Lyrical show inspired by Offenbach
A new lyrical show titled La Valse rêvée d'Offenbach premiered in France, inspired by the life and works of Jacques Offenbach, a 19th-century composer known for operettas and light-hearted music.Production details and creative team
The production, directed by Barthélémy Fortier and conducted by Guillemette Daboval, features a libretto by Fortier and draws from Offenbach's notable compositions such as La Belle Hélène, Roi Carotte, Orphée aux Enfers, and Les Contes d'Hoffmann. The show is described as a pastiche of an operetta, blending elements of childhood imagination with the magic of the stage.Stage design and visual elements
The production uses simple yet imaginative stage elements, including trestles, water basins, sheets, and origami, which transform into various settings and props. These objects serve as puppets in a shadow theater, creating whimsical and inventive storytelling. The set design is by Hernán Peñuela, with costumes by Alain Blanchot. The musical supervisor is Sandrine Abello.Cast and production support
The cast includes sopranos Jessica Hopkins and Naïma Wanshe, mezzo-soprano Inès Prevet, tenor Arwen Tanguy, baritone Eduard Ferenczi Gurban, actor Antoine Radzikowski, and pianists Vinicius Costa and Anaëlle Reitan. The production is supported by the Société Générale Enterprise Foundation and co-produced with the National Theatre of the Opéra-Comique.Audience and performance schedule
The show is intended for audiences aged eight and older and has a duration of one hour and twenty minutes. It premiered on December 8, 2026, at the Municipal Theatre of Colmar, with subsequent performances scheduled at various venues including the Sarre-Union Social and Cultural Center, La Sinne in Mulhouse, the Theatre of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, the National Opera of the Rhine in Strasbourg, and Art’Rhéna in Vogelgrun.
