REBECCA
Ion Dacian National Operetta and Musical Theater Hall
(Bd. Octavian Goga, nr. 1)
October 20, 2024, at 18:00
A new premiere at Ion Dacian National Operetta and Musical Theater: “Rebecca”
REBECCA
Musical by Sylvester Levay & Michael Kunze
“Rebecca”, one of the most successful productions by the team of Sylvester Levay
(music) – Michael Kunze (libretto), Grammy award winners and creators of the famous
productions “Mozart!”, “Elisabeth”, and “Marie Antoinette”, premiered at Ion Dacian National
Operetta and Musical Theater under the direction of Attila Béres on June 16
2023.
The show is based on the story of the eponymous novel written by Daphne du Maurier in 1938, which made the English author one of the most famous writers of the time. Like other works of the author, such as “Jamaica Inn” or “Birds”, “Rebecca” was adapted for the big screen by the Academy Award-winning director Alfred Hitchcock, becoming one of his best-known productions.
The musical was presented in premiere in Vienna, at the Raimund Theater, on September 28, 2006, directed by Francesca Zambello, and quickly became an international success, playing to full houses for more than three consecutive years. In the following years, the musical was produced with equal success in Japan, Finland, Hungary, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Russia, Serbia, and the Czech Republic. On September 4, 2023, it is scheduled to premiere at the Charing Cross Theatre in London, directed by Alejandro Bonatto.
The musical brought to Romania for the first time by Ion Dacian National Operetta Theater in the 2010-2011 season, will be performed in premiere in the new hall of the Ion Dacian National Operetta and Musical Theater, at Blvd. Octavian Goga Nr.1, joining the famous titles in the current repertoire, including: My Fair Lady, The Gypsy Baron, Marco Polo's Secret, Kiss me, Kate!, The Merry Widow or The Land of Smiles.
Synopsis
The events are presented from the perspective of a naive young woman without material means, “Ich”. Working as a companion for a wealthy woman from America, who is vacationing on the French Riviera, she meets Lord Maxim de Winter, a very wealthy Englishman, who soon becomes her husband. After the marriage, she accompanies him to the enigmatic and unwelcoming house on the Manderley estate, where it seems that Rebecca's spirit, the first Mrs. de Winter, who had died a year earlier in a mysterious accident at sea, is still present. Viewed with suspicion and treated with malice by Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper, whose devotion to Rebecca seems pathological, the very young Mrs. de Winter feels increasingly overwhelmed by her new life, while her husband, Maxim, appears to sink deeper into the secrets of the dark house. An unexpected event further disturbs the lives of the characters, threatening to reveal unforeseen mysteries.
Presentations of the creators:
Michael Kunze
Michael Kunze is an internationally renowned musical theater lyricist and librettist, awarded with the Grammy and the German ECHO music award for his entire career. His most famous musical productions, “Elisabeth”, “Tanz der Vampire”, “Mozart!” and “Rebecca” laid the foundations of a new genre of very popular contemporary musical theater (“DramaMusical”), recording an audience of over 16 million people worldwide over time. His name is associated with the success of many international productions in German-speaking countries, for which he translated and adapted the libretto.
Michael Kunze also has to his credit 88 gold and platinum records, 3 Golden Europe awards, 2 Best Musical awards (Image1996 and Image1998), Musical of the Year in 2000 for “Mozart!”, in 2001 for “Elisabeth”, in 2003 for “Tanz der Vampire” and in 2007 for “Rebecca”.
Sylvester Levay
Grammy award winner in 1975 for “Fly, Robin, Fly”, as well as the highest German distinction for achievements in music (Golden Europe Award), Sylvester Levay has composed, orchestrated, and conducted the soundtrack of over 80 films, including “Scarface”, “Flashdance”, “Cobra”, and “Airwolf”, while also composing music for the famous musicals “Elisabeth”, “Mozart!”, “Marie Antoinette”, and “Rebecca”. Among the personalities he has worked with are Donna Summer, Elton John, Lorenzo Lamas, Michael Douglas, George Lucas, Sylvester Stallone, Whoopi Goldberg, Peter O’Toole, and Steven Spielberg. He has also taught composition and musical arrangement at prestigious universities and academies, such as the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS).
Attila Béres
Currently, he is the general director of the National Theater in Miskolc, Hungary, starting from 2014. Between 2004 and 2010 he was the principal director of the National Operetta and Musical Theater in Budapest, where he staged performances such as “Baroness Lili” by Jenó Huszka, “Wedding Dance” by Ferenc Fegya Jávori, “La vie parisienne” by J.Offenbach, or “The Merry Widow” by Franz Lehár. His awards include the “Best Show” prize at the National Theater Festival in Hungary, in 2003 for the musical “Somewhere in Europe”, a nomination for “Best Show” at the Golden Mask National Theater Festival in Russia, in 2008, for “Baroness Lili” by Jenó Huszka, and the best musical show award by the Association of Hungarian Critics, for the musical The Producers, by Mel Brooks.
He has collaborated with theaters in Hungary, Russia, Slovakia, Serbia, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Austria, and the United States of America. In 2007 at the Ion Dacian National Operetta Theater he staged the play “The Merry Widow” by Franz Lehar.
Rebecca
Musical in Two Acts by Michael Kunze & Sylvester Lévay
Libretto and Lyrics: Michael Kunze
Music and Orchestration: Sylvester Levay
Based on the novel “Rebecca” by Daphne du Maurier
Romanian Translation and Adaptation: Ernest Fazekas
A show by Attila Béres
Musical Coordinator: Tamás Bolba (Hungary)
Conductor: Constantin Grigore
Set Design: Balázs Horesnyi (Hungary)
Costumes: Rita Velich (Hungary)
Choreography: Ákos Tihanyi (Hungary)
Choir Conductor: Aurel Muraru
Assistant Director: Sorina Raluca Micșunescu
Assistant Choreography: Rita Szuts (Hungary), Relu Dobrin
Light Design: Dreiszker Jozsef (Hungary) Sound Design: Tamas Istvan Ditzman (Hungary)
General Delegate Producer: Corina Ștefan
Cast:
Ich: Cristina Popa
Maxim de Winter: Victor Bucur
Mrs. Danvers: Georgiana Mototolea
Jack Favell: Cătălin Petrescu
Frank Crawley: Andras Demeter
Ben: Dumitru Filip
Edythe Van Hopper: Bianca Ionescu-Ballo
Beatrice Lacy: Cristina Trandafir
Giles Lacy: Valentino Tiron
Colonel Julyan: Marius Mitrofan
Judge Horridge: Anton Zidaru
Secondary Roles and Extras:
Frith: Alois Doboș
Robert: Marius Meragiu
Mrs. Rutherford: Gladiola Nițulescu-Lamatic
Clarice: Geraldina Petre
Shadows: Oana Vâlceanu, Melis Ramazan, Camelia Ghiță, Evita Gurtovaia
The Other "Me": Andreea Bârzescu
Waiter: Mircea Crăciun
Rebecca’s Shadow: Gabriela Pojoreanu
Servants at Manderley Manor: Ioana Băiașiu, Carmen Anghel, Răzvan Rusu, Alexandru Vasile
Duration of the show: 3h (1 intermission)
Note: Ticketstore.ro reserves the right to cancel unpaid reservations 48 hours before the show.
For more details regarding the event above, please contact the organizing company: Ion Dacian National Operetta and Musical Theater, CIF 4340099, BUCHAREST