On January 15, we headed to the Oslo Opera House to watch a performance of the Gipsy Princess, also known as the Csárdás. For a lot of us, it was our first time getting to go to an Opera. The performance started at 6pm and was till 9pm. The three hour play had one intermission. The Gipsy Princess was a production put on in Norwegian but they had an English translation available during the show.
[SPOILER ALERT]: The Gipsy Princes tells the story of Sylva and Edwin. Slyva is part of the queer theater community. Edwin is from an upper class business family, whose family traditions are rooted in old money and outdated family culture.
Edwin is engaged to be married to Stasi, who is also from an upper class family. However, he hides this fact from Sylva, even after they had gotten married. This becomes the main conflict in the plot. Sylva leaves for New York and upon return crashes Edwin and Stasi’s engagement party, pretending to be married to someone else. Both of the leading characters realize they still love each other and ultimately declare their love for one another.
The set was very captivating as well as the costumes, as each character had very colorful outfits. The dancers on stage had very neutral costumes, but this did not take away from their movements on stage.
The Gipsy Princess is a very well known production, and one of the most popular operettas. It is a beautiful story about the power of love, especially when one does not align with community norms.
This was an experience that will be a highlight for many of us!
