On Dec.4, the Metropolitan Opera will celebrate the holiday season by reprising Jeremy Sams' production of "Die Fledermaus" starring Susanna Phillips and conducted by Music Director James Levine.

The Music

Johann Strauss, Jr.'s score is one of the most popular operetta's in the repertoire. Unlike opera, operetta is half spoken dialogue and the rest of the work is sung music. Strauss Jr. successfully blends the sparkling bubbly music with substantial and infectious melodies. The score is made up of several challenging solos including the laughing aria "Mein Herr Marquis" and a number of ensembles. The work is particularly famous for its waltz and dance sequence in Act 2. Its overture is also extremely famous and performed often in concerts.

The operetta's text was originally written by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée in German but has been translated to many languages. In the Met's current production, the text was re-written by Sams and is in English.  

The History

The operetta was first presented at the Met in 1905 with Marcella Sembrich in the role of Rosalinde and Andrea Dippel as Eisenstein. The performance also included a gala concert in Act 2 which featured artists like Enrico Caruso and Louise Homer. Since then, the work has been performed 223 times and has numerous times headlined New Year's Eve with special guests in the second act.

The operetta returned when General Manager Rudolf Bing presented a new production in December 1950. That season the work was performed a record 31 times and saw Richard Tucker sing the role of Alfred and Risë Stevens sing the role of Prince Orlofsky. The production also saw actor Jack Gilford come from Broadway to play the jailer Frosch, and soprano Patrice Munsel became a Met star with her comic performance of the maid Adele. Legendary conductor Eugene Ormandy conducted the work that season.

Other performers who took on that 1950 production included Roberta Peters, Eleanor Steber, Anna Moffo and Nico Castel.

In 1986 Otto Schenk directed a new production with Kiri Te Kanawa in the role of Rosalinde, Håkan Hagegård as Eisenstein, Judith Blegen as Adele and Tatiana Troyanos as Prince Orlofsky.

The production was later performed by Barbara Daniels, Thomas Allen, Hermann Prey, June Anderson, Wolfgang Brendel, Russell Braun, Carol Vaness, Jennifer Larmore and most recently in 2005 by Sondra Radvanovsky and Marlis Petersen.

The Production

The Met's current production premiered on Dec. 31, 2013 and is set on New Year's Eve, 1899. Sams directed the production and rewrote the text for the work. The production contains lavish sets and costumes and a number of set pieces.

The cast included Phillips as Rosalinde, Michael Fabiano as Alfred, Paulo Szot as Falke, Christopher Maltman as Eisenstein, Jane Archibald as Adele and Anthony Roth Costanzo as Prince Orlofsky. The production was presented a total of 14 times.

The Performers

Phillips reprises her acclaimed turn as Rosalinde. As aforementioned, the singer sang the role when the production premiered in 2013. Phillips is one of the rising opera singers in the world and has become a Met favorite for her work in Mozart and Puccini works.

Lucy Crowe will sing the role of Adele for the first time at the Met. The singer made her Met debut in 2012 in Mozart' "La Clemenza di Tito." Since then, she has sung all over the world.

Susan Graham will sing Prince Orlofsky, a role she has already performed at the Houston Opera. The American Mezzo is among the most beloved singers in the world and has successfully transitioned from opera, to musicals to operetta. Last season she performed the role of Hanna Glawari in "The Merry Widow" to rave reviews.

Toby Spence returns to the Met in the role of Eisenstein. The British singer made his Met debut in 2010 and has since performed with the company in Mozart's "Die Zauberflote" and Thomas Ades' "The Tempest."

Tony Award winner Szot reprises his acclaimed Dr. Falke. The Brazilian singer made his debut in 2010 in Shostakovich's "The Nose" and has returned to the Met to perform Massenet's "Manon" and John Adams' "The Death of Klinghoffer."

Rounding out the cast are Dimitri Pittas, who will sing the role of Alfred, and Alan Opie, who will sing Frank.

Levine will conduct the 10 performances. It is the first time he conducts the work.