The Bat

Overview

The delightful Johann Strauss comic opera Die Fledermaus was mercilessly lampooned in this truly bizarre production. For starters, a framing device has been added: After appearing in 300 consecutive appearances of Fledermaus (which translates as The Bat) the lead tenor (Georg Alexander) imagines that he's seeing bats everywhere. Driven a bit over the edge by all this, he falls asleep and has a nightmare about the opera, with a group of non-singers cast in the leading roles. The original libretto about romantic assignations, political imprisonments and mistaken identity is burlesqued to the hilt: at one point, the hero finds out that his prison cell is surrounded by rubber tubes!

Cast

Lída Baarová

Maria Weigel / Rosalinde

Hans Söhnker

Kammersänger Hans Weigel / Eisenstein

Friedl Czepa

Hanni / Adele

N/A

Jola Jobst

Berta / Ida

Georg Alexander

Staatsanwalt Wentin / Frank

N/A

Robert Dorsay

Chauffeur Franz / Alfred

Hans Moser

Hans Moser

Harald Paulsen

Rechtsanwalt Dr. Rommel / Dr.Falke

Karl Stepanek

Attaché Baranoff / Orlovsky

N/A

Hans Stiebner

Kapellmeister

N/A

Otto Graf

Rundfunkreporter

N/A

Albert Ihle

Präsident