The National Operetta and Musical Theater "Ion Dacian" presents:
THE LAND OF SMILES
National Operetta and Musical Theater “Ion Dacian” Hall
(Bd. Octavian Goga, no. 1)
June 14, 2025, at 18:00
The artists of the National Operetta and Musical Theater “Ion Dacian” invite you to the operetta “The Land of Smiles” by Franz Lehár. Based on a libretto by Ludwig Herzer and Fritz Löhner-Beda, it presents us with an impossible love story between two completely different worlds. It tells a bittersweet tale “crushed” by the cultural differences between European education and Chinese tradition.
As ambassador in Vienna, Prince Sou-Chong meets Lisa, the daughter of Field Marshal Ferdinand Lichtenfels. Feeling strongly drawn to the beauty of the young woman, Sou-Chong discreetly courts Lisa. Lisa, fascinated by the Eastern world, by the mystery that the prince’s ever-present and kind smile hides, embarks on a great adventure following Sou-Chong to China.
„If I were to invent a subtitle for Franz Lehár's operetta „The Land of Smiles”, it would be ... „The Story of an Illusion”. The European love of Liza for the Chinese prince Sou Chong is a beautiful illusion that every woman has the right to dream of.
Today, the barrier of distance, of worldviews and life perspectives, barely exists except in corners of the world where we talk about extremism. In the last century, the barrier existed.
That is why a love story between an emancipated European like Liza and a Chinese man bound by the restraints of duty and, above all, by a millennia-old tradition like Prince Sou Chong cannot have a happy ending.
I am convinced that Liza has been attracted since childhood by the fascination of the distant East in the tales of the 1001 Nights. Growing up, this fascination intensified. She met the „prince from the tale” and believed she had found ideal happiness. When she entered his world, she realized she faced the harsh reality of mindset differences, education, and customs, experiencing the most dreadful disillusionment.
Symbolically, I wanted to materialize Liza's sensitivity and soul through the embodiment of the fascinating Luan bird from Chinese mythology. It undergoes, throughout the unfolding events, the successive states of happiness, sadness, turmoil, and disappointment of Liza. In contrast to the grace of this bird is the rigidity of the MÄ‚SHOULD from „The Land of Smiles”. As Prince Sou Chong himself says, „he hides his feelings behind a smile”. The mask becomes too heavy for Liza. The ancient mask knows no tolerance. Liza’s soul does not accept compromise. Hence, the inevitable sad ending.
Together with conductor Lucian Vlădescu, set designer Cătălin Ionescu Arbore, and choreographer Mălina Andrei, I envisioned a show in which a burning love and the coexistence of two strongly outlined civilizations awaken in the audience poetry, romance, and sometimes even drama, in a cinematic flow of unfolding action. The projections by Anca Albani also contribute to the poetic imagery, being designed to underline a state, an idea, an ... illusion.
The enchanting music of Lehár was our main guide on this wonderful journey to „The Land of Smiles”. The richness of the score brings this creation closer to opera music. Surely, Lehár was influenced in his dramatic-musical conception by his friend Giacomo Puccini in their long discussions about the art of sound.
I thank the team of the National Operetta and Musical Theater „Ion Dacian” for this collaboration, especially since it materializes in the year in which I celebrate 30 years of activity in the service of the art of musical performance.”
Note: Ticketstore.ro reserves the right to cancel unpaid reservations 48 hours before the show.
For additional details regarding the above event, please contact the organizing company: National Operetta and Musical Theater Ion Dacian, CIF 4340099, BUCHAREST
