed. From all the shouting going on, it becomes clear that they weren’t successful. In fact, the 5-day sentence has now been extended to 8 days. Eisenstein is angry and despondent, but fortunately Dr. Falke arrives to cheer him up. Rosalinde leaves her husband in the doctor’s care as she makes arrangements for an intimate farewell dinner for her husband. Once Rosalinde is gone, Falke tells Eisenstein that he should postpone his arrival at the jail until after a party at Club Orlofsky. He has arranged for Eisenstein to attend the party incognito, so no one will be the wiser if he’s a little late reporting to jail. Eisenstein eagerly agrees. Rosalinde returns and is amazed by the sudden change in her husband’s demeanor. Eisenstein hurries to his room to change, and before leaving, Falke slyly deposits another invitation to Orlofsky’s party, this one addressed to Rosalinde. She is torn about whether she should attend a party while her husband is in jail, but ultimately decides that it will be better than sitting home alone. In the invitation, Orlofsky says that to protect her identity, she should attend the party disguised as a beautiful Hungarian Countess, and he is sending over the perfect gown from his new couture collection for her to wear. Gabriel returns dressed in his tux, which seems hardly appropriate for jail, but he insists that Falke convinced him to show the other inmates that he is somebody important. Rosalinde is immediately suspicious. Adele arrives with the dinner for two, but Gabriel says that he is much too upset to eat. Rosalinde tells Adele that she has changed her mind, and Adele can, indeed, have the evening off. So, it turns out that all 3 will be secretly attending the party at Club Orlofsky, this evening.
But there’s more… Alfred, the tenor we heard earlier, is a former lover of Rosalinde before she became Madame Eisenstein. He has been enlisted by Falke to show up at the Eisesnstein’s home and try to rekindle their romance. Rosalinde isn’t interested, but Alfred is persistent. And soon Prison Warden Frank arrives to personally escort Herr Eisenstein to jail. This is a compromising position to be sure, and Rosalinde begs Alfred to pretend to be her husband to save her reputation. Frank is in a hurry, because he is also going to the party at Club Orlofsky! He whisks “Eisenstein” off to jail, and the pieces are in place for a very interesting party.
INTERMISSION
ACT TWO - Club Orlofsky, the hottest nightspot in Berlin
The party is in full swing at Club Orlofsky, and Frosch happily provides some backstory. The Orlofsky family is part of the Russian Aristocracy that
managed to get out when the Bolsheviks got in. Since then, they’ve been living in luxury in various European cities and trading on their fading celebrity. Prince Igor Orlofsky, the great-grandson and the owner of this club, has excelled at the family talent for self-promotion, becoming a well-known, if eccentric, influencer. (Back in the 1990s influencers were known as “taste makers” or “trend setters,” as quaint as that may seem!) He owns a chain of nightclubs in various European cities and has even started his own fashion line. But with all that, he still needs to amuse himself by meddling in other people’s business. Falke has given him ample opportunity to do just that with this evening’s party.
The first awkward exchange happens when Eisenstein (AKA the Marquis Renard) recognizes Adele, who is presenting herself as an up-and-coming actress. He accuses her of being who she really is, which forces Adele to make a convincing argument for who she is not. The party guests are completely charmed by her and Eisenstein must concede, in part, to protect his own cover. When Rosalinde arrives in her gorgeous costume and mask, Orlofsky presents her as an intriguing Hungarian Countess. No one is more intrigued than Eisenstein, and when the guests retire to the terrace for dessert, he attempts to seduce her. But Rosalinde plays him like a pro and manages to get his pocket watch as incriminating evidence of his attempted dalliance. When the guests return, Eisenstein complains to Orlofsky, but the prince asks Rosalinde to defend her identity, which she does with a stirring “Czardas.” Eisenstein is once again forced to concede, but the mood is soon lightened by innumerable bubbles when Orlofsky offers his guest a toast to the king of wines, champagne. Everyone joins in the fun, and Falke reminds them that in spite of any differences they might have, they are actually all connected in a beautiful community. Orlofsky introduces some special guests who have come to perform and the festivities escalate. Finally, everyone joins in a raucous waltz to celebrate life and love. But as the morning approaches, Eisenstein and Frank need to beat a hasty retreat to the jail one as an inmate and the other as warden!
INTERMISSION
ACT THREE - A Night Court and Jail
All the intrigue from the party is now en route to the jail! Frosch brings us up to date… Once they left Club Orlofsky, a rather tipsy Chevalier Chagrin (Warden Frank) felt the need to confess his true identity to his new best friend the Marquis Renard (Eisenstein). Frank explained that he had to hurry back to work since earlier in the evening he had interrupted a romantic dinner
to personally escort a particularly reluctant inmate, Herr Eisenstein, to jail. Needless to say, this was a shock to the real Eisenstein, who sought the advice of his friend, Dr. Falke. Falke suggested that Eisenstein could entrap the imposter and his unfaithful wife by posing as a lawyer coming to help them. Eisenstein hurried off to put together a disguise, and Falke managed to tip off Rosalinde.
