TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — National Taichung Theater staged new productions of the romantic operetta “Das Land des Lachelns” last Friday and Sunday, featuring a Taiwanese interpretation.
Composed by Austria’s Franz Lehar, “The Land of Smiles” tells the bittersweet love story between Austrian Countess Lisa and Chinese Prince Sou-Chong. It is one of Lehar’s most famous works after “The Merry Widow.”
The production replaced the original setting with a modern backdrop, removing the traditional East-West dichotomy. A blend of punk rock and new-age music provided a fresh take on the operetta’s score.
Originally set in 1912 Vienna and China, the story follows Countess Lisa as she marries Prince Sou-Chong and moves with him to Beijing. Lisa struggles to adjust to his culture, particularly the practice of multiple wives, according to Josef Weinberger.
Despite his reassurances, their unhappiness is inevitable, leading to her confinement in the palace. Lisa’s love turns to resentment.
The opera concludes with a double heartbreak as Lisa returns to Vienna, leaving Prince Sou-Chong alone. Sou-Chong's sister, Princess Mi, is also separated from her Viennese love.
Despite his sorrow, the prince adheres to the cultural tradition of always smiling.
Director Wang Chia-ming (王嘉明) explained that the production explores cultural clashes and binary oppositions between Europe and China. The original Vienna scenes were reimagined as a German arms-dealing gangster bar, with neon lights and loud music, creating an atmosphere of indulgence and surreal decadence.
The Beijing palace was reimagined as a white, Zen-inspired retreat, evoking tranquility with a psychedelic, cult-like undercurrent. The “smiles” in the story took on a more mysterious significance, and the ending was subtly altered to heighten the emotional tension.
