A bat costume, a royal ball, and revenge served with a waltz. Chaos never looked so elegant.
"Die Fledermaus" (The Bat) is an operetta by Johann Strauss II, also known as "The Waltz King." The new, extraordinary and delightful musical by Kairi Hokusho and the Star troupe breathes fresh life into a work with many a famous song and adoring fans around the world. It is the late 19th century in Vienna. Dr. Falke, together with his good friend, the Marquis Eisenstein, is attending a costume ball hosted by Empress Elisabeth. On the way home, Eisenstein is at a loss over what to do with the intoxicated Falke. He gets carried away and ties up Falke along an avenue. The doctor is stuck there all the night. Falke, trapped in his bat costume until the morning, becomes the laughingstock of the city and earns the nickname "Dr. Bat." He is unable to contain his anger, and to give Marquis Eisenstein a taste of his own medicine, Falke comes up with a plan for sweet revenge. Savor the gamesmanship between masterminds in a musical featuring a unique cast of characters.
Costume
The bat costume is iconic, ridiculous, and plot-pivotal.
Production
Takarazuka's all-female cast transforms gender and genre magnificently.
Direction
Tani balances farce and emotional beats with surgical precision.
Director
Masasumi Tani
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Takarazuka Revue, founded 1913, is Japan's all-female musical theatre phenomenon where women play male 'otokoyaku' roles with devoted fan followings.
Kairi Hokushō's Falke channels both wounded dignity and camp menace—the bat costume becomes a symbol of transformation that transcends the original operetta's farce.
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