Offenbach: Barbe-Bleue

Bluebeard, an opéra bouffe by Jacques Offenbach, premiered in Paris in 1866. Directed by Laurent Pelly, the National Opera in Lyon stages this musical comedy about a man suspected of murdering his wives. Hortense Schneider originally played Boulotka, a village girl who reforms Bluebeard. Yann Beuron and Héloise Mas star, with Christophe Gay as the alchemist Popolani.

The Land of Smiles

Lehar's The Land of Smiles touches the heart as it provides unforgetable melodies from start to finish. There are no weak links in the cast. Too often, we think of operetta as musical fluff, tired cliches, and obligatory dance scenes when things start slowing down. Not so in this classic operetta. We feel the pain of loss suffered by the two main characters, who make their roles natural and believable. There is more to this work than "Yours Is My Heart Alone." There is dramatic consistency and people you find yourself caring about as much as the music, the costumes, and the colorful sets.

Bride of the Regiment

As they are leaving the church following their wedding, Count Adrian Beltrami and Countess Anna-Marie are told that the Austrians are marching on the town to quell an Italian uprising. The bride and relatives induce the count to flee to his castle, but Tangy, a silhouette cutter, brings word from the revolutionary committee asking him to return; the count goes, asking Tangy to pose as the count and protect Anna-Marie.

Song of the West

Captain Stanton, who because of a misunderstanding over a woman with Major Davolo, has been cited for a court martial. As a scout, he is sent to escort a wagon train which is under military escort. It turns out that this escort is his own former regiment. When he meet Davolo, there is another fight and between Stanton and Davolo in which Davolo is killed.

Die Fledermaus

Witty, fun, intoxicating film of Johann Strauss II's popular operetta, based on a stage production from Vienna State Opera; this is a showcase for the entire cast, but most especially Eberhard Wächter as the insufferably boorish Gabriel Eisenstein, and Gundula Janowitz as his long-suffering wife. Open the champagne, have yourself some torte, and enjoy this delectable comedy from Vienna.

Where the Lark Sings

Country girl Margit sits for the artist Sándor, from Budapest. She is fascinated and charmed by him, and agrees to accompany him to the capital, so he can complete the painting there. Disillusionment sets in, however, when Sándor wins a prize with the finished portrait and loses interest in her. Margit recognizes that her true happiness lies at home, with Pista, her faithful lover.

The Desert Song

French General Birabeau has been sent to Morocco to root out and destroy the Riffs, a band of Arab rebels, who threaten the safety of the French outpost in the Moroccan desert. Their dashing, daredevil leader is the mysterious "Red Shadow". Margot Bonvalet, a lovely, sassy French girl, is soon to be married at the fort to Birabeau's right-hand man, Captain Fontaine. Birabeau's son Pierre, in reality the Red Shadow, loves Margot, but pretends to be a milksop to preserve his secret identity. Margot tells Pierre that she secretly yearns to be swept into the arms of some bold, dashing sheik, perhaps even the Red Shadow himself. Pierre, as the Red Shadow, kidnaps Margot and declares his love for her.

The Merry Widow

Lotfi Mansouri's spectacular last production as General Director of The San Francisco Opera with Yvonne Kenny making her debut in the title role, new dialogue specially commissioned from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Wendy Wasserstein and an original ballet to set the scene ‘Chez Maxime’ bringing fresh insight into Lehár's classic operetta. This production also features another world premiere, Njegus's song, ‘Quite Parisian’.

Bluebeard

When Barbe-bleue loses his fifth wife, the turbulent Boulotte is selected at random to be the next one. But Barbe-Bleue falls in love with Hermia – who loves the shepherd Saphir – and soon wearies of Boulotte. So, he asks his alchemist to concoct for him an “anti-wife” philtre. But, as on the previous occasions, it is merely a sleeping potion and Boulotte wakes up the other five “dead” wives. They reappear, dressed up as gypsies and bring the truth to light.

Natalka Poltavka

The trials and tribulations of Natalka and Petro. The sweethearts plan to get married, however, Natalka's father does not approve of the marriage because Petro's not affluent enough to keep Natalka in the manner he thought that she should be kept. Petro goes off to earn the required fortune. With no news from Petro for five years, Natalka succumbs to her mother's wishes and finally accepts her next offer of marriage, which happens to come from an old, but relatively wealthy government official.

Natalka Poltavka

An iconic Ukrainian play of the same name meets TV.

Up in Central Park

A newspaper reporter and the daughter of an immigrant maintenance man help expose political corruption in New York City.

Hoheit tanzt Walzer

The young musician and composer Josef lives with Beethoven's music copyist in Grinzing. In the evenings, he plays for dances in the Prater, often his own melodies, although he doesn't make much effort to spread them, as they're almost all waltzes, a dance not well-regarded in high society because they're too sweaty. When one evening a lively princess—fresh from the convent—mingles incognito with the Prater crowd and falls in love with the dashing conductor Josef, an entire cultural system of values ​​begins to crumble.

Mam’zelle Nitouche

The Circus Princess

In this three-act operetta by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kálmán, a dashing and mysterious circus performer is hired by a disappointed suitor of Princess Fedora Palinska to pose as a nobleman and marry her. This 1969 performance was produced for West German television.

The Mikado

In a small Japanese town, Ko-Ko is appointed to the unenviable position of executioner. Knowing he must successfully perform before the appearance of the Mikado in a month's time, Ko-Ko finds a suitable victim in Nanki-Poo, who is distraught over his unrequited love for the maiden Yum-Yum. Nanki-Poo agrees to sacrifice his life if he is allowed to spend his remaining days with Yum-Yum, who is betrothed to Ko-Ko. Filmed live from the 1982 Stratford Festival in Ontario.

The Blue from the Sky

Out of unlikely circumstances an underground ticket vending girl and a mail pilot fall in love.

Giuditta

Austrian composer Franz Léhar's opera Giuditta receives a unique interpretation by the Seefestspiele Mörbisch in this stage production, which stars Natalia Ushakova and Mehrzad Montazeri as the principal leads. The Morbisch Festival Orchestra accompanies the production, while the Chorus and Ballet of the Seefestpiele Mörbisch lend added support.

Orpheus in the Underworld

This musical comedy based on an opera by Jacques Offenbach incorporates a twist on the classic Greek myth: Orpheus, a music teacher at a girls’ school in the ancient Greek city of Thebes, actually does not miss his wife Eurydice that much – until the gods and Offenbach himself pressure him to retrieve her from Hades.

Babes in Toyland

Based on the classic Broadway operetta by Victor Herbert and Glen MacDonough, this live television special became an annual Christmas tradition with rotating cast members.