Repertoár (en) (27)
The dramatic verse of Imre Madách opens the festive season of the Open Air Festival. The Tragedy is among the most-played performances – it has been on stage 61 times for 16 summers – and in the initial glorious era, it was staged almost every year: the audience could see the play each year between 1933 and 1939. After the twenty-year-long undue break forced by the war, the Tragedy, starting from the second year, returned to the Dome Square 6 times in the 1960-es, and for a season in both the 1970-es and the 1980-es. It was last on in 2000. After Ferenc Hont, Tamás Major, László Vámos and Miklós Szinetár got the opportunity to direct the play. The roles of Adam, Eve, the Lord and Lucifer have been played by such actors as Árpád Lehotay, Anna Tőkés, Lajos Básti, Ferenc Bessenyei, Éva Ruttkai, Miklós Gábor, Imre Sinkovits, Géza Hegedűs D. and Ildikó Bánsági.
The production in 2011 will be directed by the emblematic figure of middle generation of directors, Attila Vidnyánszky. The audience could see performances created in his conception in 2009 and 2010 – the Sólyompecsenye (Roast Falcon) and Tóték (The Tót family). The artistic work started with him will be accomplished by the prose premier in the Dome Square. The management intends to offer the main roles to such renowned actors who have already proved their talent on the stage of the Dome Square. The Tragedy will be shown twice this year.
The cast of the plays – for both the productions of the Dome Square and Újszeged – will become public at the beginning of the next year, after the signing of contracts.
The second premiere of 2011 will be The Merry Widow, the most popular and significant operetta by Ferenc Lehár. The play, besides its unprecedented success, is also musically unrivalled; it often appears as part of the repertory of great opera houses. The artistic management has made no secret of their intention to continue the line of operettas that has been started by the Czardas Princess, considering its atmosphere, mentality and success. With regards to the cast, among the ever-popular favourites of the audience, opera singers will have an opportunity as well. The Merry Widow will be on stage four times.
The English translation of the Hungarian text of performances can also be followed on giant projectors.
Besides the clear, unbroken years of success of the new musical-premiere of 2011, the results of the open internet survey published on the website of the Festival reinforced the demand for the play to be on stage this year: the audience besieged the organisers of the Festival for this musical. The timeliness of László Dés – István Nemes – György Böhm – György Korcsmáros – Péter Horváth: Somewhere in Europe is highlighted by the fact that the next Presidency of the European Union falls on Hungary in 2011, for which occasion the organisers would like to ask László Dés to compose a new feature song, “The Hymn of Europe”.
The English translation of the Hungarian text of performances can also be followed on giant projectors.
Exceptionally, musical plays will be played on the stage of Újszeged next year, as the prosaic play of the Dome Square slightly rewrites the existing traditions of the small stage featuring all prosaic plays. Two opera productions will be performed in Újszeged: the one-act Gianni Schicchi by Puccini and one of the most significant representatives of the Hungarian opera, János Vajda’s also one-act play entitled Mario and the Magician.
Gianni Schicchi is the one-act play of the maestro Puccini, the libretto of which was based on Dante’s Divine Comedy and is about the cunning distribution of the bequest of an immensely rich Florentine citizen: Gianni Schicchi is swindler doing the family out of their money.
The one-act opera of Vajda first performed in 1988 is based on Thomas Mann’s short story with the same title, in which the illusionist Cipolla enchants the audience including Mario who is in pangs of love. The music changes from real to surreal as the story evolves. The all-star cast of the play – although the production does not need many actors – will definitely appeal to the younger generations as well.
Unlike normally, the next season commences with a musical on 6th July: the fascinatingly exciting play by Frank Wildhorn, Jekyll and Hyde shall be played three times next summer. The eerily demonic play provides amazing opportunities for captivating stage solutions. According to the story, the highly reputed doctor, Henry Jekyll’s extraordinary serum, which separates good and evil in the human beings, leads to a bloodbath.
Frank Wildhorn-Leslie Bricusse – Attila Valla -Sándor Venyige:
JEKYLL & HYDE
The English translation of the Hungarian text of performances can also be followed on giant projectors.
The other premier of Újszeged will be the musical production based on László Darvasi’s work entitled Popeye. The music of the performance was composed by Pierott and the lyrics were written by Zolee Ganxsta who will personally participate in the performance. The production arrives in Szeged as the guest performance of the József Katona Theatre of Kecskemét.
The diabolic story shall be followed by the Hegyen-völgyön lakodalom (Carefree Wedding-Feast), a new premier by the Kossuth-Prize winner Ferenc Novák. “Uncle” Novák– as most of the country knows the popular choreographer and director – used to work in Szeged for countless summers, as he was the artistic director of the International Folk Dance Festival of Szeged. More than 40 years of professional experience binds him to the Szeged Open Air Festival. This year, on the occasion of his 80th birthday, he has been asked by Edina Bátyai to direct the folk dance production of 2012. Folk dance groups from Hungary and beyond the frontiers shall have an enormous wedding on the stage of the Dome Square. This production shall be the closing chord of the 2012 International Folk Dance Festival of Szeged.
Ferenc Novák:
Carefree Wedding-Feast
Folk Dance
The audience can see two one-act operas, as first Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana (Rustic Chivalry) and then, after the break, Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci (Clowns) shall be performed. The former recalls the glorious history of the opening of the Szeged Open Air Festival, since the performance of 1935 is still legendary having been conducted by the Master, Pietro Mascagni himself. The Pagliacci was last staged in the Dome Square in 1970. Cavalleria rusticana/Pagliacci shall be performed twice next year.
The Hungarian translation of the Italian text of performances can also be followed on giant projectors.
Pietro Mascagni:
Rustic Chivalry
Ruggero Leoncavallo:
Clowns
opera
The first musical of Tamás Szarka’s (Ghymes) career shall continue the 2012 season two times: the musical entitled Mária (Mary) introduces those milestones of the life of the Virgin Mary when she dreams Jesus, the very reason of her existence, being under her heart; and when she is forced to flee as a young unwed mother. The only support she has are Joseph and her faith increasing in her exclusion and hopelessness. The story starts in the adorned palace of Herod, and then the Angel visits Mary in her dream to bring the wonderful news about the Son.
Tamás Szarka:
Mary
musical
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The season will finish with a “cymbalist rascal world”, since the operetta premier of Miska Mágnás the evergreen of Albert Szirmai and Andor Gábor shall be put on stage, which has never been performed in the Dome Square before. Miska, the quick-witted stable boy, the „guy from Vas County” becomes a prominent aristocrat within an instant before our eyes. His husky partner, Marcsa will soon become a posh dame as well, wearing evening dresses, and entering high life as Countess Mary. The entertaining story shall mean a real benefit performance for the most probably all-star cast.
Albert Szirmai – Károly Bakonyi :
Miska Mágnás
operetta
The English translation of the Hungarian text of performances can also be followed on giant projectors.
Zágon-Nóti-Eisemann:
HYPPOLIT, THE BUTLER
10, 11 august 2012.
