Annex I Franz Lehár’s The Land of Smiles Exclusive Group Booking Discount (50% Off) Application Deadline: 30 April 2015 Presented by Opera Hong Kong A Co-production of of Opera Hong Kong and Theater Erfurt (Germany) Music: Franz Lehár Libretto: Ludwig Herzer and Fritz Löhner-Beda Performed in German with Chinese and English Surtitles Producer: Warren Mok Enquiry: Flavia Ho Director and Lighting Designer: Guy Montavon Tel: 2234 0303 Conductor: Xu Zhong Fax: 2234 0505 Email: [email protected] Hong Kong Sinfonietta Opera Hong Kong Chorus Main Cast* Lisa: Sabina Cvilak (soprano) Sou-Chong: Won Whi Choi (tenor) Gustav: James Price (tenor) Mi: Sandy Leung (soprano) Tschang: Sammy Chien (baritone) Chief Eunuch: Chen Yong (tenor) *The presenter reserves the right to replace artists at short notice in the event of the said performer(s)’ indisposition or other unforeseen circumstances. Composed in 1929, The Land of Smiles (Das Land des Lächelns) has remained a staple in the operetta repertory, and is performed in the United States, Canada and Germany in the past 2 years alone. Opera Hong Kong takes pride in presenting the work’s Hong Kong Première in a new production featuring collaboration of artists from Hong Kong, Germany, China, Korea, Slovenia, Taiwan and the USA. The Land of Smiles was composed by Franz Lehár, famous for his operettas including the perennial favourite The Merry Widow. He has offered this work the aria “Dein ist mein ganzes Herz”, which became a signature tune for the tenor Richard Tauber who first sang it, and was popularized further in the 1950s by Mario Lanza, singing it in English as “Yours Is My Heart Alone” on radio. Plácido Domingo sang it in German at the very first Three Tenors concert preluding the 1990 World Cup in Rome, which helped sustain its popularity as one of the best known operetta melodies. The bittersweet story – one of love and duty across cultural boundaries – opens when Viennese aristocrat Lisa marries the Chinese Prince Sou-Chong, and returns with him to his homeland despite the warnings of friends and family. She soon finds it difficult to accept the demands of the Chinese way of life, especially the requirement that Sou-Chong must take other wives. The Prince’s assurances do little to calm Lisa, whose affection for the Prince gradually transforms to hatred. She decides at last to leave the Prince and return to Vienna. The ending becomes doubly sad when Mi, the sister of the Prince, falls in love with the Viennese official Gustav but is eventually parted. Forced to let go of Lisa, despite the melancholy, Sou-Chong chooses to follow the custom of his homeland: always smile. Programme Information 7-9.5.2015 (Thu-Sat) 7:45pm (Evening Performance) Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre Discounted Price: $340, $270, $190, $120, $50 Original Price: $680, $540, $380, $240, $100 .