December 2002

Janáček’s world of animals

For the seventh time, the Prague National Theater is putting on one of Leoš Janáček’s nine operas, Tales of the Fox Bystrouška. The composer wrote the libretto according to a literary model by Rudolf Těsnohlídek, which was created as a text for illustrations by the artist Stanislav Lolek. The opera’s premiere was held in Brno in 1924. As opposed to the original material, Janáček emphasized the world of animals, and, instead of closing with the wedding of Bystrouška and the male fox Zlatohřbítek, he let the heroine die. The Caban brothers, who did the directing and choreography, faced a challenge in putting the current opera together to make the performance entertaining for children, filled with fantasy and visual effects.

Leoš Janáček: Příhody lišky Bystroušky, Národní divadlo, premiere December 19 at 19:00, tickets 80-900 Kč.

Theater
3. 12. – Love, Divadlo Bez zábradlí 17:00 a 20:00
5. 12. – Knives in Fowls, Divadlo Na zábradlí 19:00
7. 12. – Lantern, Národní divadlo 14:00 a 19:00
9. 12. – Servant of Two Masters, Stavovské divadlo 19:00
10. 12. – Happy End, Divadlo Na zábradlí 19:00
11. 12. – Divadlo v Dlouhé: Garderobier, Divadlo Na zábradlí 19:00
11.-14. 12. – Vagina Monologues, Malé Nosticovo divadlo 20:00
12. 12. – Divadlo Bolka Polívky: Don Quijote, Divadlo Bez zábradlí 19:00
14.-20. 12. – Time of Hangmen – Czech premiere, Švandovo divadlo 19:00
15. 12. – Běsi, Divadlo na Vinohradech 19:00
16. 12. – Bez roucha aneb Ještě jednou zezadu, Divadlo Bez zábradlí 19:00
18. 12. – Balada o vídeňském řízku, Divadlo Na zábradlí 19:00
19. 12. – School for Women, Divadlo Metro 19:00
20. 12. – Christmas Evenings, Studio Ypsilon 19:30
21. 12. – Ivanov, Divadlo Na zábradlí 19:00
22. 12. – Divadlo v Dlouhé: Soudné sestry – premiere, Divadlo Komedie 19:30
25.-28. 12. – Graffiti – black theater, Laterna Magica 20:00
27. 12. – Where Have You Been Tonight?, Divadlo Bez zábradlí 19:00
28.-29. 12. – Divadlo v Dlouhé: Velkolepý paroháč, Divadlo Komedie 19:30
30. 12. – The Balcony, Divadlo Na zábradlí 19:00
Opera
27. 12. – World of Smiles – opereta, Kongresové centrum, Společenský sál 19:00
29. 12. – Příhody lišky Bystroušky – premiéra, Národní divadlo 14:00 a 19:00
31. 12. – Silvestr Gala: Die Fledermaus, Státní opera 20:00

DANCE
8. 12. – Don Juan, Golem, Státní opera 16:00
21. 12. – The Nutcracker, Národní divadlo 14:00 a 18:00
31. 12. – Somebody likes it…, Stavovské divadlo 15:00

The French Revolution on a new stage

On 14 December there will be a gala opening of the Švanda Theater in Smíchov, featuring the premiere of the exquisitely staged production of Time of Executioners, by Kornel Hamvai, a contemporary Hungarian dramatist. Under the leadership of the theater’s artistic director and director, Michal Lang, the entire actors’ ensemble will perform on a large stage. The play takes place in the chaotic times of the French Revolution. The author, who is 33 years old, chose executioners as the play’s main characters, and through them he points out the nonsensical mystery of death, devoting the play to life’s morbidity. The play had its premiere two years ago in the Jozsef Katona Theater in Budapest, and won the Critics’ Award for the best new Hungarian drama of the year 2000. The Dramaturgs’ Guild also crowned it as the best new stage performance of the year.

