Szczecin: Season for dance in Opera na Zamku

In the 2016/2017 season, Opera na Zamku (?Opera at The Castle?) in Szczecin celebrates the 60th anniversary of its music scene. A number of events have been prepared to honour this jubilee. The programme of the celebrations was presented during a press conference on 13 September 2016 by the Opera?s director Jacek Jekiel.

For the first time since the memorable Rent, the Opera will stage a musical – Crazy for you to George Gershwin?s music. The casting for this performance took place on 28 and 29 August. The musical, directed by Jerzy Połoński, will premiere on 3 March 2017.

On 27 May 2017, another original ballet project will be presented ? We Children of Bahnhof Zoo (also known as Christiane F.) choreographed and staged by Robert Glumbek (the Jan Kiepura Musical Theatre Award ?The Best Choreographer? for his previous performance in Opera na Zamku ? one out of three parts of Ogniwa (Links)). 

Already in December 2016, the organisers invite to the premiere of The Nutcracker choreographed by the Opera?s ballet director Karol Urbański, a winner of ?The Amber Ring? jury award for his contribution to the development of Szczecin ballet.

These performances will be accompanied by the latest premieres, which have already received rave reviews in Poland and abroad, e.g. Witch-hunt ? a ballet with actor?s narration choreographed by Cathy Marston from the Royal Opera House in London.

Opera na Zamku is also preparing a series of special events: exhibitions, concerts and an open-air performance in many locations in the city, involving the local community, as well as some special events for West Pomerania inhabitants living outside Szczecin, and others. All the information about those events will be available on the Opera?s webpage and in social media.

The season will traditionally start with an inaugural concert of joined Opera na Zamku?s and Theater Vorpommern?s orchestras (25 September 2016). The concert will add a special touch to the Pro Arte awards ceremony.

Some citations from Opera na Zamku?s press conference on 13 September:

Jerzy Wołosiuk:

– In the new season we?re planning six premieres. Since the Opera?s DNA also includes entertaining, musical theatre, the focal point of the anniversary year will be a musical production ?Crazy For You? by Gershwin brothers, enjoying spectacular success on Broadway. Such a success comes as no surprise as this work was created in the ?golden times of musicals?, its characters are vivid, the plot is full of twists and perfectly matches the music composition, which is a true masterpiece. We?re also planning a premiere of Wagner?s ?Tanhauser?, which is being created in coproduction with Theater Vorpommern (following ?Lohengrin?) and will star, among others, the Opera?s choir. Moreover, there are two ballet premieres in preparation, whose musical parts will be performed (and I would like to emphasise that) by a live orchestra, and will have varied musical structures: ?The Nutcracker? by Tchaikovsky and ?We Children of Bahnhof Zoo? with e.g. David Bowie?s songs.

Karol Urbański:

– We?re preparing two very different performances. One of them is a classic, family show. At the visual level, we?d like it to be directed at children and at the level of meaning – at adults. It?s because ?The Nutcracker? was created to Alexander Dumas?s libretto and it includes a very clear message to an adult viewer. We?d like to unravel those hidden messages and search for something more in this piece.

?We Children of Bahnhof Zoo? is a work connecting different generations. I read it in my youth and then my children did, even though there are large age differences between them. This performance will be more austere, but in such a way as to provide the viewers with a wealth of impressions. Most of the choreography is already prepared since the rehearsals started already in June. The man behind this idea, Robert Glumek, is actually known to our audience owing to his highly valued performance ?Ogniwa? (?Links?), which has received a number of awards, while Robert himself was presented with the Jan Kiepura Musical Theatre Award for the best choreographer in Poland. Since Glumek?s potential is tremendous, we?ve decided to provide him with a lot of space to create his own project. From what I?ve already seen, this show will be highly interesting. However, it will differ significantly from what I?m preparing for December, which will be a world of dolls and kids, a blaze of colours and Tchaikovsky?s classical music. Glumek?s performance will be more austere and filled with pop music, while the story itself will be rooted in popculture. This season will demonstrate how strongly dance can influence viewers with the means of various media, stimuli and dancing techniques.

For more information visit: www.opera.szczecin.pl