European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 19, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse With its Lakeside setting an the nearby Mountain a a backdrop Bregenz is Ono of the More Beautiful cities in the popular vacation Region around Lake by because if you Don t somebody behind you will. The Box office for the evening performance opens at 7 . Be there dressed nicely Bregenz is a Little More formal than Verona with your Money i suggest at least 100 and 50-Schilling Bills and be prepared for anything. At the saturday evening performance i attended there were approximately 20 people standing in line at the evening Box office Kasse 2 by 7 45 ., 90 minutes before curtain time waiting for cancellations standing room scalpers or individual Sellers. Thirty minutes before curtain time Only one or two of them had obtained cancellations and standing room was announced As sold out. However approximately a dozen tickets were sold individually during that time. Except for one lady who had several All the sales were individual tickets. To my Surprise they did not move that fast. Evidently no one comes to Bregenz alone and everyone wanted at least two tickets together. Forget it. If you be come with your spouse or sweetheart be prepared to sit separately. If you see someone flashing a ticket and shouting Quot Einz Elcarte Quot single ticket step up and Flash your Money and you should be in do it twice and you la both be in. Most of the tickets sold were paid for in Marks evidently most of the people who come to Bregenz Are German tourist but Sellers also asked for payment in local schillings and Swiss francs. The tickets Are sold in All three currencies and a free brochure you can pick up from the Box office gives a Complete seating Chart and the prices in All three currencies for each Block of seats. There was no scalping everyone who sold asked Only the Price of the ticket although there was some rounding up to the closest five or Zero a 72 to 75, 108 to 110, Etc. Fishing is a fun Way to get tickets if you can stand the suspense of Quot will i or won t i Quot you meet the nicest people and discover exactly what level of German you re at when you enter into some of those speedy ticket negotiations. Once you be got the ticket if you got it in Good time you should still be Able to have dinner at one of the restaurants along the Lake Shore before the performance begins. They specialize in Standard menus and fast service for people arriving before the performance. On the Terrace of the poo adjacent to the fest Spilhaus a Wiene schnitzel soft drink and dessert Cost 194 schillings $17 a fish plate a Quarter liter of wine a salad and a dessert Cost 315 schillings $27half a dozen other dishes fell within this Price Range. As mentioned above Bregenz is somewhat formal. There were people in tuxedos evening jackets or Long dresses and there were a few in jeans but the majority dressed in Between a a jacket or sweater for men dresses or pantsuits with jackets or shawls for women. More important than How you look is How warm you want to be. Many people came with blankets cushions and heavy Coats looking As if they were going to a football game rather than an opera. How do you find Bregenz Bregenz is located on Lake Constance where the Borders of Germany Austria and Switzerland converge. There Are autobahn from Stuttgart West Germany and Basel Switzerland to the Lake Constance Region. There is no autobahn from Munich but several local highways Lead in that direction. From Lindau West Germany Bregenz is five Miles South around the Lake and just across the Border in Austria if you come by train the fest Spilhaus is a 10-minute walk from the train station through the Lake Shore Park. When you come out of the station turn right walk to the end of the building take the overhead pedestrian passageway Back across the tracks into the Park turn left and follow the signs to Kasse 2 for immediate tickets or Kasse 5 for future tickets. If you have not reserved a place to stay then you should first turn left out of the train station follow the Street a few Hundred Yards to where it divides and turn to your left again where you will see the City tourist office at no. 15 Jose Strasse. The Bregenz tourist office is open from 9-7 . Monday saturday 4-7 . Sunday. Naturally the earlier you go the better your chances of finding something both within your Price Range and in walking distance of the fest Spilhaus. Our comfortable hotel pension the Traube charged 280 schillings $24 for a single and 480 schillings $41 for a double with bathroom Down the Hall. The fest Spilhaus was a 15-minute stroll away. There is no train service out of Bregenz after a performance so you will have to stay at least one night. This year Quot the flying dutchman Quot will play on july 21, 22, 23, 25, 27, 28 and 31 and aug. 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21 and 22. Write Bregenzer fes Spiele Postrach 311, a-6901 Bregenz. There Are two kinds of tickets to the festival. House tickets guarantee that you will see a performance even if the austrian summer lets you Down they Are Good for the Best seats outdoors and also for seals in the traditional indoor opera House behind the outdoor stage if weather forces the performance to move indoors. These tickets run from 750 Schilling $64 to 350 schillings $30lake tickets Are Good Only for the outdoor performance if it Rains you re out of Luck. These tickets run from 600 schillings $51 to 200 schillings $17. I recommend the fake tickets. They Are cheaper and the performance you would see indoors is basically a concert version done with a minimum of scenery and staging. It does not compare Wilh the Quot vegas style Quot outdoor production. So if the rain starts before the overture get your refund and make arrangements for a Fater performance and then maybe finish up your evening Las vegas style anyhow a there s a Casino right behind the opera House of Yjih wish amp it it in Buff Hutts m Munich july 19, / 990 stripes Magazine 7
