It’s Bobbie’s 35th birthday party, and all her friends keep asking, Why isn’t she married? Why can’t she find the right man and isn’t it time to settle down and start a family? As Bobbie searches for answers, she discovers why being single, being married, and being alive in 21st-Century New York could drive a person crazy.

故事发生在1905 年的俄国犹太村庄阿那特夫卡，几个世纪来，这个乌克兰的小镇一直居住着犹太人，他们保持着犹太传统。牛奶场主泰维和他的妻子高尔德以及他们的5个女儿过着再普通不过什至有些拮据的家庭生活。令泰维震惊的是，他的女儿们都定以自己的方式表达对爱情和婚姻的理解，并且以非传统的方式举行婚礼。
大女儿特热特尔没有遵照父亲的意愿与经济条件还不错的的屠夫沃尔夫结婚，而是想嫁给穷裁缝莫特尔。经历了一番思想斗争，泰维终于同意了这对有情人的婚事，还帮助妻子改变了一些传统偏见。
二女儿霍德儿爱上了一个革命者帕契克，当帕契克被流放到西伯利亚时，她跟随他一起去了那里。泰维必须在女儿的幸福与自己的信仰之间做出选择。深受儿女们爱情感染的泰维使他对女儿的深情与理解超越了传统的束缚。所以尽管很担忧，但是他仍然答应了孩子们的请求。
三女儿查娃则爱上了邻村的一个俄罗斯青年农民菲德卡，还背着父亲嫁给了这位异教徒。这是泰维坚决反对的的婚姻，无奈女儿和情人只好私奔了。泰维对心爱女儿的背叛难过极了。
后来由于沙皇的哥萨克轻骑兵的破坏，泰维难以忍受的灾难是犹太人将被驱逐。使得泰维定走向新大陆的难民队伍，举家搬迁到美国。一家人准备收拾行李上路。泰维想到了他的女儿们，大女儿特热特尔和莫特尔定待在波兰首都华沙，直至他们挣够了钱就去美国。二女儿霍德尔和帕契克仍然在西伯利亚。三女儿查娃和菲德卡这时又来到泰维面前，查娃告诉父亲她也要和菲德卡离开了。在最后的歌声中，人们告别了阿那特夫卡，屠夫沃尔夫将到芝加哥投奔哥哥，渴望得到父亲对她和丈夫理解和接受的查娃也终于得到了父亲在纽约相见的承诺。人们踏上了走向新大陆的难民队伍，包括那位提琴手。队伍黑鸦鸦的一片，艰难而又充满希望的旅途开始了。

第一幕
二戰將近，德國，一間小酒店裡，主持人歡迎我們的來臨。("Wilkommen")美國作家克里夫來到，發覺艾朗斯介紹的酒店差強人意，地主茀蘿蓮要他別對此要求太高。("So What?")克里夫無奈接受，在找尋靈感的時候他遇到吧女莎莉，她的表演極為精采。("Don't Tell Mama")二人一拍即合，("Telephone Song")莎莉更搬到了克里夫的房間。("Perfectly Marvelous")二人被主持人介紹兩個女人，帶出一段匪而所思的故事。("Two Ladies")茀蘿蓮被猶太水果商赫爾追求，("It Couldn't Please Me More")然後主持人和侍應們唱出一段對祖國的詩歌。("Tomorrow Belongs to Me")
此時克里夫被莎莉影響，開始走上歪路，同意犯法，對他而言這就像發夢。("Why Should I Wake Up?")主持人出現，向所有人說著錢的可愛之處。("The Money Song")赫爾和茀蘿蓮結婚，看來好像有些轉機。("Married")可是艾朗斯卻認為這不是一個好結果，他一直在留意外面的動靜。("Meeskite")
第二幕
(Entr'acte")
主持人又出現，在酒店裡和一個女人共舞，並指出金玉其外敗絮其中的道理。(If You Could See Her")果然艾朗斯的預感中了，茀蘿蓮把婚禮得到的禮物都退回並不結婚了，因為她知道和一猶太人一起會使她生意難做。("What Would You Do?")克里夫也開始害怕納粹德軍，並和艾朗斯鬧翻。他要莎莉和他一起離開去美國，可莎莉已經在酒店裡不能自拔，於是決意把二人的孩子打掉。("Cabaret")落寞的克里夫一人在回程火車上沉思，並開始借此經驗寫書。主持人出現，把兩個空間連接，酒店的荒唐氣氛提示了我們：煩惱還陸續有來。("Finale")

