"Bat Day" is just around the corner at Vienna's MQ

On April 5, 1874, Johann Strauss's "Die Fledermaus" premiered at the Theater an der Wien. Exactly 151 years after the premiere, the "Bat Day" will be officially declared on Saturday as part of the Strauss Year. Both young and old are welcomed at the MuseumsQuartier to engage with various events, from children's theater to the "Biodiversity Show," exploring both the operetta world hit and the titular flying creature.

Event "Die Fledermaus à la Janoschka" at the Vienna MQ

A highlight of the festive day is certainly the event "Die Fledermaus à la Janoschka" in Hall E of the MQ. The four-member Janoschka Ensemble takes on the classic and attempts a reinterpretation by merging classical music with jazz, pop, and Balkan sounds. The project is enhanced by coloratura soprano Daniela Fally, who will be a special guest. At nightfall, the facade of the cultural area becomes a canvas when the project artists from Modulux not only let bats flutter but also stage an audiovisual spectacle called "In the Rhythm of Time," a trip through the Strauss universe from 1825 to today.

"Creatures of the Night" is what Dominik Eulberg calls his "Biodiversity Show," in which he combines natural history with electronic music in Hall E. Afterwards, the ecologist switches to the DJ booth and performs at the "Bat Rave" at the same location.

Creating Bats and Face Painting for Children

The day also holds plenty for the little ones: At the Zoom Children's Museum, all Strauss fans can create their own bats with a flight expert from 2 PM and let them take to the air. Additionally, the animated films created by children and teenagers during the "Tricky Strauss" workshop in February will be shown. Meanwhile, in the Dschungel, dance, theater, and live music merge under the title "Bats." The participants explore with the young audience (from 4 years old) "echo-location, ultrasound, and operettas, dance flying, rest upside down, and teach each other to play the violin live," according to the organizers. Also in the Dschungel, four dancers and three musicians ask about the rebellious nature of the waltz under the title "valse, valse, valse" (from 11 years old).

Face painting for children and a wheel of fortune in the main courtyard round off the intergenerational program at the MQ. Not far away at Rathausplatz, children from three years old can participate in a Strauss mini-edition ahead of the Vienna City Marathon and flutter along a 200 m long route, preferably in a bat costume.

(APA/Red)

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