La fanciulla del West Comes to the Erkel Theatre

Following extensive touring, the Hungarian State Opera returns to the Erkel Theatre to begin its 135th season dedicated to Puccini and his contemporaries. The first new production to honour the life and works of the Italian genius is La fanciulla del West staged by Vasily Barkhatov.

Still in his mid-30s, Moscow-born Vasily Barkhatov is engaged to direct successful operas across Russia and Europe while also remaining active in spoken word theatre and film work. With productions at Saint Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre, Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre, the Lithuanian National Opera and Deutsche Oper Berlin to his name - just to name a few - the Golden Mask-winning director makes his debut at the Erkel Theatre with La fanciulla del West.

Barkhatov, who has directed contemporary and classical operas, loves challenges and tries to find the realistic motivations behind every happening on stage. His new production will not be a traditional one but at the same time it will respect Puccini's intentions. The set and costumes do not intend to evoke the universe of Western films, the visual design takes audiences closer to reality. The multi-storey pipe system to appear on stage allows a glimpse into a crowded refugee camp where people arrive with the hope of a better future.

Puccini's opera was last performed at the Hungarian State Opera in the 1970s, now it returns in spectacular form to the stage of the Erkel Theatre.

Cast: Éva Bátori / Szilvia Rálik as Minnie, Boldizsár László / Gergely Boncsér as Dick Johnson (Ramerrez), Csaba Szegedi / Florin Estefan as Jack Rance

Director: Vasily Barkhatov
Set designer: Zinovy Margolin
Costume designer: Olga Shaishmelashvili
Lighting designer: Alexander Sivaev

Conductor: Balázs Kocsár

Venue: Erkel Theatre
Premiere: 1 December 2018
Further dates: 4, 6, 9, 13, 16 December 2018 & 22, 24 May 2019

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