In this delightful comic masterpiece by the Berlin School of operetta composer Eduard Künneke, a lonely Wanderer turns the world upside down and finds love in the process.

Directed by Elizabeth Margolius
Conducted by Matthew Cataldi
choreography by Jorge niedas

Our 2012 Chicago premiere of THE COUSIN FROM NOWHERE, by Eduard Künneke. This “fairytale operetta,” known in German as Der Vetter aus Dingsda, was first performed in 1921. It was an instant success and remains Künneke’s best-known work.  THE COUSIN FROM NOWHEREwas well-suited to the less extravagant post-World War I era.  The cast is small, with only nine players and no chorus.

Gone are the belle-époque aristocrats that tended to populate Viennese operetta.  Instead, we are treated to a clever comedy full of instantly recognizable archetypes: the dreamy ingénue and her wisecracking best friend; mooching relatives; the hapless, lovesick milquetoast; and, as love interests for the two young women, two strangers, one of whom might be the “cousin” of the title.  The lovers are happily united by the end of the show, just as they would be in a more conventional operetta plot, but here the audience is in on the illusion.