正當有人為現在劇場而哀嘆的時候，我們來到一所普通的房子，裡面椅子上坐著一個普通的男人，他正要向觀眾播放一張他最喜愛，卻也很舊(1927年)的一套音樂劇"悶伴"的唱片。("Overture")該音樂劇一開始的時候每個角色已經非常鮮明：房子主人托登戴爾夫人、管家任德寧、新郎羅拔、新娘同時亦是女明星的珍妮特、伴郎佐治、珍妮特的"悶伴"、一心阻止婚禮珍妮特的製作人費特薜(Feldzieg，這是暗指著名百老匯早期製作人齊格非Ziegfeld)、珍妮特同行姬蒂、情聖亞度科、以及兩個扮成廚子被派進來阻隢婚禮的黑社會拍檔。("Fancy Dress")羅拔讓佐治冷靜下來，("Cold Feet")卻被提點跟據傳統，他直至婚禮前都不能見新娘，佐治讓他綁著雙眼去玩滾軸溜冰去。珍妮特要結婚讓媒體哄動，她表明已經決定退出娛樂圈了。("Show Off")

然而珍妮特卻其實不肯定羅拔愛的是她本人還是明星珍妮特，悶伴讓她出去試一試。("As We Stumble Along")而受費特薜唆擺的亞度科誤認悶伴為珍妮特對其勾引。("I am Aldolpho")羅拔在公園仍然在蒙著雙眼滾軸溜冰，卻遇上了珍妮特假扮的法國女孩咪咪，二人旋即戀上，珍妮特突然清醒過來打其一巴遠去。("Accident Waiting to Happen")眾人亂成一團，("Toledo Surprise")珍妮特決定不嫁了。椅子上的人乘機去了廁所，我們卻發現第二幕已經開始了。("Message from a Nightingale")珍妮特為自己感悲傷，("Bride's Lament")而托登戴爾夫人和任德寧則討論著年青人的愛。("Love is Always Lovely in the End")突然電話響起幾乎破壞了整個氣氛，椅子上的人憤而將其擲去。珍妮特向悶伴求援，椅子上的人提醒觀眾這是全劇的重點所在，然而，因為椅子上的人聽這段實在太多次了，那唱片已經損壞，所以眾人甚麼也聽不到！

無論如何，珍妮特經過這一番話後便決定嫁給羅拔了。佐治宣佈婚禮繼續，並加多三對新人：任德寧和托登戴爾夫人、亞度科和悶伴、費特薜和姬蒂，之不過他卻忘了叫証婚人來。("George's Triumph")還好突然飛機師德利絲來到，讓眾人在飛機之上行婚禮，順便去渡蜜月。("I Do, I Do in the Sky")就在快要高潮的時候　－　椅子上的人的電力突然中止了。他有點茫然的獨自唱著，卻發現眾角色已經在其腦海揮之不去，眾人大合唱結束這一趟回憶旅程。("As We Stumble Along (Reprise)")

Shaw characterised Saint Joan as "A Chronicle Play in 6 Scenes and an Epilogue". Joan, a simple peasant girl, hears voices which she claims to be those of Saint Margaret, Saint Catherine, and the archangel Michael, sent by God to guide her conduct.
Scene 1 begins with Robert de Baudricourt complaining about the inability of the hens on his farm to produce eggs. Joan claims that her voices are telling her to raise a siege against Orléans, and to allow her several of his men for this purpose. Joan also says that she will eventually crown the Dauphin in Rheims cathedral. de Baudricourt ridicules Joan, but his servant feels inspired by her words. de Baudricourt eventually begins to feel the same sense of inspiration, and gives his consent to Joan. The servant enters at the end of the scene to exclaim that the hens have begun to lay eggs again. de Baudricourt interprets this as a sign from God of Joan's divine inspiration.
