Visit to
Budapest in June 2004 to see the Hungarian production of the
Phantom of the Opera
at the Madách Theatre
Diary
19 June 2004.
Clare, Lavinia and I met at Heathrow Airport early today for our flight to Budapest. Heathrow is one of the busiest airports in the world, and thousands of travellers were in the queues to check-in for their flights. Luckily, we were able to use the self-serve check-ins which are so much quicker. Then it was off to the duty-free shops for a good browse before our flight was called. Two of our party aren't so keen on flying, but this particular flight was beautifully smooth, thank goodness! We arrived at our hotel around 3 p.m. and were allocated our extremely nice rooms where we quickly unpacked our luggage. Then it was off to explore the area, but our first task was to locate the Madách Színház where the Phantom has his Hungarian lair. We found it very quickly as it was literally just around the corner in Erzsébet Krt. We did try to book seats for that evening but unfortunately there was a 'closed' performance that night so tickets weren't available to the general public. Not to worry, as we had seats booked for the following three evenings.
We did, however, raid the souvenir stall! The two young ladies taking care of the stall became our Madách friends, because we were back the following night… then the following night… and yet the night after that! I expect they thought we were completely crazy for buying so many items several times, but several items were for Phantom phriends at home! We bought t-shirts, baseball caps, mouse-mats, mugs, silver stick pins, posters, programmes and brochures, and the cast CD. Taking our goodies back to the hotel, I decided to wear my Phantom t-shirt for the evening. Then it was off to find somewhere for dinner. After our meal we walked through the wide streets and avenues down to the River Danube and the famous Chain Bridge. We were lucky enough to catch the finale of a grand firework display on the bridge. By this time we were rather tired so we walked back to our comfortably spacious rooms at the Queen Mary Hotel.
For any phan thinking of visiting Budapest to see Az Operaház Fantomja, we can highly recommend the Queen Mary. Not only is it an excellent hotel, but it is only a few minutes walk from the Madách.
20 June 2004.
After a delicious breakfast, we took a 2-hour bus tour around the city, commencing from the Pest side of the Danube (Andrassy ut) where we were based, then continuing over the river to the hilly Buda side. We had headphones which gave a commentary on the history of the city and which pointed out all the landmarks and historic buildings, including the bridges over the Danube. On the Buda side we were taken up to the Citadel from which there are the most fantastic views of beautiful Budapest. Back on the Pest side during the afternoon, we did more exploring on foot before it was time to return to the hotel in time to change for dinner. We decided to try a Pizza Hut, which was very nicely appointed, bright and modern with two large wall screens tuned into something like MTV). This particular branch was much nicer than many of those in London – and the pizzas were scrumptious - get them over here!). Some mellow Hungarian wine to wash down our meal, and then… our first experience of The Phantom of the Opera in Hungarian!
The Madách Theatre is lovely, with a horseshoe-shaped auditorium. However, we did discover that the view of the stage from the top balcony was somewhat obscured because of that shape, but as these seats work out at about two pounds sterling, we simply couldn't complain! Besides, what we heard more than made up for a partial view of the stage. Plus, we knew that on the following two nights we would have a truly wonderful view of everything!
The singing was incredible. Zoltán Miller played the Phantom that night and Renáta Krassy his Christine. And a first for us... a blonde Christine!! Renáta has one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard, very clear and perfectly pitched, obviously operatically-trained so no trouble reaching any of the high notes. She is also a wonderful actress. Zoltán was mesmerising as the Phantom and we all loved his portrayal (despite the long-haired black wig the Hungarian Phantoms wear - looked a little strange after being so used to the slicked-back auburn "hair" of our Phantoms, but we soon accepted this difference). Another first was a dark-haired Meg! The dancers weren't en pointe but extremely graceful all the same.
We absolutely loved the music box! It was not the usual monkey but a lovely, fair-sized model of the Paris Opera House. When the music played, the windows in the dome lit up and the dome itself rotated. I want one!!!!
