The Gipsy Princess

Operetta by Emmerich Kálmán

In German language with German and English surtitles

The famous chansonnière Sylva is not allowed to marry her noble lover Edwin. His parents arrange for him to be drafted into the army and arrange an engagement to a countess. At the engagement party, the chansonnière suddenly turns up. When it becomes clear that Edwin’s mother also used to be a varieté artist, nothing stands in the way of a marriage between the lovers.

Synopsis

Place: Budapest and Vienna
Time: shortly before the out-break of the First World War

Act 1

Silva Varescu, a self-sufficient and professionally successful cabaret performer from Budapest, is about to embark on a tour of America. Three of her aristocratic admirers, named Edwin, Feri and Boni, prefer her to stay. Edwin, unaware that his parents have already arranged a marriage for him back home in Vienna, orders a notary to prepare a promissory note of his expected marriage to Silva within ten weeks. Silva then leaves on her American tour, and Edwin leaves for peacetime military duty.

Act 2

Just at the time this promissory note is about to expire, Silva visits Edwin's palace in Vienna, pretending to have married Boni as her entrée into his family's society. Edwin is about to be engaged to Stasi, who does not care for him and wishes only an arranged marriage. Boni falls in love with Stasi and Edwin regrets not keeping his promise to Silva sooner. However, Edwin makes the faux pas of informing Silva that his parents would accept Silva only if she pretends to have been divorced from Boni and therefore already entered society via an earlier marriage. Edwin's father separately informs Silva that if she marries Edwin without first having achieved noble rank through some other route, her role in society could be merely that of a Gypsy Princess. Silva realizes that she is better than they and has a brighter future than they have. She purposefully embarrasses Edwin and his father, turning her back on them and leaving in the presence of their assembled friends.

Act 3

The act is set in a Viennese hotel to which Feri has accompanied the cabaret troupe from Budapest, who is about to sail on another American tour with Sylva. As everyone shows up and recognizes each other, Feri recognizes Edwin's mother as a retired cabaret singer from Budapest whose star once shone prior to Sylva's time. Edwin's mother joins the two couples, Sylva/Edwin and Boni/Stasi, all unwittingly heading to safety on this American tour.

Program and cast

Conductor: Tobias Wögerer

Stage direction: Johannes Erath

Set design: Bernhard Hammer

Video: Bibi Abel

Costume design: Gesine Völlm

Choreography: Miles Hoare

Choir director: Roger Díaz-Cajamarca

Lighting design: Nicol Hungsberg

Edwin Ronald: Daniel Schmutzhard

Anastasia Countess Eggenberg, his niece: Juliette Khalil

Eugen Baron Rohnsdorff, First Lieutenant, his nephew: Lukas Watzl

Boni Count Káncsiánu: Jakob Semotan

Ferenc Ritter Kerekes, called "Feri bácsi": Florian Carove

Ferenc Ritter Kerekes, called "Feri bácsi": Marco Di Sapia

Ferenc Ritter Kerekes, called "Feri bácsi": Karl-Michael Ebner

Ferenc Ritter Kerekes, known as "Feri bácsi": Daniel Ohlenschläger

Ferenc Ritter Kerekes, known as "Feri bácsi": Kurt Schreibmayer

Sylva Varescu, chansonette: Annette Dasch