In Scene 2 (8 March 1429), Joan talks her way into being received at the court of the weak and vain Dauphin. There, she tells him that her voices have commanded her to help him become a true king by rallying his troops to drive out the English occupiers and restore France to greatness. Joan succeeds in doing this through her excellent powers of flattery, negotiation, leadership, and skill on the battlefield.
In Scene 3 (29 April 1429), Dunois and his page are waiting for the wind to turn so that he and his forces can lay siege to Orléans. Joan and Dunois commiserate, and Dunois attempts to explain to her more pragmatic realities of an attack, without the wind at their back. Her replies eventually inspire Dunois to rally the forces, and at the scene's end, the wind turns in their favour.
Ultimately she is betrayed, and captured by the English at the siege of Compiègne. Scene 6 (30 May 1431) deals with her trial. John de Stogumber is adamant that she be executed at once. The Inquisitor, the Bishop of Beauvais, and the Church officials on both sides of the trial have a long discussion on the nature of her heresy. Joan is brought to the court, and continues to assert that her voices speak to her directly from God and that she has no need of the Church's officials. This outrages de Stogumber. She acquiesces to the pressure of torture at the hands of her oppressors, and agrees to sign a confession relinquishing the truth behind her voices, so that she can live a life in permanent confinement without hope of parole. Upon hearing this, Joan changes her mind:
Joan: "You think that life is nothing but not being dead? It is not the bread and water I fear. I can live on bread. It is no hardship to drink water if the water be clean. But to shut me from the light of the sky and the sight of the fields and flowers; to chain my feet so that I can never again climb the hills. To make me breathe foul damp darkness, without these things I cannot live. And by your wanting to take them away from me, or from any human creature, I know that your council is of the devil."
Joan accepts the ultimate punishment of death at the stake as preferable to such an imprisoned existence. de Stogumber vehemently demands that Joan then be taken to the stake for immediate execution. The Inquisitor and the Bishop of Beauvais excommunicate her and deliver her into the hands of the English. The Inquisitor asserts that Joan was fundamentally innocent, in the sense that she was sincere and had no understanding of the church and the law. de Stogumber re-enters, screaming and severely shaken emotionally after seeing Joan die in the flames, the first time that he has witnessed such a death, and realising that he has not understood what it means to burn a person at the stake until he has actually seen it happen. A soldier had given Joan two sticks tied together in a cross before the moment of her death. Bishop Martin Ladvenu also reports that when he approached with a cross to let her see the cross before she died, and he approached too close to the flames, she had warned him of the danger from the stake, which convinced him that she could not have been under the inspiration of the devil.
In the Epilogue, 25 years after Joan's execution, a new trial has cleared her of heresy. Brother Martin brings the news to the now-King Charles. Charles then has a dream in which Joan appears to him. She begins conversing cheerfully not only with Charles, but with her old enemies, who also materialise in the King's bedroom. An emissary from the present day (at the time of the play, the 1920s) brings news that the Catholic Church is to canonise her, in the year 1920. Joan says that saints can work miracles, and asks if she can be resurrected. At this, all the characters desert her one by one, asserting that the world is not prepared to receive a saint such as her. The last to leave is the English soldier, who is about to engage in a conversation with Joan before he is summoned back to hell at the end of his 24-hour respite. The play ends with Joan ultimately despairing that mankind will never accept its saints:
O God that madest this beautiful earth, when will it be ready to accept thy saints? How long, O Lord, how long?

