In Johann Strauss, Jr.'s comic operetta, Die Fledermaus, the Baron von Eisenstein has been sentenced to prison for eight days for insulting a public official. But rather than heading straight to the cell, he is persuaded by his friend Dr. Falke to put off his stay for a day to attend a masked ball at the residence of Prince Orlofsky, meet the lovely ladies of the corps de ballet and attempt one last fling before serving his sentence. What he doesn't know is that Falke, embarrassed by Eisenstein at a previous masked ball, is looking for an opportunity for revenge against his insensitive comrade, and the glamorous Hungarian countess that Eisenstein becomes enamored with at the ball is none other than his wife Rosalinde, who is also seeking revenge (hers motivated by her husband's frequent indiscretions). Hijinks of the comic operetta variety ensue and are set against Strauss' lively, trademark Viennese waltzes and polkas. The local production is directed by Mark Sforzini and Jon Truitt, and features live accompaniment by the Florimezzo Orchestra. Dec. 29-30, 7:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat., Palladium Theater, 253 Fifth Ave. N., St. Petersburg, $10-$50, 727-822-3590, mypalladium.org.
This article appears in Dec 27, 2006 – Jan 2, 2007.