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The Vancouver Opera opens its 65th season with Johann Strauss II’s The bat. This comic operetta is known for its light-hearted charm, snappy melodies and comedic plot centred on mishaps and mistaken identities.

The story follows Gabriel von Eisenstein, who, on the eve of his short prison sentence, is persuaded by his friend Dr. Falke to attend a masked ball. Unbeknownst to Eisenstein, Falke is planning a light-hearted revenge on him for an earlier prank.

With director Ashlie Corcoran, she returns after her success with The Magic Flute and Vancouver Opera Music Director Jacques Lacombe leads the orchestra, The bat is reinterpreted as a story from the 1960s.

“This production of The bat is set in the vibrant, playful world of the 1960s,” says director Corcoran in a press release. “Popular references from the era are everywhere – especially in the second act, where the unsuspecting players in Falke’s game find themselves at a themed costume party. Characters from 1960s cinema and television swirl across the stage, and at this party there are layers upon layers of disguise, intrigue and deception.”

The bat

When: October 26, October 31, November 2 and November 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Tickets: $25+, available here