历史上仅有的8部获普利策戏剧奖的音乐剧之一。音乐剧黄金组合R&H，Richard Rodgers和Oscar Hammerstein II的代表作。该剧当时在托尼奖上同时拿下最佳音乐剧、最佳剧本、最佳词曲、最佳男女主角、最佳导演这六项重量级奖项，实属罕见。该剧也再次验证了Richard Rodgers和Oscar Hammerstein II在音乐剧领域的重要地位，而“音乐”与“戏剧”结合的概念，也在他们的手中逐渐成为日后音乐剧的主流形式。
Act I
On a South Pacific island during World War II, two half-Polynesian children,[9] Ngana and Jerome, happily sing as they play together ("Dites-Moi"). Ensign Nellie Forbush, a naïve U.S. Navy nurse from Little Rock, Arkansas, has fallen in love with Emile de Becque, a middle-aged French plantation owner, though she has known him only briefly. Even though everyone else is worried about the outcome of the war, Nellie tells Emile that she is sure everything will turn out all right ("Cockeyed Optimist"). Emile also loves Nellie, and each wonders if the other reciprocates his/her feelings ("Twin Soliloquies"). Emile expresses his feelings for Nellie, recalling how they met at the officers' club dance and instantly were attracted to each other ("Some Enchanted Evening"). Nellie, promising to think about their relationship, returns to the hospital. Emile calls Ngana and Jerome to him, revealing to the audience that they are his children, unbeknownst to Nellie.
Meanwhile, the restless American seabees, led by crafty Luther Billis, the sailors' leading comic relief, lament the absence of women to relieve their boredom. Navy nurses are commissioned officers and thus off-limits to enlisted men. There is one civilian woman on the island, nicknamed "Bloody Mary", a sassy middle-aged Tonkinese vendor of grass skirts, who engages the sailors in sarcastic, flirtatious banter as she tries to sell them her wares ("Bloody Mary"). Billis yearns to visit the nearby island of Bali Ha'i — which is off-limits to all but officers — supposedly to witness a Boar's Tooth Ceremony; the other sailors josh him, saying that his real motivation is to see the young French women there. Billis and the sailors further lament their lack of feminine companionship ("There is Nothing Like a Dame").
U.S. Marine Lieutenant Joseph Cable arrives on the island from Guadalcanal, having been sent to take part in a dangerous spy mission whose success could turn the tide of the war against Japan. Bloody Mary tries to persuade Cable to visit "Bali Ha'i", mysteriously telling him that it is his special island. Billis, seeing an opportunity, urges Cable to go. Cable meets with his commanding officers, Captain George Brackett and Commander William Harbison, who plan to ask Emile to help with the mission because he used to live on the island where the mission will take place. They ask Nellie to help them find out more about Emile's background, for example, his politics and why he left France. They have heard, for instance, that Emile committed a murder, and this might make him less than desirable for such a mission.
After thinking a bit more about Emile and deciding she has become attracted on the basis of little knowledge of him, Nellie tells the other nurses that she intends to spurn him ("I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair"). Emile arrives unexpectedly and invites Nellie to a party where he will introduce her to his friends. Seeing how much he cares about her, Nellie realizes she is still in love with him, and accepts his invitation. Emile again declares his love and asks Nellie to marry him. When she mentions politics, he speaks of universal freedom, and describes fleeing France after resisting a local bully and choking him to death in self-defense. After hearing this, Nellie agrees to marry Emile. After he exits, Nellie joyously declares her love for Emile ("I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy").
Cable's mission is to land on a Japanese-held island and report on Japanese ship movements. The Navy officers ask Emile to be Cable's guide, but he refuses their request because of his hopes for a new life with Nellie. Commander Harbison, the executive officer, tells Cable to go on leave until the mission can take place. Billis convinces Lt. Cable to take him to Bali Ha'i. There, Billis participates in the native ceremony, while Bloody Mary introduces Cable to her beautiful daughter, Liat, with whom he must communicate in French. Believing that Liat's only chance at a better life is to marry an American officer, Mary leaves Liat alone with Cable. The two are instantly attracted to each other and make love ("Younger Than Springtime"). Billis and the rest of the crew are ready to leave the island, yet must wait for Cable who, unbeknownst to them, is with Liat ("Bali Ha'i" (Reprise)). Bloody Mary proudly tells Billis that Cable is going to be her son-in-law.
