Page 204 - Weiss, Jernej, ur./ed. 2021. Opereta med obema svetovnima vojnama ▪︎ Operetta between the Two World Wars. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 5
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opereta med obema svetovnima vojnama
Halló, Miskolc!, however, was a successful production which ran for
two weeks in the Miskolc theatre in April 1925.100 The creators of the show,
Csaba Sassy and Vilmos Lóránth,101 had been planning their production
since February.102 It depended heavily on local references and on satiris-
ing local personalities (the hairdresser gathered photos of all the local per-
sonalities in order to represent them faithfully on stage). However, a cou-
ple of days later the authors decided to withdraw their representation of the
mayor: “we realised that such a good friend of the theatre cannot be satirised
even in a revue.”103 If the mayor was such a good friend of the theatre it is
hard to believe that he would mind being parodied – this might be one of
those rare public indicators how the local political interest limits creative
freedom. The mayor also requested that the opening night be moved for-
ward due to his scheduled journey to Rome, “because he wants to laugh at
the show on the way.”104 The production consisted of 12 scenes with 24 new
musical numbers by Jenő Hoppe and Emil Győry. Beside the regular thea-
tre band, a gypsy band and a “Pennsylvania jazz band” played in the show105
because the composers were keen on having a kaleidoscope of styles, in-
cluding cancan, foxtrot, waltz, shimmy and Hungarian songs.106 As for the
spectacle, they borrowed costumes from Városi Színház [Municipal Thea-
tre, Budapest] and an unnamed set painter was also engaged from there.107
Nevertheless, the main spectacle of the show was a film, which also served
as a framing device.108 Nowadays it is very common to merge film and live
action in theatre,109 but for the Miskolc audience it might have been the first
time. As the filmed scene in front of the railway station started playing, the
100 From April 18, to May 4, 1925.
101 Vilmos Lóránth (1889–1972?) became a successful operetta and revue director in Bu-
dapest during the 1930s. He emigrated to Australia in 1949.
102 Reggeli Hírlap, February 15, 1925.
103 Miskolci Napló, April 12, 1925.
104 Miskolci Napló, April 12, 1925.
105 Miskolci Napló, April 24, 1925. Both the gypsy and the jazz band was playing regu-
larly in the local Pannonia Bar.
106 Miskolci Napló, April 7, 1925.
107 Reggeli Hírlap, April 18, 1925.
108 The finale of the show was another film scene with special effects, representing the
town in 100 years’ time and how contemporary townsfolk were remembered. For in-
stance, the manager of the theatre had a sculpture depicting him on the altar of the
Muses, as he burns plays “written by the enemies of the theatre.” Miskolci Napló, April
16, 1925.
109 The aforementioned 1906 Budapest spectale, Madár Matyi also included a film
screening.
202
Halló, Miskolc!, however, was a successful production which ran for
two weeks in the Miskolc theatre in April 1925.100 The creators of the show,
Csaba Sassy and Vilmos Lóránth,101 had been planning their production
since February.102 It depended heavily on local references and on satiris-
ing local personalities (the hairdresser gathered photos of all the local per-
sonalities in order to represent them faithfully on stage). However, a cou-
ple of days later the authors decided to withdraw their representation of the
mayor: “we realised that such a good friend of the theatre cannot be satirised
even in a revue.”103 If the mayor was such a good friend of the theatre it is
hard to believe that he would mind being parodied – this might be one of
those rare public indicators how the local political interest limits creative
freedom. The mayor also requested that the opening night be moved for-
ward due to his scheduled journey to Rome, “because he wants to laugh at
the show on the way.”104 The production consisted of 12 scenes with 24 new
musical numbers by Jenő Hoppe and Emil Győry. Beside the regular thea-
tre band, a gypsy band and a “Pennsylvania jazz band” played in the show105
because the composers were keen on having a kaleidoscope of styles, in-
cluding cancan, foxtrot, waltz, shimmy and Hungarian songs.106 As for the
spectacle, they borrowed costumes from Városi Színház [Municipal Thea-
tre, Budapest] and an unnamed set painter was also engaged from there.107
Nevertheless, the main spectacle of the show was a film, which also served
as a framing device.108 Nowadays it is very common to merge film and live
action in theatre,109 but for the Miskolc audience it might have been the first
time. As the filmed scene in front of the railway station started playing, the
100 From April 18, to May 4, 1925.
101 Vilmos Lóránth (1889–1972?) became a successful operetta and revue director in Bu-
dapest during the 1930s. He emigrated to Australia in 1949.
102 Reggeli Hírlap, February 15, 1925.
103 Miskolci Napló, April 12, 1925.
104 Miskolci Napló, April 12, 1925.
105 Miskolci Napló, April 24, 1925. Both the gypsy and the jazz band was playing regu-
larly in the local Pannonia Bar.
106 Miskolci Napló, April 7, 1925.
107 Reggeli Hírlap, April 18, 1925.
108 The finale of the show was another film scene with special effects, representing the
town in 100 years’ time and how contemporary townsfolk were remembered. For in-
stance, the manager of the theatre had a sculpture depicting him on the altar of the
Muses, as he burns plays “written by the enemies of the theatre.” Miskolci Napló, April
16, 1925.
109 The aforementioned 1906 Budapest spectale, Madár Matyi also included a film
screening.
202
