The opera takes place in apartment of successful, sultry Actress. Her stage-struck Maid emotes over script she attempts to memorize. Doorbell rings, admitting Wife of bookkeeper in Actress' theatrical troupe. Receipts
for bouquets in hand, Wife accuses Actress of having an affair with her husband Fritz. Actress convinces Wife that it's merely a scheme Fritz has trumped up so she won't take him for granted. The women part friends, the Actress presenting her photo to Wife.
Actress orders Maid to prepare brunch for two, and take rest of day off. Actress approaches bedroom, calls "You can come out - it's safe. She has left". Fritz replies he cannot stay, but will see her later that
evening. Distraught, Actress enters bedroom. Maid returns rehearsing lines, which constitute passionate delcaration of love to a character coincidentally called Fritzi. When our Fritz emerges from bedroom, he believes these words to be directed at himself, smothers Maid with kisses. Maid is frozen speechless. Actress re-enters, catches Fritz in the act, is furious. Wife inoppurtunely returns to have photo autographed by Actress; is horrified seeing her husband mid-flirtation. All three women converge on Fritz, eject him. Struck with ridiculousness of situation, they break into laughter as curtain falls.
The opera is an hommage to Johann Strauss, Jr. and is littered with quotations from his waltzes and those of others, the composer included.
| Roles | |
|---|---|
| Maid | coloratura soprano |
| Wife | soprano |
| Actress | Mezzo |
| Fritzi | Tenor or Baritone |
| Orchestra | |
| 2 fl, ob, cl, bn, hrn; 1 perc, pno, strings | |
| Duration | 30 min. |
