REVIEW: The Straw Hat as a spirited musical comedy – News

The story of Mr. Fadinard, who is just before his wedding, when his horse eats the hat of a certain married lady in a rather intimate situation in the Boulogne forest, is an ageless farce. It brings a thrilling chain of situations in the search for the doppelganger of the ruined hat, during which Fadinard is chased by a pack of excited wedding guests.

Actor and director Václav Knop, who is the author of the adaptation for the production at the Lucie Bílé Theater, was lucky to choose the genre of musical comedy with a number of songs and choreography that keep the production moving at a brisk pace. He thus returned comedy to its original form of vaudeville, the predecessor of both operetta and musical. After all, the highlight of the performance is the musical scene, when Fadinard is forced to pretend to be an opera singer, and which Knop and the actors of the production turned into a wonderful musical pasticcio of well-known melodies.

On a simple but functional stage and in elegant costumes, actors and singers from different theaters and environments found themselves side by side, but together they form a cohesive team that fills the production with great energy, acting temperament and visible joy. And that is also transmitted to the audience. Each character has a dual alternation and both are worth watching. In the one I saw, Miroslav Hrabě excelled as Fadinard, Václav Krejčí as deaf uncle Vézinet, Michal Kern as Bobin’s unfortunate lover, Miloslav Mejzlík as Tardiveau and Pavel Vítek as Emil. Among the female characters, Marie Křížová was excellent in the role of Marie, and Vlasta Peterková made excellent use of her comedic experience from the Karlín stage in the role of the Baroness. The straw hat at the Lucie Bílá Theater is the type for a pleasant relaxing evening. The opportunity will arise again on May 25 – 27.