Chicago Folks Operetta presents ten (10) performances of Franz Lehár’s The Land of Smiles (originally, Der Land des Lächelns), an operetta in three acts:
Fri 28 Jun 2013 – 7:30 PM Stage 773 (Chicago) tix
Sat 29 Jun 2013 – 7:30 PM Stage 773 (Chicago) tix
Sun 30 Jun 2013 – 3:00 PM Stage 773 (Chicago) tix
Fri 5 Jul 2013 – 7:30 PM Stage 773 (Chicago) tix
Sat 6 Jul 2013 – 7:30 PM Stage 773 (Chicago) tix
Sun 7 Jul 2013 – 2:00 PM Stage 773 (Chicago) tix
Thu 11 Jul 2013 – 7:30 PM Stage 773 (Chicago) tix
Fri 12 Jul 2013 – 7:30 PM Stage 773 (Chicago) tix
Sat 13 Jul 2013 – 7:30 PM Stage 773 (Chicago) tix
Sun 14 Jul 2013 – 2:00 PM Stage 773 (Chicago) tix
CAST:
Geoffrey Agpalo – Sou-Chong (Jun 28, 29, 30, Jul 5,6,11,12,13)
Nicholas Pulikowski – Sou-Chong (Jul 7, 14)/Ensemble
Chelsea Morris – Lisa
Zachary Elmassian – Gustl
Christine Bunuan – Mi
Kevin Grubb – Chang
Jesse Grider – Lichtenfels/Ensemble
Rose Guccione – Excellenz Hardegg/Ensemble
Josh Pritchett – Servant/Ensemble
Michele Braché Agpalo – Lore/Ensemble
Allison Cook – Toni/Ensemble
Katy Harth – Vally/Ensemble
Hayley Camire – Franzi/Ensemble
Angela Zawada – Fini/Ensemble
Fu-Li – Peter Ruger/Ensemble
Eunich – Patrick Willaert/Ensemble
Laura Martino – Ensemble
Russell Yoe – Ensemble
Heather Youngquist – Ensemble
DANCERS:
Kelley Abell, Andrea Collier, William Carlos Angulo, James Stevko
PRODUCTION STAFF:
Elizabeth Margolius – Director
Kim Diehnelt – Conductor
Lighting Designer – Julian Pike
Kate Kamphausen – Costume Designer
Todd Rhoades – Choreographer
Elijah King – Technical Director
Liviu Pasare – Projection Designer
Adrienne Bader – Stage Manager
Rebecca Willingham – Assistant Director
Janelle Boudreau – Assistant Stage Manager
SYNOPSIS:
The operetta is set in Vienna and China in 1912. In act 1 in Vienna, the heroine Countess Lisa marries a Chinese prince and returns with him to his homeland despite the warnings of her friends and family. In act 2, in Peking, she finds that she is unable to come to terms with his culture, and especially that he must take other wives. He assures her that it is just a formality, but unhappiness is inevitable, and she is locked in the palace. Her love changes to hate. In act 3, Prince Sou-Chong is left alone while his beloved Lisa returns to her homeland. His sister, Princess Mi had also become attached to the Viennese official Gustav, and so the ending is doubly sad. But the prince respects the rule of his custom: always smile.