Following a furious success in its premiere year 2011 the Dresden State Operetta will present its three Johann Strauss rarities at the core of this year’s festival programme once more.

“Prince Methusalem” will be shown in Adriana Altaras’ fantastic and imaginative staging. Again in a concert in operettic form you can see German cabaret star Désirée Nick presenting “Carnival in Rome” with her special insights into this not so innocent carnival. Coming back to Dresden after a long time, actor Peter Bause will be this year’s host of “The queen’s lace handkerchief” with his satirical reflection of Strauss’s successful operetta from 1880.

It goes without saying that the famous operettas of Vienna’s king of waltz will also be part of the festival. Besides “The Bat” and “The Gypsy Baron” you can also expect the still regularly performed Jacques Offenbach satires “La Grand Duchesse de Gerolstein” and “La vie Parisienne”. For the “Grand Duchesse” we have convinced star comedian Alfons (in Germany well-renowned Frenchman with his comedy series “Puschel-TV”) to present his moderation that he premiered with in Cologne’s Philharmonic concert house on January 4th, 2012, once again for the Dresden audience.

A further highlight will be George Gershwin’s “Pardon My English”, a musical set in Dresden and well described by its author as a Broadway operetta. Again, a piece you can only see and hear in Dresden.

In addition to this exciting stage programme we will offer VIP tickets which guarantee its holders an evening full of pleasures: a tasty three course menu and a “meet & greet”with the evening’s stars or, on other evenings a discussion with the popular presenter in the theatre restaurant “Fledermaus”. Enjoy eight different works by Strauss, Offenbach or Gershwin in eight days. A variety nowhere to be found except in the Johann Strauss Festival Dresden.

On April 30th 2011 the “Gypsy Baron” ended the first time ever Johann Strauss Festival Dresden, staged by the State Operetta Dresden. During those eight days visitors’ could see seven different works by Strauss and Offenbach. Special highlights were the concerts in operettic form of the less well-known works “Carnival in Rome” (presented by Désirée Nick) and “The queen’s lace handkerchief” (presented by actor Wolfgang Beuschel in a wonderfully comic performance). Proving his abilities as marathon man, chief conductor Ernst Theis was in charge during all eight evenings.

General manager Wolfgang Schaller was quoted saying, “I am very happy and content with the artistic success the festival had with critics and all other audiences. Most probably the audience has registered that we have presented our core competency in operetta performances and also the uniqueness of a festival like this which had to be launched with no extra budget at all.”

• 4104 visitors came to see the first Johann Strauss Festival Dresden, this equals 85% sold seats
• 130 visitors attended on more than one night among them five members of the British Johann Strauss society who attended all eight festival evenings.
• We attracted an international crowd with visitors not only from all parts of Germany but also from Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Japan, Belgium, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Canada, USA and from the Slovak Republic.
• 24 journalists from Germany and abroad followed the festival, amongst them very reownened titles like “Opernwelt”, “Das Opernglas” plus colleagues offering parts in Belgium, Hungary, Denmark, Czech Republic and Austria (“Die Bühne”)