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Act I
Merriment reigns on the Island. The inhabitants sing, dance and rejoice, looking forward to opening the Palace of Happiness.
Brighella with his myrmidons reads out the Law of new vice-king Friedrich about the new ban on carnivals, wine and free love under the penalty of death. Everyone laughs until they learn that their friend Claudio should become the first victim of the new law and is supposed to be executed the next day. There is a real mess on the streets of the Island. Young guys Luzio, Angelo and Antonio, however, take all the events as a real adventure, and they are happy to join the brawl. Dorella, the tavern-keeper, makes up her mind to seduce Brighella and grab the part of the Palace of Happiness.
Luzio goes to Isabella´s place, she is the only one who can save Claudio!
When Isabella finds out that Claudio is supposed to be executed for love, she realizes that Mariana´s secret can only help to save Claudio, as Mariana is the abandoned lover of Friedrich. Luzio falls in love with Isabella from the first sight.
Friedrich affirms the death sentence for Claudio.
Isabella pretends to be a nun. She tries to seduce Friedrich and gets much success in it. Isabella names herself a Claudio´s sister. Friedrich offers her his help under one condition, she has to become his lover. Isabella tries to appeal to the people in order to expose the hypocrisy of the vice-king, but Friedrich assures her that nobody would ever believe her. Then Isabella pretends to agree, but she wouldsend Mariana instead of herself to the rendezvous...
Act II
Isabella tells her brother about a deal between her and Friedrich. Claudio decides that it is better to die than to agree. The Palace of Happiness should be built!
Pontius Pilatus, the clerk, and Brighella make the corruption agreement.
Friedrich suffers from the pangs of consience, as he decides to go to the secret date after he himself bans the carnivals and love! The same night Brighella dates Dorella.
People of Island get together. Luzio sings the carnival song. Until noweverything goes as planned before: Friedrich has taken the disguised Mariana for Isabella! At the same time Dorella goes after Luzio, who has abandoned her long time ago.
Pontius Pilatus hands the order to Isabella. But in the envelope instead of the paper of pardonshe finds the order for immediate execution! Isabella gathers all the people together and exposes Friedrich´s hypocrisy. Pontius Pilatus discovers Friedrich with a woman, who also happens to be his abandoned lover! Friedrich, being disclosed in public, asks to judge him according his own law, but the people answer that this law is already cancelled by the King, so he is free to go!
The game is over!
Angelo announces the King´s coming. The people of the Island headed by Friedrich and even Brighella with his gang and Dorella, all together finish the building of the Palace of Happiness before the King arrives.
Dates:
| July 2012: | | | | | |
| September 2012: | | | |
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