Frank finally arrives and Frosch warns him that “Herr Eisenstein” has asked to see a lawyer, so he contacted Madame Eisenstein, and she and the lawyer will arrive soon. Just then, Adele and Ida arrive, having followed the Chevalier Chagrin from the party. Frank is surprised, but delighted to see them, and confesses that he is not actually a chevalier, but the prison warden. This causes Adele to confess that she is not actually an actress, although she dearly wants to be one. Ida affirms her sister’s talent, and Frank asks for a demonstration. Adele completely captivates him. Frosch suddenly returns to announce the arrival of Madame Eisenstein, and a panicked Adele explains that she is the Eisensteins’ maid. Frank whisks her and Ida off to hide. Rosalinde enters and Alfred is brought in from his cell. He is greatly relieved to see her, and, as usual, overly amorous, but she warns him that the lawyer is on the way. As if on cue, the lawyer (who is, of course, Eisenstein in disguise) arrives to meet with his clients. Rosalinde and Alfred try to explain the situation and the harmless misunderstanding that has occurred, but the lawyer becomes increasingly suspicious and accusatory. They are surprised at his behavior, since he is supposed to be representing them. Finally, it is too much for Eisenstein and he rips off his disguise to reveal his identity and accuse his wife of betrayal. But the clever woman has a revelation of her own, and she produces the pocket watch he gave her when trying to seduce her as the Hungarian Countess. Realizing what has happened, Eisenstein falls to his knees, admits that everything was his fault, and begs for Rosalinde’s forgiveness. Before she can respond, we hear Falke applauding from the other side of the room. He says that it is so good to hear Eisenstein apologize at last. Eisenstein is confused, and Falke explains that everything that has transpired is all a part of the Bat’s Revenge. There is a sudden commotion outside as Orlofsky and the partygoers arrive at the night court for the final verdict, as Eisenstein learns the full extent of Falke’s payback scheme. Loose ends are tied up, indiscretions are forgiven, new connections are affirmed, and everything is resolved with a generous helping of laughter and champagne.
Cast
Friday, November 15
Gabriel von Eisenstein
Maxwell Brey
Rosalinde (his wife) Abi Culkin
Adele (maid to Rosalinde) Alexa Farah
Ida (Adele’s sister) Leah Crossan
Alfred (a singer) Skylar Derthick
Dr. Falke (a notary) Grisha Ivanov
Dr. Blind (a lawyer) Gregory R. Nappa
Frank (director of the prison) Lucas Heredia
Prince Orlofsky (Russian prince) Grace Comeau
Frosch (jailer) Bryan Hymel (Special Guest)
Saturday, November 16
Gabriel von Eisenstein
Rosalinde (his wife)
Maxwell Brey
Sarah Ounsworth
Adele (maid to Rosalinde) Annie McCasland
Ida (Adele’s sister) Julia Gerst
Alfred (a singer) Skylar Derthick
Dr. Falke (a notary) Ronan Flynn
Dr. Blind (a lawyer) Gregory R. Nappa
Frank (director of the prison) Nathan Anderson
Prince Orlofsky (Russian prince) Emma Clark
Frosch (jailer) Bryan Hymel (Special Guest)
Ensemble (party-goers and wait staff at Club Orlofsky)
Members of the Westminster Choir College Symphonic Choir
Nidhi Advani, Columbus, NJ
Mackenzie J. Bella, Wood River, NE
Jessica Bella, Naperville, IL
Elizabeth Berger, Sparks, MD
Kevin Catalon, Fords, NJ
Maya Cooper, Fairfax, VA
Jessie Zixi Deng, Shanghai, China
Diego Dominguez, El Paso, TX
Sarah Febonio, Flemington, NJ
Claire Fritz, Elizabethtown, PA
Jiayun Gao, Shanghai, China
Sean D. Haugh, Point Pleasant, NJ
Emily Huguenin, Howell, NJ
Christian Gray Johnson, Covington, GA
Ben Kirk, Lumberton, NJ
Alyssa M. Lester, Monroe Twp., NJ
Duomi Liu, Beijing,China
Nicholas Marsola, Ewing, NJ
Sela J. McMullen, Towson, MD
Samuel Messenger, Bellmawr, NJ
Kianna Mitchner, Groton, CT
Daniel J. Piver, East Hampton, NY
Katelyn Reinhard, Fort Wayne, IN
Brenna Richard, York, PA
Ricky Sazon Salazar, New York, NY
Bailey Shay, Matamoras, PA
Covers
Jennie Mae Sprouse, Nashville, TN
Alastair Stewart, Quebec, Canada
Arseniy Vasilyev, Moscow, Russia
Sarah Vawdrey, Teaneck, NJ
Gabriel von Eisenstein Ronan Flynn
Rosalinde (his wife) Jessica Bella
Prince Orlofsky (Russian prince) Kianna Mitchner
Artistic Staff
Scenic Designer Buck Linton
Costume Designer Robin I. Shane
Lighting Designer Todd Loyd
Props Designer Clare Hanrahan
Rehearsal Pianist Nikolay Verevkin
Technical Director Brandon Rush
Production Stage Manager Rylee Berger
Student Staff and Crew
Graduate Assistant Sarah Ounsworth
