The 2006 festival, in the city Szeged in southeast Hungary, will feature an exceptionally rich programme to mark the event?s 75th anniversary, festival director Edina Bátyai told the Hungarian News Agency (MTI).
Erkel?s ?Bánk Bán?, or ?Governor of Bánk? in English, an opera familiar to all Hungarians based on playwright József Katona?s historical drama, will be performed three times between August 18 and 20. The leading roles will be played by Attila Kiss B., János Bándi, Ilona Tokody, Bori Keszei, Éva Marton and Bernadett Wiedemann. The performance on August 20, Hungary?s national holiday, will be broadcast throughout the city on large display screens.
The festival will kick off in Szeged?s central Cathedral Square on July 7, with a spectacular dance performance by the Szeged Contemporary Ballet entitled ?New World?. Another must-see at the festival will be Imre Kálmán?s popular operetta ?Gypsy Queen?, directed by Róbert Alföldi, one of Hungary?s biggest stars of the stage.
?The festival sets out to create some valuable performances, as a result this year?s programme will include only original productions,? artistic director Gergely Kesselyák said.
Miklós Gábor Kerényi will direct the musical ?Rudolph ? The Last Kiss?, which is based on the tragic love affair between Prince Rudolph and Maria Vetsera. The festival?s organisers will stage the production together with the United Theatres of Vienna, and the Operetta Theatre of Budapest for the first time on July 28. ?Rudolph ? The Last Kiss? will be performed six times, with Bernadett Vágó and Attila Dolhai in the main leads.
Over the past 75 years, the Szeged Open-Air Festival has presented 800 performances on the stage set up in Cathedral Square, including 301 premieres, Bátyai said.
