34^th Festival Season - 2012

MISS SPRINGTIME

Die Faschingsfee

Music by Emmerich Kálmán

English Performance Translation by Steven Daigle

Additional research and literal translation by Meredith Achey

Original German libretto by A.M. Willner and Rudolf Österreicher

ACT I: Artists in a fashionable Munich café celebrate Carnival season with food, drink, and dance. Painter Viktor Ronai enters and announces that he has just been awarded a 50,000-mark commission to do a fresco for wealthy Count Mereditt, whom he has never met. Hubert, a bon vivant, announces to his girlfriend, the actress/singer/dancer Lori, that he must leave her to attend a society ball. Abandoned and to teach him a lesson, she will nevertheless attend the ball - with the elderly painter Lubitschek. The elegant Princess Alexandra, incognito, seeks asylum in the café after her car breaks down. She is due, in three weeks, to marry Duke Ottokar, who has engaged his cousin Hubert to keep an eye on Alexandra while he is out of town. Keep an eye on her he does, as the two flirt with one another. Alexandra's attentions are quickly diverted, however, when Viktor enters and presents her with a glass of champagne. He appoints her "Carnival Queen;" she will be his "Miss Springtime." Meanwhile, Lori is terribly jealous of the attention that Hubert has been paying Alexandra. His explanation that it is just a family obligation does not placate her one bit. Mereditt enters, sees Alexandra sitting alone, and suggests that they spend the night together. His crass advances are halted by Ronai, who learns that the aggressor is none other than his prize-granting benefactor, who rescinds the commission. Alexandra asks Viktor if she can help - he asks only for the opportunity to see her again.
ACT II: Three weeks later, with his 50,000 marks restored to him by - as he believes - Count Mereditt, Viktor throws a party at his new studio. Since that evening at the café, he has sought in vain to find his Miss Springtime, whose portrait he has painted from memory. Unseen by Viktor, Alexandra arrives and reveals, in conversation with Hubert, that it was really she who secretly provided Viktor his newfound wealth. Viktor appears and Alexandra tells him, with no explanation, that they can never be together. They fantasize about the bliss that would await them if only they could. Mereditt appears and is perplexed when Viktor thanks him for the prize money. To diffuse the situation, Hubert tells Viktor that the 50,000 marks really came from him. Mereditt, to avoid looking like a defaulter, gives Hubert 50,000 marks, which he tries to present to Alexandra. When she refuses, Hubert stuffs the money in her handbag. Lori catches wind of this and, besides thinking that Hubert is two-timing her, tries to convince Viktor that Alexandra is doing likewise to him. Questioned about the money in her purse and the jewels she is wearing, Alexandra cannot bring herself to tell Viktor the whole story - that she is a countess engaged to a duke. When Duke Ottokar arrives to claim his bride, he offers to buy her portrait from Viktor. The artist refuses and throws the painting into the fireplace - for him, Carnival and his one chance at true love are no longer.
ACT III: At the Hotel Regina, Lubitschek questions the Duke on the wisdom of marrying a woman half his age - a woman who is madly in love with another. Hubert, back in good graces with Lori, has explained the mixup with the money to Viktor, who is ashamed of his suspicious behavior and orders Hubert to extend his apologies to Alexandra. She is not so quick to forgive, but dictates to Hubert a formal apology-accepted letter that he is to deliver to Viktor. This stubbornness-induced impasse is mitigated only when the Duke yields to the youthful lovers and Hubert proves that his dictation skills are less than perfect.