"The Bat Bites Back" is the alliterative and succinct summation of "Die Fledermaus" that we hear more than once from the stage in PSU Opera's production.

Portland State University's award-winning opera program headed by Christine Meadows has another winner in "Die Fledermaus," the frothy 1874 operetta by the Waltz King, Johann Strauss II.

PSU Opera performs it in an English adaptation - it's more than a translation - that is new to me by former Oregon tenor Quade Winter. The sung text is fairly true to the German original; the spoken dialogue departs radically, but in ways that helpfully clarify and elaborate the action. As a whole, it's modern, funny, quite racy and sounds difficult to sing.

Most of the solo singing comes through clearly. It's good that there are no supertitles, for we wouldn't have wanted to look away for an instant from PSU's outstanding cast.

Head start: Stage director Brenda Nuckton uses the overture to depict the catalyzing event of years before: walking home from a costume ball, Gabriel von Eisenstein leaves a drunk Dr. Falke asleep on a park bench in his bat costume. One by one, the "Fledermaus" characters come by and do more than laugh at him: turnkey Frosch robs him, warden Frank cites him, and lawyer Blind, seeing the citation, leaves a card offering his services. "Die Fledermaus" is Falke's elaborately planned revenge.

Most valuable performer: It's a close call between Hannah Consenz as chambermaid Adele and Saori Erickson as her mistress Rosalinde, Eisenstein's wife. Consenz is a lyric-coloratura soprano who sings with agility, accuracy, nuance and verve, and a spirited actress with big eyes and an array of facial expressions. Give her more complete package a slight edge over Erickson, a full lyric of beautiful tone, easily produced, fine diction for a big soprano voice, and great potential who proves here to be a good actress as well.

Best moments: Consenz triumphed in Adele's Act 3 Audition Aria with pellucid tone in its florid bars, a killer trill, and a range of vocal color that varied the repeated "la-la's" - as she had for the repeated "ha-ha's" in Act 2's Laughing Song. For a single notable note, Erickson's high D that capped Rosalinde's Czardas was perfectly placed and somewhat sustained instead of the usual yelp (that Strauss seems to have wanted).

Others to praise: Mezzo-soprano Grace Skinner as Prince Orlofsky, the purportedly bored host of Act 2's party, sounds and looks born to play pants roles; her singing, carriage and deft footwork make Orlofsky quite dashing. Tenor Ethan Reviere as Alfred, Rosalinde's ex-suitor who returns to re-woo and winds up in her husband's robe and jail cell, sings splendidly in the upper register and looks as at home on stage as Alfred at Eisenstein's. Consistently fine baritone Darian Hutchinson is a polished Eisenstein, though the role, often taken by tenors, lies a little high for him and doesn't sport the legato writing that showcases him at his best. Baritone Justin Birchell is persuasive as Falke, the gently manipulative mastermind of the practical joke that is "Die Fledermaus."

Biggest surprise: Consenz we knew about, but who knew that golden-throated Erickson and Hutchinson were such adept physical actors? Skinner and Birchell are thespians too, and Reviere is a virtual stage animal. When good acting is widespread, the director deserves some credit.

Low notes: Act 2's big choral and ensemble scenes should be less tentative and tighter; they probably will coalesce over the performance run. Elsewhere, as at the outset of Act 3, a faster tempo from Conductor Ken Selden might galvanize his forces more.

The Act 3 challenge: Often in operetta, Act 2 is a colorful party or ball, and Act 3 is the gray morning-after with characters who are literally or figuratively hung over. It's not easy to keep Act 3 from being anticlimactic, especially in "Fledermaus," where it's set in a jail with two inebriated comic turns, which can mean more shtick-laden dialogue than music. Director Nuckton avoided the "Fledermaus" cliches: no cigars, bottomless cups, expectorated beverages, falling hats or calendar dated Dec. 32 here. Comedian and former PSU prof Scott Parker as Frosch was funny and brief; his pistol did much of his talking. Baritone Adam Ramaley amused as Frank, and Consenz's aria hit the mark. The potentially climactic trio for which Eisenstein disguises himself as Blind fell short, partly because Hutchinson looks nothing like Jonathan Green.

Take-away: Give eager young artists a new English adaptation, and a score heard scores of times suddenly sounds fresh.

-- Mark Mandel for The Oregonian/OregonLive

***

"Die Fledermaus"

Where: Portland State University, Lincoln Performance Hall, 1620 S.W. Park Ave.

When: 3 p.m. April 24 and 7:30 p.m. April 30 with the reviewed cast; 7:30 p.m. April 23 and 29 and 3 p.m. May 1 with eight cast changes.

Tickets: $17-$30; 503-725-3307; Portland State University box office