The actors playing Firmin and André were great, and we absolutely loved the set of their office - it was so cosy with rose-coloured walls and a fire burning in the grate, over which was hung ... a huge mirror! The Phantom appeared in the mirror from time to time (when his ‘Notes’ were being read) - brilliant, that! All the cast were terrific, the singing of the highest standard throughout. I particularly loved the sets, because whoever designed them did so very much with the Opera Garnier in mind. The roof scene is superb as it features the dome, the horses and the statue of Apollo. While Christine and Raoul sing AIAOY, the Phantom is hidden in the dark shadows around Apollo, then after Christine and Raoul go back down, he is shown to be one of the shadows. He stands and walks down some steps onto a platform with a railing which he holds onto as if for emotional support. Then the dome is taken below stage as the Phantom is taken upwards (no safety rope for this Erik!). The next part is great... the cast of Il Muto come on stage to take their bows but facing away from us, the real audience. Then the Phantom appears on one side, up above, and does something to a rope which is connected to the chandelier, causing it to appear as if a line of fire is running up the rope. The chandelier falls (from the ceiling which looks exactly like that in the Opera Garnier) with a great sound effect of smashing glass and flames, while the whole cast are felled by shock and the reverberations. That bit was just so terrific!
We went back to our hotel that night on an absolute high!
21 June 2004.
Today we visited St Stephen's Basilica, which is a breathtaking sight of richly ornate high ceilings, embellished walls and columns. It was only built in 1903 and so has not the hand of time writ upon its beautiful exterior by way of city dirt and grime and weather conditions.
In the afternoon we visited the Hungarian State Opera House. Walking round following our charming guide, we were reminded often of the Palais Garnier, although on a smaller scale. We were shown the Royal Box, the Royal Drawing Room and the special staircase which the Empress Elisabeth used to gain access to these places. Coincidentally, that night the ballet Mayerling was being performed at the Opera House, which of course tells the tragic story of Elisabeth's son, Rudolph, who committed suicide after killing his young sweetheart.
Back to the Madách again for the evening performance and this time our seats were very different, as we sat in the front row… within an inch or two of the stage! That night we were almost part of the action on the stage, for Christine's dressing-room was right in front of us and we could have reached out a hand to touch her! Tonight we saw Andrea Mahó as Christine (brunette this time). Again, like Renáta, Andrea has the most stupendous voice; these ladies can really sing from their souls. She is slightly built and very pretty.
Zoltán was our Phantom again and we weren't complaining... oh, no!! He is a phabulous Phantom in every way.
The scenes that we couldn't see on the previous evening were there before us tonight, and we were just totally in awe of the staging. We liked the way Bouquet appears in one of the boxes for the scene in which he frightens the ballet girls with tales of the Phantom. He drops his rope, shaped like a noose, from the balcony and proceeds to let it swing in front of them while he scares them silly. Madame Giry comes on and rebukes him, then the Phantom suddenly appears and actually hands her a note. All the notes, by the way, have red backing. The Phantom seems to appear a lot more in the Hungarian version than usual, which is great, as he flits here, there and everywhere, appearing in the mirror in Firmin's office and often making his presence felt. Then again in the Masquerade scene he doesn't make the usual stately descent of the stairs, but runs down the stairs, then back up, flitting up and down and from side to side, frightening all the masked revellers. I liked that, because it seemed as if he really was everywhere.
I must mention the graveyard scene. It actually has graves in it, which makes more sense than seeing Christine wander around an almost empty stage. She kneels before Papa Daaé's grave as she sings, touching the stone with loving fingers. Even when she stands, she caresses the stone often. The Phantom appears behind her and they sing "Angel or Father…" et cetera, then as Raoul enters the scene, the Phantom disappears off stage and within seconds is seen again behind a sort of wall. Again, he is everywhere in this scene, which I found totally fascinating.
Also loved the lair scenes! When the Phantom first takes Christine below they climb down some stairs while the beam from the Phantom's lantern flashes everywhere as they proceed on their way. The boat isn't as elaborate but is perfectly fine and it makes its way across the "lake" as usual. In the lair there is a hugely tall pipe organ which the Phantom plays in a very impassioned manner as Christine sings. Then when she hits that final high note, she faints. While the Phantom sings MOTN Christine is raised on a sort of plinth, where it seems as if the Phantom is performing some sort of levitation trick upon her prone body. The plinth swings round, then back again, but not before he has undone the fastening of her cloak and seemingly, the top buttons of her dressing gown!!! Very tactile Phantom, this one, as again while Christine is asleep in the boat, he covers her lovingly with her cloak. He moves away, then glances back at her and upon seeing she has moved and pushed the covering aside, he strides forward to pull the cloak up around her shoulders, a very sweet, lovingly exasperated expression on his face as he does so.
That's when she snatches off the mask.
