Offenbach’s “Orpheus in Hell” – musical or operetta? Premiere at the Opera at the Castle in Szczecin
2024 marks the centenary of the birth of Jacek Nieżychowski – the originator and founder of the Szczecin Operetta, which laid the foundations for the Opera at the Castle. Director Jacek Jekiel has decided to accentuate the anniversary with a production from a genre particularly close to the artist.
The choice was made to show “Orpheus in Hell” by Jacques Offenbach, staged by Jerzy Jan Połoński. Musical Director of the performance is Jerzy Wołosiuk, Artistic Director of the Opera at the Castle. As the majority of the creatives come from the world of musical, the iconic operetta is expected to take on a new expression.
In the staging of the Opera at the Castle, the ancient world is replaced by the world of media – television, film and Internet productions. The characters are actors, celebrities and pop stars who perform on the stage converted to a film studio. The production opens on May 17, 2024.
The original operetta is set in ancient Greece. Bored with each other, Orpheus and his wife Eurydice want to break the shackles of marriage and cheat fate which has assigned the roles of the most tender lovers of the mythical world to them. Fortunately, Eurydice is kidnapped by the god of hell Pluto.