What better way to close out the school year than a lighthearted operetta about love and sexual affairs?

On April 22 and 23, the School of Music is presenting a full-scale production of Johann Strauss’ classic 1874 Austrian opera, “Die Fledermaus,” complete with a full orchestra and a cast and crew of around 130 people.

Robert Breault, the director of the opera, said the performance, which will take place at 7:30 p.m. each night, “is a commentary on the upper-crust of society.”

Guest director Michael Pinkerton said the level of production on this story is surprisingly high for a university.

“The students are really, really good. They care about the art form and exhibit a professional flair,” Pinkerton said.

Pinkerton is a guest director from Vienna, Austria, who stepped in to direct the opera after Spring Break. With the exception of the language, which is translated from the original German to English, he decided to keep as true to the original opera as possible in regards to costume, set and style choices.

Anthony Buck, a doctoral student and cast member, translated the piece in an effort to help the audience connect to the story.

“[The cast] is energetic, focused and thoughtful, not unusual for a comedy,” Buck said. “Audiences will come out having really enjoyed the show.”

Buck said working under Pinkerton has been an incredible experience that has greatly impacted the show because of his great sense of comedy.

The hand-picked cast was selected at the beginning of last semester and began rehearsing together in February. The performance is double-casted, meaning the show will feature different people for each night, with the exception of two actors who play the same character each night.

Robert Baldwin, the associate director for graduate studies at the school, is directing the orchestra, which is smaller than other musical accompaniments to operas with about 50 members participating.

Another way the orchestra departs from other operas is that it uses a style of waltz particular to Vienna. Difficult to learn, the meter of this dance took the orchestra multiple rehearsals to finally get it right, said Gerrit Seymour, a percussionist in the group. But after two weeks of constant rehearsals, he said they have finally gotten the music down.

“I know the music,” Seymour said. “And the music is fantastic.”

Several important figures will be in attendance, including Maria E. Franquiz, the dean of education, and Nancy Peery Marriott, of the Marriott Foundation.

A huge community effort went into making the opera happen, Breault said. The entire show is professionally costumed, and several set pieces were borrowed from the recent musical “Hello, Dolly.”

m.murri@dailyutahchronicle.com

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