After many years, the iconic 1926 operetta The Circus Princess, one of Emmerich Kálmán’s most famous works, returns to the stage of the National Theatre Košice. The production is staged on the occasion of the theatre’s 80th anniversary, under the artistic patronage of the composer’s daughter, Yvonne Kálmán. Directed by Vera Nemirova in a completely new Slovak translation, it brings a story that will touch even those who think operetta is not for them.
An operetta from times of crisis for today’s world
Director Vera Nemirova approaches operetta as a product of crisis – a response to wars, economic downturns, and the loss of certainty. According to her, it reflects the human longing for “an ideal world, for harmony and beauty.” That is why The Circus Princess is just as relevant today, in a world once again marked by unease and insecurity.
The production opens in the foyer of a luxurious hotel, where two people who once loved each other – Fedora Palinská and the mysterious Mister X – meet again after many years. The wheel of the stage begins to turn, and with it human memory. Audiences are transported back to the characters’ youth, into the circus ring, to elegant settings, and behind the scenes where their hidden desires and wounds are revealed.
It is a story about what can happen once again, if we dare to open the door to our memories. “Isn’t today’s world, with the threat of war closer than at any time in the last 80 years, once again ripe for operetta?” asks the director.
The production is presented under the artistic patronage of Yvonne Kálmán, who has often attended premieres of her father’s works in Košice. This time, due to her health, she cannot travel, but she continues to support the staging from afar: “Košice has become my second home. I have always felt deep respect here for my father’s music and joy from audiences who receive it with an open heart. The Circus Princess is one of his most enchanting works, and I am proud that the Košice Opera is now giving it a new life.”
Understanding instead of nostalgia
The Circus Princess in Košice is not an entertaining return to the past but a reflection on the present through the lens of memory. In this seemingly charming world, the story explores conflicts that feel very contemporary: questions of social status, judgement, rejection, uncertain identity, and the lack of safety and human closeness. Fedora as a woman who is both “too much” and “not enough,” and Mister X as an outsider , a man without a name, a home, or the right to be loved.
In Nemirova’s interpretation, even kitsch has its place – not as a cheap illusion but as memory. Emmerich Kálmán’s music plays like a music box of recollections, yet between the beautiful notes arises the question:“Is it truly too late? And what if it isn’t?”
Roland Khern Tóth, Director of the Opera of the National Theatre Košice, explains:
“In Košice, we believe operetta is not merely an entertainment genre. It is a very precise mirror of its time – we only need to set it at the right angle. Vera Nemirova is an experienced director unafraid of fresh approaches – she proved that last year with her staging of Suchoň’s The Whirlpool. Our Circus Princess is clear proof that operetta can express profound themes without losing its lightness and elegance. I believe this is exactly what today’s world needs.”
A stage full of artists and a real circus
The production brings together the entire artistic ensemble of the National Theatre Košice: orchestra, chorus, drama, and ballet. In the lead roles are Titusz Tóbisz / Martin Gyimesi (Mister X) and Soňa Godarská / Tatiana Hajzušová (Fedora Palinská). Other roles feature Aneta Hollá, Silvia Ondočko, Anton Baculík, Maksym Kutsenko, Marek Gurbaľ, Marián Lukáč, Peter Kočiš, Ivan Krúpa, Viera Kállayová, Beáta Drotárová, László Havasi, Pavol Cebák, Tomáš Hodermarský, Filip Kostrub, and others.
Choreography by Andrej Petrovič, Gennaro Sorbino, and Dalibor Fabian. The set is designed by Andrej Serafin, costumes by Simona Vachálková. The musical preparation is led by Chief Conductor Peter Valentovič.
Adding to the atmosphere of the circus world are real acrobats and circus artists: the talented brothers from Košice’s Cirkus Mavakanza, acrobats Ariadna and Ka Rina (Aerial Duo Lalyra), Slávka Krivánek, Ondrej Jakubčák, and Patrik Zelezka.