Meanwhile, after Emile's party, Emile and Nellie reflect on how happy they are to be in love (Reprises of "A Wonderful Guy", "Twin Soliloquies", "Cockeyed Optimist" and "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair"). Emile introduces Nellie to Jerome and Ngana. Though she finds them charming, she is shocked when Emile reveals that they are his children by a native woman, now deceased. Nellie is unable to overcome her deep-seated racial prejudices and tearfully leaves Emile, after which he reflects sadly on what might have been ("Some Enchanted Evening" (Reprise)).
Act II
It is Thanksgiving Day. The seabees and nurses dance in a holiday revue titled "Thanksgiving Follies". In the past week, an epidemic of malaria has hit the island of Bali Ha'i. Having visited Bali Ha'i often to be with Liat, Cable is also ill, but escapes from the hospital to be with Liat. As Liat and Cable spend more time together, Bloody Mary is delighted. She encourages them to continue their carefree life on the island ("Happy Talk") and urges them to marry. Cable, aware of his family's prejudices, says he cannot marry a Tonkinese girl. Bloody Mary furiously drags her distraught daughter away, telling Cable that Liat must now marry a much older French plantation owner instead. Cable laments that Liat is no longer part of his life ("Younger Than Springtime" [Reprise]).
For the final number of the Thanksgiving Follies, Nellie performs a comedy burlesque dressed as a sailor singing the praises of "his" sweetheart ("Honey Bun"). Billis plays Honey Bun, dressed in a blond wig, grass skirt and coconut-shell bra. After the show, Emile asks Nellie to reconsider. She insists that she cannot feel the same way about him since she knows about his children's Polynesian mother.
Emile asks Cable why he and Nellie have such prejudices. Cable, filled with self-loathing, replies that "it's not something you're born with", yet it is an ingrained part of their upbringing ("You've Got to Be Carefully Taught"). He also vows that if he gets out of the war alive, he won't go home to the United States. Emile imagines what might have been ("This Nearly Was Mine"). Dejected and feeling that he has nothing to lose, he agrees to join Cable on his dangerous mission. The mission begins with plenty of air support. Offstage, Billis stows away on the plane, falls out, and ends up in the ocean waiting to be rescued; the massive rescue operation inadvertently becomes a diversion that allows Emile and Cable to land on the other side of the island undetected. The two send back reports on Japanese ships' movements in the "Slot"; American aircraft intercept and destroy the Japanese ships. When the Japanese Zeros strafe the Americans' position, Emile narrowly escapes, but Cable is killed.
Nellie learns of Cable's death and that Emile is missing. She realizes that she was foolish to reject Emile because of the race of his children's mother. Bloody Mary and Liat come to Nellie asking where Cable is; Mary explains that Liat refuses to marry anyone but him. Nellie comforts Liat. Cable and Emile's espionage work has made it possible for a major offensive, "Operation Alligator", to begin. The previously idle sailors, including Billis, go off to battle.
Nellie spends time with Jerome and Ngana and soon comes to love them. While the children are teaching her to sing "Dites-Moi," suddenly Emile's voice joins them. Emile has returned, to discover that Nellie has overcome her prejudices and has fallen in love with his children. Emile, Nellie and the children rejoice ("Dites-Moi" (Reprise)).

