The Circus Princess

Description

A circus in St. Petersburg, a princely palace, and a Viennese hotel - these are the places where circus people, Russian nobility, and young people from Vienna come together to revel in the delirium of love. But whether a hotelier’s son can marry a circus cavalier and a Russian princess can trust the mysterious artist Mister X remains unclear until the general masquerade and the intrigues of the jealous Prince Sergius are exposed...

However different the scenes of the plot may be: Emmerich Kálmán knows how to make each of them with characteristic atmosphere. Whether it’s Slavic elegance, nervous sentimentality, or Viennese coolness, at the center of the action are dreamy melodies that move quickly from serious to cheerful to enliven the scenery . The star-studded premiere of »Circus Princess« at the Theater an der Wien in 1926 was an overwhelming success. We admired the gorgeous music, the amazing acrobatics of the dance acts, the lush costumes and, last but not least, the legs of the ballet dancers. The play was also successful in Berlin and opened the gates to New York’s Broadway for Kálmán. Nevertheless, today the operetta is still overshadowed by Kálmán’s previous successes, »Die Csárdásfürstin« and »Countess Mariza«.

Yvonne Kálmán, the composer’s daughter, enthusiastically proclaimed: »Josef E. Köpplinger completed my father’s dream: The Circus Princess in the circus!« And what venue could be better for that than the homestead of circus Krone?

Gallery

Production Notes