Orchestra Supervisor Suki Scott
Dramaturg Emma Clark
Dramaturg Annie McCasland
Stage Manager Angelie Rodriguez
Assistant Stage Manager Annabel Jones
Assistant Stage Manager Fiona Hodgson
Stage Carpenter Blaine Stabe
Assistant Lighting Designer Dakota Patterson
Light Board Operator Deven Lawrence
Follow Spot Operator Matt Cirola
Follow Spot Operator Blaine Stabe
Assistant Costume Designer Elena Khositashvilli
Wardrobe Supervisor Kelly Chaves-Menjivar
Wardrobe Runner Alexa Fillalan
Wardrobe Runner Cate Malachowski
Hair and Makeup Supervisor Charlotte Papa
Hair and Makeup Runner Megan Lozito
Props Supervisor Cale Bianchino
Props Runner Alain Brutus
Supertitle Operator Casey Decker
Stagehand Arianna Cardillo
Stagehand Rafael Ferreira
Orchestra
Piano Nikolay Verevkin
Violin 1* Dallas Noble
Violin 2* Leo Matsuoka
Viola* Zach Levin
Cello* Priscilla Kim
Percussion* Mika Godbole
*Denotes members of Symphony in C
Administrative Staff
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Kelly Bidle
Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Jason Vodicka
Director of Production Management Buck Linton
Director of Performance Management Kristen Rodgers
Associate Director of Performance Management Leandra Acosta
Coordinator of Performance Management Samuel Stephenson
FOR BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ON OUR CAST, CREW, AND ARTISTIC & ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF VISIT OUR WEBSITE.
About Rider University , Westminster Choir College, & The Department of Performing Arts
Located in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, Rider University is a private co-educational, student-centered university that emphasizes purposeful connections between academic study and real-world learning experience. Rider prepares graduates to thrive professionally, to be lifelong independent learners, and to be responsible citizens who embrace diversity, support the common good, and contribute meaningfully to the changing world in which they live and work.
The College of Arts and Sciences is dedicated to educating students for engaged citizenship, career success, and personal growth in a diverse and complex world. The college cultivates intellectual reflection, artistic creativity, and academic maturity by promoting both broad academic inquiry and in-depth disciplinary study, while nurturing effective and ethical applications of transferable critical skills. The College consists of four schools: the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the School of Communication, Media, and Performing Arts, the School of Science, Technology, and Mathematics, and Westminster Choir College.
Culturally vibrant and historically rich, Westminster Choir College has a legacy of preparing students for thriving careers as well-rounded performers and musical leaders on concert stages, in schools, universities, and churches, and in professional and community organizations worldwide. Renowned for its tradition of choral excellence, the college is home to internationally recognized ensembles, including the Westminster Symphonic Choir, which has performed and recorded with virtually all of the major orchestras and conductors of our time. In addition to its choral legacy, Westminster is known as a center for excellence in musical pedagogy and performance.
Through its dynamic mix of academic programs, The Department of Performing Arts helps aspiring professional performers, producers, managers, designers, technicians and entrepreneurs find their unique path in an ever-evolving industry. Acknowledged as innovative and contemporary, the Department of Performing Arts aspires to build a more equitable, engaging and sustainable future for the performing arts while exploring the many diverse historical, cultural, social and creative threads that add to our rich tapestry.
Upcoming Performances
RIDER UNIVERSITY CHORALE: YOU DO NOT WALK ALONE
Sunday, November 17, 4 p.m.
Gill Chapel
WESTMINSTER CHOIR: THE NATIONAL ANTHEMS
Sunday, November 24, 5 p.m.
Gill Chapel
NELL GWYNN
Friday, December 6, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 7, 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 8, 2 p.m.
Bart Luedeke Center Theater
WESTMINSTER CONCERT BELL CHOIR HOLIDAY CONCERT
Saturday, December 7, 4 p.m.
Yvonne Theater
WESTMINSTER JUBILEE SINGERS: CANDLELIGHT SERVICE
Sunday, December 8, 5 p.m.
Union Baptist Church, Trenton 301 Pennington Ave Trenton, NJ 08618
AN EVENING OF READINGS AND CAROLS
Friday December 13, 8 p.m.
Saturday, December 14, 8 p.m.
Princeton University Chapel
