The plot revolves around a romantic intrigue with interpolated circus sequences. The mysterious "Mister X", a dashing circus performer, is hired by a disappointed suitor of Princess Fedora Palinska to pose as a nobleman and marry her. "Mister X" is in fact a nobleman, the disinherited nephew of a deceased prince. One of the work's most well-known arias, Zwei Märchenaugen (Two fairy-tale eyes), has been recorded by several famous tenors, including Fritz Wunderlich, Charles Kullman, and Richard Tauber.
An English version, The Circus Princess, premiered in at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City on 25 April 1927 starring Guy Roberston and Desiree Tabor. The circus sequences in the New York production were particularly lavish, including equestrians, aerialists, and a famous clown of the day, Poodles Hanneford.
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, March 26, 1926 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Fedja Palinski, Mr X | tenor | Hubert Marischka |
| Princess Fedora Palinska | soprano | |
| Miss Mabel Gibson | soprano | |
| Toni Schlumberger | tenor | |
| Prinz Sergius Wladimir | baritone | |
| Count Sakusin | ||
| Lieutenant Petrovitsch | ||
| Director Stanislawski | bass | |
| Carla Schlumberger, hotel manager | contralto | |
| Samuel Pressburger | ||
| Gesellschaft, officers, circus people - chorus | ||