This year the best New Year Celebration will take place at the Teatro dell’Opera of Rome. The date to put in your diary is Saturday, December 31, at 19.30, a special evening to be spent among red velvets curtains and scenes from famous musicals. You will be greeted by the waltzes from Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss Jr. with the famous choreography characterised by the subtle and corrosive humour of Roland Petit. This is the first time that Die Fledermaus is performed at the Costanzi, the stage production is from Teatro alla Scala of Milan, with scenography by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, costumes by Luisa Spinatelli and the lighting by Jean-Michel Désiré. It is directed by David Garforth.
On the stage, next to the principal dancers, soloists and the Corps de Ballet of Teatro dell’Opera of Rome, Maria Yakovleva and Friedemann Vogel will be the guest dancers, with the choreographic supervision by Luigi Bonino. Performances will continue until January 8, 2017. Then from the 13th to 15th of January it will be on stage at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.
This two act ballet was firstly staged in 1979, it is based on the “operetta” by Johann Strauss Jr with the music arranged by Douglas Gamley. Bella, married to Johann, is discreetly courted by Ulrich, a family friend. She is troubled by her husband’s pleasure-seeking at night. Every night, Johann puts on a bat’s wings and flies off to have fun the city. With the help of Ulrich, Bella, turns into a mysterious and wonderful creature of the night and follows her husband in his nocturnal escapades, eventually she seduces him in disguise. She finds him after a night of debauchery in a prison and finally manages to cut his wings and to bring him back home. But despite the couple returning to a normal life, a mad waltz explodes in the finale. It is a scene that seems to celebrate enjoyment as the true art of living, as if dancing is the only salvation.
