Just in time for Halloween, Knoxville Opera is presenting Die Fledermaus, which translates from German to The Bat. Spooky? Not so much. The bat in question is actually a guy who once had to do the walk of shame in a bat costume and, rather than getting over it like a normal person, has been plotting his revenge ever since.
The production opens Knoxville Opera’s 2026–2027 season at the Tennessee Theatre, with performances tonight at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
I attended Wednesday night’s dress rehearsal, and I can confirm the season is off to a fantastic start. Die Fledermaus is ridiculous in all the best ways, with beautiful music, fabulous performances and a plot that makes your messiest friends look like models of emotional maturity.
Written by Johann Strauss II and first performed in 1874, Die Fledermaus is technically an operetta, a lighter, often comedic cousin of opera that incorporates spoken dialogue alongside the singing. Think romantic comedy meets elaborate practical joke, with the whole thing lubricated by champagne and set to some of the loveliest waltzes ever composed.
Our leading man, Gabriel von Eisenstein (Brian James Myer), is preparing to serve a short jail sentence for insulting a government official. A relatable predicament, frankly. But when his friend Dr. Falke (Marcus DeLoach) invites him to one last extravagant party before he reports to prison, Eisenstein decides that incarceration can wait.
Priorities!
Meanwhile, his wife Rosalinda (Emily Margevich) has an old flame, Alfred (Julius Ahn), sniffing around.
Their maid Adele (Rachel Blaustein) has finagled her way into the same party by inventing a family emergency.
And prison warden Frank (Robert Mellon) is about to arrest the wrong guy.
Everyone is lying to everyone else. Nobody can keep their story straight. It’s a disaster. And we haven’t even gotten to the party yet!
The masquerade is hosted by Prince Orlofsky (Kira Dills-DeSurra), an extravagantly wealthy aristocrat who is so bored with life that watching other people make fools of themselves has become a recreational pursuit.
Here, the disguises multiply, the champagne flows, and Eisenstein manages to flirt with his own wife without recognizing her. Rosalinda, naturally, recognizes him immediately and decides to have a little fun of her own.
Men.
One of the pleasures of Die Fledermaus is watching the women run circles around the men, who are largely too occupied with their own cleverness to notice what’s happening. Adele, in particular, is a delightfully audacious character who gets some of the show’s funniest material …
… while Rosalinda has the good sense to collect evidence of her husband’s indiscretions.
A pocket watch has rarely done so much damage to a marriage.
The production is stage-directed by Dean Anthony, who also cameos as Frosch, the perpetually soused jailer. He breaks the fourth wall for some of the evening’s silliest and, somehow, most astute observations. How is the sloppy drunk the only person in the room who is exactly what they appear to be?
Under conductor Noam Aviel, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra brings Strauss’s effervescent score to life. Shout-out to our kiddo’s saintly violin instructor, Jennifer George — she is THE BEST.
And what a score! The sweeping waltzes and exuberant ensemble numbers provide a wonderful contrast to the increasingly questionable behavior onstage. It’s all so gloriously unserious, performed by artists whose talent is anything but.
By the time everybody reconvenes at the jail the following morning, the accumulated consequences of their decisions are becoming difficult to explain. But never fear. In true operetta fashion, there is an explanation for everything.
Blame the champagne!
I’ve become something of a broken record about how much fun Knoxville Opera is, even if you don’t think of yourself as an “opera person.” Listen, I’m someone who changes the station when WUOT switches over to opera on Saturday afternoons, too. But seeing it live is another experience entirely.
Under the leadership of general director and CEO Jason Hardy, the company seems determined to bring everyone along for the ride. (If you’re not following Knoxville Opera on social media, you should be.) I keep writing these smart-ass reviews (see also: Carmen, Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Gianni Schicchi), and rather than asking me to behave myself, they just egg me on. They’ve also been wonderful supporters of Inside of Knoxville. Thanks for encouraging my nonsense, Knoxville Opera!
Die Fledermaus is another excellent opportunity to give opera a chance, especially if you’ve been skeptical. It’s sung in English, with projected English text, so you won’t have any trouble keeping up with the increasingly absurd plot.
You don’t even have to understand why a grown man would orchestrate an entire evening of deception to avenge an embarrassing bat costume incident. Some people just hold grudges.
Knoxville Opera presents Die Fledermaus at the Tennessee Theatre:
- Friday, October 23, at 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, October 25, at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets start at $35 and are available through Knoxville Opera. The digital program includes the full cast, artist biographies and a synopsis.
And if all that champagne onstage leaves you thirsty, Knoxville Opera has a couple of extras planned. Bubbles & Bravos is a post-show toast in the Everly Lounge following Friday’s opening night performance. Reservations are required, with no walk-ups permitted. On Sunday, KoPita Authentic Mediterranean hosts a Pre-Opera Brunch from noon to 2 p.m., featuring a family-style Mediterranean feast for $45 per person. Both events are hosted by the Knoxville Opera Camerata, and space is limited.
Go have yourself a delightfully scandalous evening at the opera. Nobody dies, everybody sings, and the champagne takes the blame. What more could you want?
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