Berlin's glamour in ancient Egypt!
The Pearls of Cleopatra
Oscar Straus
Revival
It’s show time in Berlin! ‘And of course, it’s a delight to see Manzel as a heartily in-your-face queen with at least three hearts beating in her chest: that of the power-hungry boss, that of the lovelorn woman, and that of her boozy-sounding cat Ingeborg.’ [DER TAGESSPIEGEL]
Queen Cleopatra’s entire domain is in disarray, with a palace revolt, a drought, a rebellion, and a shortage of men. In such a time of crisis, the only help is in Cleopatra’s pearls . . . of love. Full charge ahead on the audience’s funny bone! ‘The dance ensemble gives the show even more pizzazz by evoking the Roaring Twenties, thrilling the audience with Otto Pichler’s lively choreography.’ [BR KLASSIK]
Queen Cleopatra’s entire domain is in disarray, with a palace revolt, a drought, a rebellion, and a shortage of men. In such a time of crisis, the only help is in Cleopatra’s pearls . . . of love. Full charge ahead on the audience’s funny bone! ‘The dance ensemble gives the show even more pizzazz by evoking the Roaring Twenties, thrilling the audience with Otto Pichler’s lively choreography.’ [BR KLASSIK]
All is not well in the pharaonic household in Alexandria. While the Egyptian queen Cleopatra may possess what other people can only dream of – wealth, power, hundreds of love slaves – she is still absolutely desperate: when will she ever find the one, true love of her life? But a monarch’s despair can be turned to the state’s advantage. Pampylos, Cleopatra’s wily minister, forges a plan with Charmian, the lady-in-waiting: to make Prince Beladonis of Persia the Queen’s lover and ally. But he turns up at the wrong time, and timing is everything … Pampylos’s plans are scotched by a virile Roman warrior who arrives with warnings of a rebellion. The hero’s name is Victorian Silvius (and he’s engaged to Charmian, which adds piquancy).
Cleopatra is thrilled. She bewitches her favourite legionary with wine laced with love pearls, and before the night is over she names him palace commander on account of his special abilities. Pampylos is devastated, but salvation is at hand in the form of a catastrophic drought. The floo- ding of the Nile hasn’t happened and hunger threatens the people of Egypt. Action is needed. Cleopatra travels to the temple of the holy Ptah, Silvius’s fiancée is sup- posed to get married off to Pampylos, and revolutionary forces get ready to stage their coup; ringleader Kophra tries to win over Silvius for the palace putsch.
Cleopatra’s intercession has achieved the desired result: the Nile rises, all Egypt is overjoyed. All Egypt? Kophra’s insurrectionary ambitions are still smouldering. At the last moment Pampylos manages to arrest the rebels.
Cleopatra in her fury knows no mercy; Silvius is also to be punished for loving Charmian. Finally, after all this hullabaloo, the hour of the debutant comes. His name: Beladonis. Yet wine, pearl and love potion do nothing to alleviate the sovereign’s heartache. What will become of Pampylos’s planned alliance? What of the pining Queen? What will Ingeborg advise, and what does Pampylos’s peculiar not mean …?
Operetta in two acts [1932]
Libretto by Julius Brammer and Alfred Grünwald
Libretto by Julius Brammer and Alfred Grünwald
In the repertoire since December 3 2016
Recommende from grade 7
German
3 hr 5 min incl. intermission
Thanks to
Dr. Marshall E. Kavesh und Martin Laiblin
Dr. Marshall E. Kavesh und Martin Laiblin
Further Productions