Mann im Schatten

During the closing stages of the Second World War, a bureaucratic mistake leads to a German officer being reassigned from the dangerous Eastern Front to Berlin and a new non-existent unit.

A demure teacher temporarily steps into the shoes of her late grandmother, a celebrated revue singer and socialite from the turn of the century, but ultimately chooses a quiet, domestic life.

Young Beatrice has trained as a dancer against her father's wishes. At the circus, she meets the famous tamer Ruda and falls in love with him. But the next day, Ruda disappears with the circus. Beatrice gets a new engagement with another circus and makes a career as a dancer among live tigers.

A wealthy man murders his wife, then marries a young woman who becomes suspicious of him.

An incredibly popular stage performer unknowingly falls madly in love with the lone critic that savaged her performance in the press.

At a hotel in San Remo, a maharaja living in exile thinks he sees the reincarnation of his dead wife in the pianist Mira and thinks the best way to deal with it is to hit up on the poor girl. Mira, however, has a thing for the violinist Stefan and doesn’t quite know how to deal with the maharaja’s insistence that she become his fiancée. In the end, Mira returns to Stefan and the maharaja returns to his country after his exile is lifted.

Christl, the forester’s daughter, apprehends a young hunter in the forest and only lets him go after he pays a small fine. But when Christl goes to the emperor shortly afterward to plead on behalf of her beloved—a Hungarian officer who has fallen out of favor—she can hardly believe her eyes: the young hunter was the emperor.

German sailor Peter Hille arrives in Copenhagen to see his beloved Hannah. But she has died in childbirth, leaving Peter with an eight-month-old baby. The young father is left with the entire burden of caring for the child. But he would never have been able to cope with his worries if the ordinary people he encounters had not helped him.

Dr. Danwitz is a dedicated physician. The assistant doctor works practically day and night on a research project, but without pay. His wife Edith earns the necessary extra money as a model. That's why her pregnancy is a financial disaster for the young couple. Then a wealthy woman asks Dr. Danwitz to perform an illegal abortion, for which she would pay well. The doctor has to make a difficult decision.

Lehar's The Land of Smiles touches the heart as it provides unforgetable melodies from start to finish. There are no weak links in the cast. Too often, we think of operetta as musical fluff, tired cliches, and obligatory dance scenes when things start slowing down. Not so in this classic operetta. We feel the pain of loss suffered by the two main characters, who make their roles natural and believable. There is more to this work than "Yours Is My Heart Alone." There is dramatic consistency and people you find yourself caring about as much as the music, the costumes, and the colorful sets.

The singer and dancer Vera Opalinska performs as Arlette in 1920s Paris, where she is a star. Next on the agenda is a tour of the United States. The contract is to be signed after a final, highly acclaimed show. During the negotiations, her new PR agent asks about her background.

A young pianist who has just passed her final exam in Germany visits her father and her childhood friend in Athens, where they both work at a biological institute. She falls in love with a singer and ladies' man, but soon returns remorsefully to her childhood friend, while her father finds new love in his secretary.