Die Herzogin von Chicago

In the organizer's words:

Operetta by Emmerich Kálmán | Text by Julius Brammer and Alfred Grünwald | Version by Peter Lund | In German with German surtitles (vocal numbers)

Charleston, slow fox and waltz, old European pomp and the vibrant, modern America of the 1920s: in Emmerich Kálmán's operetta The Duchess of Chicago, opposites meet - and come together. Just like the millionaire American Mary Lloyd and the tradition-conscious European Prince Sándor.

Mary sets off on a trip to Europe accompanied by a jazz band - carrying her unshakeable belief in the power of money. In Sylvaria, she meets Sándor, whose kingdom is on the verge of bankruptcy. Mary seizes the opportunity and buys her way to the throne on a whim. Then feelings come into play. Mary and Sándor grow closer, as do America and Europe, tradition and modernity. And Mary doubts whether money can really buy everything.

Kálmán reflects the cultural upheavals of the 1920s with ironic wit and dancing lightness. Between fox-trot rhythms and Csárdás melodies, a musical firework display unfolds that celebrates the tension between tradition and progress.