the musical ballad returns
It isn´t very common for our theatre to re-perform previously-staged works. However, there are productions which certainly deserve to return to the stage and we believe that there are also spectators who will be excited to see their renewal. One such piece is certainly the musical ballad based on the well-known poetic fairytale drama Radúz and Mahulena by Julius Zeyer, which had its world premiere on 8th November 1997. It was performed until 2002, seeing 91 repeats: 36 295 spectators were enchanted by the intimate story in which Markéta Sedláčková, Petr Gazdík, Zdena Herfortová, Ladislav Kolář, Igor Ondříček, Petr Štěpán and Stanislav Slovák starred – yes, they were there, even back then. These are actors who today are still distinct personalities at our theatre, and whose popularity was formed thanks to this production, as well as others, of course. The spectators left the theatre with their heads full of Petr Ulrych’s unforgettable melodies and Stanislav Moša’s beautiful texts, and can still hear them in their minds even today. There are many people who still find themselves singing “... two kingdoms clash in hatred, each striving to bring the other to its knees. Before Radúz and Mahulena are born!” or “Prince of Magura, I will throw you to the rats! What was beautiful to you will become the past forever!”
This time, the immortal story of the prohibited love between the members of two feuding families is based on a Slovak folk fairy tale, though the motif is probably even older as different variations exist, including a version by the Brothers Grimm, and an Indian epic. There is thus no doubt that even today it offers a topical theme which gives contemporary audiences the chance to experience a romantic story about a love which (if you will just accept this cliché, which is appropriate here, however) moves mountains and breaks stone.
The first performance of the new production will take place on 18th June 2016 at the Moravian Museum’s wonderful Bishop’s Courtyard, which offers an ideal fairytale environment for the piece, with open skies and fresh air, under the direction of Igor Ondříček.
