The Imperial Festivity

A comical look behind the scenes as Mozart creates an opera and has to make a compromise – his art or the Emperor’s money? A finely-tuned parody of 18th century court entertainment … and life.

The year is 1786, and we find ourselves at Schönbrunn Palace on the outskirts of Vienna. Austrian Emperor Joseph II has just received a letter from his sister announcing her forthcoming visit. The delighted emperor immediately decides to prepare a royal celebration and a theatrical performance in her honor. To mark the occasion, he commissions Mozart, his court composer, to write a short opera entitled “The Theatre Director.” However, Mozart is currently working intensively on his own opera “The Marriage of Figaro,” and the Emperor’s order forces him to make a difficult decision. His family’s financial worries finally convince him to accept the commission.