Williams Bay, Wis.— “Die Fledermaus” by Johann Strauss, the most popular operetta in the world, will be presented in George Williams College of Aurora University’s eighth annual Music by the Lake series at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 26 , and at 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 27 .

Performances are sung in English in The Ferro Pavilion at George Williams College, located on the shores of Geneva Lake in Williams Bay, Wis.

Christine Flasch, executive director of Music by the Lake, is the music director and conductor; Carin Silkaitis is the stage director.

The underwriter for this performance is The Bell Family Foundation.

In addition to showcasing several young stars as principals, the opera’s cast includes soloists, a 65-voice opera chorus and a 37-piece orchestra.

Principals are: Phillip Dothard (Dr. Falke), Cartersville, Ga.; Lawrence Johnson (Gabriel von Eisenstein), Tomahawk, Wis.; Victor Khodadad (Alfred), Shiraz, Iran; Rachel Olson (Prince Orlofsky), Naperville, Ill.; Gerrit O'Neill (Frosch and Ivan), Chicago, Ill.; Aaron Stegemoller (Frank), Evergreen Park, Ill.; Julia Tarlo (Adele), Philadelphia, Pa.; Erin Tonn (Sally), Waukesha, Wis.; and Jennifer Townshend (Rosalinda), Enon, Ohio.

A Brief History of Die Fledermaus

“Die Fledermaus” was written during a time of great change in Vienna. Considered one of the most important capitals in Europe during the nineteenth century as home to the prominent Hapsburg family, Vienna was called the “city of dreams.”

Strauss’s music was the perfect entertainment to satisfy tastes at the royal court. The musical comedies of Jacques Offenbach were achieving great popularity in Paris in the 1850s, and the composer encouraged his Viennese colleague to adapt his own compositions to the stage.

Strauss’s wife, a prominent singer at the time along with Max Steiner, the director of the Theater an den Wien convinced Strauss to try his hand at it. His first operettas were not very successful, but when Steiner offered him a text that had been discarded by Offenbach, it proved the perfect vehicle for a new work.

“Die Fledermaus” quickly became the best known of all operettas, securing a place in the active repertory of the finest opera houses in the world.

A Brief Biography of Johann Strauss

Known in his lifetime as “the waltz king,” the son of composer Johann Strauss, Sr. was responsible for elevating the three-quarter-time dance form from a lowly peasant status to entertainment fit for the royal court of Hapsburg.

Throughout the world, “On the Blue Danube,” “Tales from the Vienna Woods,” “Wine, Women and Song,” and many others are instantly recognized and universally enjoyed.

Johann’s composer father forbade his son to study music, educating him to be a banker instead. But his son, under the watchful eye of his mother, studied violin in private with the concertmaster of his father’s own orchestra.

When Johann Sr. left the family to take a mistress, Johann Jr. studied counterpoint and theory, preparing to follow in his father’s footsteps as orchestra leader and violin soloist. When his father passed away, Strauss Jr. combined both orchestras, and toured extensively throughout Austria, Poland and Germany.

He eventually surpassed his father’s fame, becoming one of the most popular waltz composers in the world.

Ticket Information

Single tickets are available for the “Die Fledermaus” Saturday, July 26 , performance in the orchestra seating area for $65, the rear orchestra setting area for $55, the terrace area for $30 and the lawn area for $12. Tickets for the performance on Sunday, July 27 , are available for the following: dress circle seating, $40; orchestra/rear orchestra, $30; and terrace seating, $20.

Lawn seating packages, four tickets redeemable at any Saturday Main Stage Series performance, are available for $40. For tickets, visit the Web site at www.aurora.edu/mbtl or call ( 262) 245-8501 or ( 866) 843-5200 , toll free.

For the July 26 -27 performances of the "Die Fledermaus" operetta, a dinner featuring Viennese cuisine will be served. The dinner is at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 26 , and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 27 , at GWC's Beasley Campus Center. Tickets are $30 per person, $55 for two people (performance tickets not included). To place dinner orders, call ( 262) 245-8501 .

Music by the Lake Series Information

For the first time, the summer season of eight performances includes the Main Stage Series, with four Saturday evening performances; the Sundays at 4 Series, featuring classical chamber music performances; and the season finale Spotlight Concert.

The Main Stage series continues with:

• Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, an 18-piece big band jazz ensemble with a contemporary sound, and vocalist Patti Austin, the 2008 Grammy winning artist for Jazz Vocal Album of the Year, Saturday, Aug. 9, at 7:30 p.m. This performance is supported by the Arts Midwest’s Performing Arts Fund.

The Sundays at 4 Series continues with:

• Chicago Brass Quintet, music of all periods and styles with a dose of good humor, Sunday, Aug. 3, at 4 p.m.

The following individuals helped to establish the new Sundays at 4 Series: The Bell Family Foundation, Opera Underwriter; Mr. Harold Hartshorne, Jr., Sundays at 4 Series Underwriter; and the Judith and John Graff Charitable Fund, Sundays at 4 Silver Sponsor.

This year’s Spotlight Concert features:

• Kenny Loggins, two-time Grammy Award winning superstar, in the season finale Saturday, Aug. 16, at 7:30 p.m. The artist underwriter is The J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation.

Music by the Lake guests are invited to purchase a gourmet box dinner prior to performances. Box dinners are available for the July 26 , Aug. 9 and Aug. 16 concerts. Dinners are $24.95 each and must be ordered seven days before a performance. To place box dinner orders, call ( 262) 245-8501 .

The 2008 Music by the Lake concert series is generously supported by presenting sponsor Keefe Real Estate; platinum sponsors AT&T, FairWyn Investment & Development, Gage Marine and Lake Geneva Cruise Line, and Scherrer Construction, Inc.; gold sponsors Aurora Health Care, Grand Geneva Resort and Spa, HGA Architects and Engineers, and Larson Sheet Metal, Inc.; and silver sponsors The Abbey Resort, Balestrieri Environmental & Development, Inc., First Banking Center, Johnson Bank, M&I Wealth Management, Sodexho Campus Services, Walworth State Bank, and Arts Midwest’s Performing Arts Fund.

Aurora University is an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning. Approximately 4,000 degree-seeking students are enrolled each year on the university’s Illinois and Wisconsin campuses, and the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association to award degrees at the baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels. The George Williams College campus offers 14 academic programs, unique conference facilities and is home to Music by the Lake and other education and enrichment programs.