The DePaul University School of Music’s Opera Theatre, under the direction of Harry Silverstein, will present Johann Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus” March 12 and 13 at 7:30 p.m. and March 14 at 2 p.m. at DePaul’s Merle Reskin Theatre, 60 E. Balbo Drive., Chicago.

Featuring grand sets of the art nouveau period, stylish costumes, a humorous story line and Strauss’ familiar waltz compositions, “Die Fledermaus” has long engaged diehard opera buffs and newcomers alike. Set in Vienna in the1890s, the operetta is a story of deception and revenge, unrequited love, a grand masquerade ball and, ultimately, forgiveness and a celebratory finale at the town jail.

The operetta will be sung in English, with DePaul voice students in leading roles backed by a full chorus and a full orchestra under the direction of veteran professional conductor William Lacey.

“It’s a familiar light operetta that is a great favorite of many,” Silverstein said. “It has a comical and enjoyable plot that is fairly well-known. It will be a wonderful evening in the theatre.”

Because “Die Fledermaus” is an operetta, there is a fair amount of spoken dialogue. “We’re trying to be public-friendly,” Silverstein said of his decision to produce the work in English. “Opera in the local vernacular is something that the public enjoys. Audiences really prefer that the performers speak their language.”

Silverstein is marking his 20th anniversary as director of the DePaul Opera Theatre. He has directed opera professionally in the United States and abroad, including works performed at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, New York City Opera and English National Opera. This marks the 24th year that DePaul has staged an opera at the Merle Reskin Theatre, he noted.

Lacey, who was the staff conductor at the San Francisco Opera between 1998 and 2001, is known throughout the world for his operatic conducting. His recent engagements include performances at the Orchestre de Paris at the Opera Comique, Nationale Reisopera (Netherlands), Greek National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Washington National Opera and New York City Opera.

Based on the libretto written by Richard Genee and Carl Haffner, “Die Fledermaus” (“The Bat”) was first performed at Vienna’s Theater an der Wein in 1874. The central characters in this farcical tale include Gabriel von Eisenstein and his wife, Rosalinde, who experience various flirtatious encounters of mistaken identity during a lavish costume ball hosted by a friend.

One distinguishing feature of the DePaul production will be the performance of a polka, a dance form that was exported to Vienna in 1839 and quickly spread throughout Europe. Strauss composed “Unter Donner und Blitz” (“Thunder and Lightning”), op. 324 in 1868. It is one of his noisiest dance pieces, evoking the sounds of thunder and lightning with timpani rolls and cymbal crashes. Although not composed for “Die Fledermaus,” it will be used in the operetta as a substitute for the traditional ballet sequence, Silverstein said. “We stole this idea from the Munich Opera,” he said.

A notable group of opera production specialists will be contributing to the DePaul performance, including assistant director Kristen Barrett, choreographer Marla Lampert, chorus master Paul Nicholson, costume designer Theresa Ham and lighting designer Jason Brown. Collectively, they have worked with renowned opera houses throughout the world.

Tickets are available at the Merle Reskin Theatre box office, by calling (312) 922-1999 or on-line at: http://music.depaul.edu/NewsAndEvents/Events/09-10/Mar_10/12_DOT.html. Tickets are $5 for students and from $5 to $25 for the general public.