Der Liebestrank (L'elisir d'amore)

What does it mean when two people »fall« for each other? Weakness at the knees, a pounding heart, clammy hands, butterflies in the stomach – all these symptoms require a proven antidote – an elixir of love!  Donizetti in his opera probes with a wink the ups and downs that those loving and in love go through and he lets the lovers watching from his audience identify with them.                     

Nemorino is an insecure young man, who considers himself unattractive and gives outwardly that impression.  Everyone especially marvels that he should fall in love with, of all people, the cleverest and most beautiful girl in his village – Adina. Adina is not interested in him and yearns for romantic love as described in the many books she has read. Despite his gangling appearance Nemorino has his heart in the right place and tries again and again to make his feelings known to Adina. In the end he decides to try an unorthodox method: From a travelling salesman he buys a recently distilled love potion, which should make Adina fall in love with him. We know though that in reality there is no magic. Isn’t it only true love that can work wonders?

The director Maren Schäfer and the Italian cartoonist and caricaturist Joshua Held are developing, a first for the Bonner opera house, a comic book opera, in which moving pictures complement the action on stage, either by making humorous commentary, or illustrating the story or sometimes going off on a tangent, all for the sake of helping the lovers on their way to finding happiness.