克里斯蒂安是个有着极高艺术天分的青年诗人，由于无法忍受庸庸碌碌的父亲而离开了家前往巴黎，在社会低层的波希米亚人聚居区蒙马特(Montmartre)落脚。不久，克里斯蒂安结识了一个整天苦艾酒不离手的艺术家图卢斯-劳特瑞克，而这个艺术家的生活圈子是以“红磨坊”夜总会为中心的，这是一个充满性、狂热和疯狂康康舞的世界。克里斯蒂安很快融入其中，为了伙伴们的舞台剧被采用克里斯蒂安来到了红磨坊。在这里，克里斯蒂安疯狂地爱上了“红磨坊”的明星莎婷，她是一颗"闪亮的钻石"，是“红磨坊”乃至巴黎最漂亮的妓女。莎婷虽是红磨坊的舞女的她却不甘堕落她梦想一天会离开这里成为演员，于是在红磨坊灯光熄灭时她对月抒怀。同样的一天还有一个人爱上了莎婷，他就是有权势的公爵。克里斯蒂安与莎婷的事情暴露后两人决定远走高飞，莎婷返回收拾行李时被奉命而来的红磨坊经理人拦下，为留下莎婷红磨坊经理人将公爵的决定告诉了莎婷，如果她仍执迷不悟公爵将杀死克里斯蒂安，并且莎婷积劳成疾已经确诊为肺结核不久于人世。想到此莎婷决定用谎言骗克里斯蒂安要他放弃。太阳初升，工人们在为克里斯蒂安所写的舞台剧首演而忙碌，新的一天对于他们是希望而莎婷此时出发却是两人爱情的终结，在恢弘的背景音乐下，是红磨坊经理人催促工人们工作也是他催促莎婷快快决定的声音，节奏有力，莎婷冷傲的面颊上没有丝毫表情，然而观众们分明在众人的合唱中听到了莎婷痛苦的呻吟和最绝望的歌声。克里斯蒂安痛苦万分，波希米亚人的安慰他说：“有些事情并不是眼睛所看的那样。”使克里斯蒂安产生疑问，决定在首映当晚再一次去红磨坊，也是他最后一次去那里。看到了克里斯蒂安莎婷在也难以抑制自己的情绪于是在舞台剧上唱起克里斯蒂安为她所做的歌，望见泪流满面莎婷克里斯蒂安与莎婷重归于好，气急败坏的公爵想开枪杀死二人，但关键时刻经理人救了二人，全场的观众为克里斯蒂安和莎婷喝彩。 舞台剧获得空前成功，帷幕落下，但天意弄人莎婷因病去世。但她希望克里斯蒂安将他们之间的故事写下来，这样他们就会永远在一起，而克里斯蒂安也懂得了——爱会永远存在。

克里斯蒂安是个有着极高艺术天分的青年诗人，由于无法忍受庸庸碌碌的父亲而离开了家前往巴黎，在社会低层的波希米亚人聚居区蒙马特(Montmartre)落脚。不久，克里斯蒂安结识了一个整天苦艾酒不离手的艺术家图卢斯-劳特瑞克，而这个艺术家的生活圈子是以“红磨坊”夜总会为中心的，这是一个充满性、狂热和疯狂康康舞的世界。克里斯蒂安很快融入其中，为了伙伴们的舞台剧被采用克里斯蒂安来到了红磨坊。在这里，克里斯蒂安疯狂地爱上了“红磨坊”的明星莎婷，她是一颗"闪亮的钻石"，是“红磨坊”乃至巴黎最漂亮的妓女。莎婷虽是红磨坊的舞女的她却不甘堕落她梦想一天会离开这里成为演员，于是在红磨坊灯光熄灭时她对月抒怀。同样的一天还有一个人爱上了莎婷，他就是有权势的公爵。克里斯蒂安与莎婷的事情暴露后两人决定远走高飞，莎婷返回收拾行李时被奉命而来的红磨坊经理人拦下，为留下莎婷红磨坊经理人将公爵的决定告诉了莎婷，如果她仍执迷不悟公爵将杀死克里斯蒂安，并且莎婷积劳成疾已经确诊为肺结核不久于人世。想到此莎婷决定用谎言骗克里斯蒂安要他放弃。太阳初升，工人们在为克里斯蒂安所写的舞台剧首演而忙碌，新的一天对于他们是希望而莎婷此时出发却是两人爱情的终结，在恢弘的背景音乐下，是红磨坊经理人催促工人们工作也是他催促莎婷快快决定的声音，节奏有力，莎婷冷傲的面颊上没有丝毫表情，然而观众们分明在众人的合唱中听到了莎婷痛苦的呻吟和最绝望的歌声。克里斯蒂安痛苦万分，波希米亚人的安慰他说：“有些事情并不是眼睛所看的那样。”使克里斯蒂安产生疑问，决定在首映当晚再一次去红磨坊，也是他最后一次去那里。看到了克里斯蒂安莎婷在也难以抑制自己的情绪于是在舞台剧上唱起克里斯蒂安为她所做的歌，望见泪流满面莎婷克里斯蒂安与莎婷重归于好，气急败坏的公爵想开枪杀死二人，但关键时刻经理人救了二人，全场的观众为克里斯蒂安和莎婷喝彩。 舞台剧获得空前成功，帷幕落下，但天意弄人莎婷因病去世。但她希望克里斯蒂安将他们之间的故事写下来，这样他们就会永远在一起，而克里斯蒂安也懂得了——爱会永远存在。

四名僧侣吟唱着一段古老的故事：上帝创造了世界，然后创造了男人和女人。再然后，男人和女人开始为他们的第一次约会做准备了...