Kornel Hamvai: Čas katů, Švandovo divadlo, premiere December 14 at 19:00, tickets 100-200 Kč

Modern music
5. 12. – Brave Old World – folk-ethno-world, Palác Akropolis 20:00
6. 12. – Hudba Praha – rock, Palác Akropolis 19:30
7. 12. – Adam Freeland – dance, Roxy 21:00
8. 12. – Napalm Death – rock, Roxy 18:30
10.-14. 12. – Kryštof & Brainstorm – rock, Ostrava, Praha, Plzeň, Brno
13., 16. 12. – Helena Vondráčková & Karel Gott – pop, Brno, Praha 19:00
16., 23. 12. – Tři sestry a hosté – rock, Palác Akropolis 18:30
18.,19. 12. – Čechomor, Palác Akropolis 20:00
19. 12. – Tep Jiřího Korna – pop, Hotel Olšanka, Kongres. sál 19:30
20. 12. – Tropická noc – folklor-etno-world, Lucerna, Velký sál 19:00
21. 12. – Acuvue Cosmic City 2002 – dance, Veletržní palác 21:00
29. 12. – Velvet Underground Revival Prague, Palác Akropolis 19:30
31. 12. – Silvestr 2002 – Lord of the Ring – dance, Roxy 21:00
Classical music
1.-17. 12. – Autumn Strings 2002 – international music festival, Pražský hrad
4. 12. – Czech National Symphony Orchestra: Special public concert Rudolfinum, Dvořákova síň 19:30
10. 12. – Pavel Šporcl: piano recital, Šumperk, Dům kultury 19:00
11. 12. – Pavel Šporcl: piano recital, Přerov, Městský dům 19:30
19.-20. 12. – Czech Philharmonic: Bohuslava Martinů Festival , Rudolfinum, Dvořákova síň 19:30
22. 12. – Czech Christmas Mass, Národní divadlo 17:00
31. 12. – Czech Philharmonic: New Year’s Eve Concert, Rudolfinum, Dvořákova síň 16:30
FAMILY ENTERTAIMENT
2.-5. 12. – Cleopatra – musical, Divadlo Broadway 19:00
8. 12. – Divadlo v Dlouhé: If Pigs Had Wings, Div. v Celetné 15:00
9.-10. 12. – Olympic – musical, Divadlo Ta Fantastika 18:00
11.-13. 12. – The Pied Piper – musical, Divadlo Kalich 19:00
14. 12. – Divadlo Minaret: Pilgrimage to Bethlehem, Div. Bez zábradlí 14:00
15. 12. – Divadlo Minaret: Creation of the World, Div. Bez zábradlí 11:00
18.-20. 12. – Monte Cristo – musical, Kongresové centrum 19:30
25. 12. – Revenge – Yeast Buns and Puppets or “How Michal read the Count of Monte Cristo” – premiere, Švandovo divadlo 19:00
25. 12. – My Fair Lady – musical, Kongresové centrum 19:00
SporT
1. 12. – Budoshow 2002 – martial arts, Hala Sparty na Letné 15:00
10. 12. – HC Sparta Praha vs. HC Slávia Praha – ice hockey, T-Mobile Aréna 18:00

 

Visual nostalgia

The exhibition of Czechoslovak Socialist Realism, 1948-1958, primarily focuses on the creative works of painters who were active on the local scene in the fifties. A large collection of paintings from state galleries, the Museum of the Workers’ Movement, and the Historical Institute of the Czech Republic Army, is supplemented by sculptures and files of documents, as well as by decorative and applied arts and posters. The exhibition also contains ideological texts on whose basis the artistic works were created, and music of the time. In 1994, the Rudolfinum Gallery presented Soviet Stalinist culture under the name of “Agitation for Happiness”. Subsequently, the idea was born to prepare an exhibition that would show the varied nature of Czechoslovak socialist realism, and provide space for deeper reflection on issues of the times.

Československý socialistický realismus 1948-1958, Galerie Rudolfinum, until February 9, 2003, except Mon 10:00-18:00, tickets 50-100 Kč, children under 15 free

For film-goers seeking enlightenment

Guru, a cheerful UK/US co-production, is subtitled “How to Let the Tiger Out of the Cage – When He Talks, Women Listen”. The film is the humorous essence of the memoirs of producer Shekhar Kapur, which screenplay writer Tracey Jackson interpreted the story in a New York context. The main character is a successful dance teacher in his native India, where he dreams of the lights of Broadway and desperately yearns for the great world, about which he has his own ideas, colored by his Indian roots. He is then invited to New York with promises of a luxury apartment, a red Mercedes, and a gaggle of beautiful blondes. But he comes to see that the reality is different.

Guru, Multiplex Nový Smíchov, / Czech premiere December 26, tickets 129-149 Kč.

Tickets for these events may be purchased at any of the Ticketpro outlets, online through www.ticketpro.cz., or by phoning the EchoLine call center at 14051.


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