　　本剧从一组独特的角度，通过一系列让人啼笑皆非的情感瞬间，丰满地诠释了“爱”这个字。不管是初恋、热恋、暗恋、黄昏之恋、结婚、失恋、婚后的生活、作为家长……每一个阶段都做了既现实又温馨的注脚。全剧结束时，僧侣们吟唱着爱情的箴言，却已有些语无伦次。在众人高唱着回到爱情世界的歌声之中，全剧落下帷幕。

Act 1
Eisenstein's apartment
Gabriel von Eisenstein, a Viennese man-about-town, has been sentenced to eight days in prison for insulting an official, partially due to the incompetence of his attorney, Dr. Blind. Adele, Eisenstein's maid, receives a forged letter, purportedly from her sister who is in the company of the ballet, but actually written by Falke, inviting her to Prince Orlofsky's ball. She pretends the letter says that her aunt is very sick, and asks her mistress Rosalinde (Eisenstein's wife) for an evening off ("Da schreibt meine Schwester Ida"/"My sister Ida writes to me"). Falke, Eisenstein's friend, arrives to invite him to the ball (Duet: "Komm mit mir zum Souper"/"Come with me to the souper"). Together, they recall a practical joke which Eisenstein played on Falke a few years ago, for which Falke is secretly planning a light-hearted revenge in kind. Eisenstein bids farewell to Adele and his wife Rosalinde, pretending he is going to prison (Trio: "O Gott, wie rührt mich dies!"/"Oh dear, oh dear, how sorry I am") but really intending to postpone jail for one day and have fun at the ball.
After Eisenstein leaves, Rosalinde is visited by her former lover, the singing teacher Alfred, who serenades her ("Täubchen, das entflattert ist"/"Dove that has escaped"). Frank, the governor of the prison, arrives to take Eisenstein to jail, and finds Alfred instead. In order not to compromise Rosalinde, Alfred agrees to pretend to be Eisenstein and to accompany Frank. (Finale, drinking song: "Glücklich ist, wer vergisst"/"Happy is he who forgets" followed by Rosalinde’s defence when Frank arrives: "Mit mir so spät im tête-à-tête"/"In tête-à-tête with me so late," and Frank’s invitation: "Mein schönes, großes Vogelhaus"/"My beautiful, large bird-cage.")
Act 2
A summer house in the Villa Orlofsky
It transpires that Falke, with Prince Orlofsky's permission, is using the ball as a way of getting revenge on Eisenstein. Some time before, after a costume-party, Eisenstein had abandoned Falke, very drunk and dressed in a bat-costume, in the center of town, exposing him to ridicule the next day. As part of his scheme, Falke has invited Frank, Adele, and Rosalinde to come the ball, all concealing their identities as well. Rosalinde pretends to be a masked Hungarian countess, Eisenstein goes by the name "Marquis Renard," Frank is "Chevalier Chagrin," and Adele, who has borrowed one of Rosalinde's dresses without permission, pretends she is an actress.
The ball is in progress (Chorus: "Ein Souper heut' uns winkt"/"A souper is before us") and the Prince welcomes his guests ("Ich lade gern mir Gäste ein"/"I love to invite my friends"). Eisenstein is introduced to Adele, but is confused as to who she really is because of her striking resemblance to his maid. ("Mein Herr Marquis"/"My lord marquis," sometimes referred to as "Adele's Laughing Song"). Frank arrives. He and Eisenstein, who are both posing as Frenchmen, attempt to conceal their identities by repeating common French phrases to each other, to Orlofsky's great amusement. Since neither actually knows French, both are fooled. As the party progresses, they both experience alcohol-induced good-feeling and manly camaraderie for each other.
Then Falke introduces the masked Rosalinde to the company. She convinces everyone that she is Hungarian by singing the "Czardas", a sentimental dancing-song ("Klänge der Heimat"/"Sounds from home"). During an amorous tête-à-tête, Eisenstein tries unsuccessfully to persuade the mystery-woman to unmask. She succeeds in extracting a valuable watch from her husband's pocket, something which she can use in the future as evidence of his impropriety. (Watch duet: "Dieser Anstand, so manierlich"/"Her bearing, so well-mannered"). In a rousing finale, Orlofsky makes a toast to champagne, and the company celebrates (The Champagne song: "Im Feuerstrom der Reben"/"In the fire stream of the grape"; followed by the canon: "Brüderlein, Brüderlein und Schwesterlein"/"Brothers, brothers and sisters" and the waltz finale, "Ha, welch ein Fest, welche Nacht voll Freud'!"/"Ha, what joy, what a night of delight.") Eisenstein and Frank dash off as the clock strikes six in the morning.
(Note: The "Champagne song", which is sung by the entire ensemble, should not be confused with the baritone aria "Fin ch' han dal vino" from Don Giovanni, which is often called the "Champagne aria".)
Act 3
In the prison offices of Warden Frank
The next morning they all find themselves at the prison where the confusion increases and is compounded by the jailer, Frosch, who has profited by Warden Frank's absence to become gloriously drunk. Alfred, still in jail in Eisenstein's place, irritates the other prisoners by singing operatic arias.
Adele arrives to ask the Chevalier Chagrin (actually Frank) to sponsor her career as an actress, but Frank is not wealthy enough to do this (Melodrama; Couplet of Adele: "Spiel' ich die Unschuld vom Lande"/"If I play the innocent peasant maid"). Meanwhile, Alfred asks Frosch to summon Dr. Blind to help get him released; Frank agrees to allow this and Dr. Blind arrives. Eisenstein enters and says he has come to serve his sentence. He is surprised when Frank tells him that his cell is already occupied by a man who claims to be Eisenstein and whom Frank had arrested in Eisenstein's apartment. Frank further tells Eisenstein that the man he arrested was singing amorous songs to Rosalinde at the time of his arrest, and warmly kissed her goodbye. Enraged, Eisenstein takes Dr. Blind's wig and glasses in order to disguise himself and confront the impersonator Alfred, whom Eisenstein now believes has cuckolded him. Rosalinde enters. Eisenstein takes off his disguise and accuses her of being unfaithful to him with Alfred. Eisenstein, Rosalinde, and Alfred sing a trio in which Eisenstein angrily claims the right of vengeance (Trio: "Ja, ich bin's, den ihr betrogen...Ra-ra-ra-ra-Rache will ich!"/"I'm the one who was mistreated....Ve-ve-ve-ve-vengeance is mine!"). However, Rosalinde produces his watch, and he realizes that the Hungarian mystery-woman he tried to seduce at Orlofsky's party was actually Rosalinde in disguise and that he, not she, is at fault.
Falke enters with all the guests from the party and explains that the whole thing was payback for Eisenstein's practical joke on him three years before. Eisenstein is delighted by the prank, and he begs Rosalinde to forgive him for his attempted infidelity. Rosalinde refuses at first, and threatens to divorce him, but Eisenstein tells her that his misbehavior was caused by the champagne. She accepts this explanation and immediately forgives him unconditionally. Orlofsky promises to finance Adele's acting career, and the company joyfully reprises the "Champagne song" from Act 2.

A sci-fi romantic comedy about a man and woman whose orbits repeatedly collide over the course of 12 years, 4 planets, 3 dimensions and one space-cult.