22 June 2004.
After breakfast, Lavinia tested herself on the Budapest public transport system (part of which was closed for refurbishment), arriving safely at the Roman ruins of Aquincum. Clare and I went off in search of the memorial to the Empress Elisabeth of Austria/Queen of Hungary as I was eager to see her and take photographs. She is the subject of another famous musical - 'Elisabeth' - which is hugely popular in Germany still. Elisabeth (Sissi) has a tragic history but is a fascinating figure, being only a spirited 16 year-old when she married Franz Josef of the ruling Habsburg dynasty.
We met up again for lunch and stayed for the afternoon on Castle Hill, visiting the Fisherman’s Bastion and St Mathias Church. We made a friend in a young Hungarian girl who asked if we'd mind if she walked with us for an hour or so, as she wanted to practice her English for a forthcoming exam. She was very knowledgeable about her city's history and gave us a lot of information (and we think she will pass her exam with flying colours!). We said goodbye to her and walked back down the hill and across the superb Chain Bridge (designed by Adam Clark, an Englishman). Then we sought out an intriguing little statue which appears on some of the tourist brochures. He/she looked like a little pixie, but Lavinia discovered that she was called The Little Princess. We finally found her perched upon a railing overlooking the Danube and we took photos of her. Then it was that time again... back to the hotel to change for dinner and (sob! sob!) our last show.
Around 7 p.m. we met two Hungarian phans, Timea and Edith. They were waiting on the stairs as arranged in a previous e-mail. Timea handed me a little bag, saying she had made gifts for Clare, Lavinia and myself, which we thought was so very sweet. Inside the bag were three candles, cube-shaped, and with a little white mask inside each, laying on a bed of tiny stones and seeds, and some coloured marbles. Timea is very artistic, because she also draws wonderful pictures of the Phantom.
Timea, thank you so much for your gifts - we treasure them and will keep them always!
This evening we sat in the centre of the first balcony where we had a wonderful view of the stage. A little incident made everyone sitting near us chuckle in that a theatregoer sitting in the balcony above was somewhat careless and managed to drop her handbag on Lavinia's head! Luckily it was a very small bag (and a very thick head - Lavinia's words!), and fortunately no harm was done to said head.
Tonight we had a different Phantom in the shape of Attila Csengeri, with Renáta back on stage as Christine. Zoltán put on a different hat and played Raoul. He was brilliant in both roles! Attila was also a wonderful Phantom.
Which scenes haven't I mentioned yet...? Ah yes, Don Juan Triumphant! Again this is staged very differently to the usual and the costumes aren't Spanish, but Moorish. Passarino is dressed in the black cloak with a sort of black balaclava over his head, where just his eyes and the lower part of his face are visible (he looks like a medieval executioner from The Tower of London). Piangi (who is called Umberto here instead of Ubaldo) actually takes hold of Passarino's face and shows him to the audience as explanation of how and why they are going to exchange roles. Then just before Christine comes on stage we see a scene played as shadows on the backdrop of Piangi being throttled (sound effects there are very convincing!) by the Phantom.
This has got to be one of the most sensual DJT scenes I've ever witnessed! Christine's Aminta costume is a rosy pink, with a gauzy scarf draped around her shoulders. During the scene she climbs onto the chair and then up onto the table, and then proceeds to seduce the Phantom by letting the scarf slide to the floor. He picks it up and buries his face in it while she removes another gauzy layer, revealing bare arms and shoulders. The Phantom reaches up, holds her somewhere in the region of her hips and lifts her slowly from the table, down his body. Whew!!! This scene was very, very sensual and indeed, passionately loving, but it was not "sexy". It was quite simply stunning!!
In the final lair the huge pipe organ swivels round again (as it did earlier in the show at the end of MoTN to reveal a huge mirror in which the mannequin Erik and Christine appear as a couple). Now it revealed the Phantom and Christine mannequins as bride and groom. There are two portcullises in this Phantom's lair, one on each side of the stage, and they both swoosh down with a loud clang. Raoul is allowed in through one portcullis where the Phantom proceeds to fling the punjab lasso around his neck, and also ties his hands behind his back.
Then came the kiss… and I almost fainted because it was so beautiful. The Phantom actually puts his arms around Christine and holds her close... at least Zoltán's Phantom did. It was sooooooo lovely! Christine kissed him as though she loved him, and he wasn't frightened to return her embrace and show how much he loved her. Bliss!!!
Earlier, during the interval, a lovely lady usher showed us several photos of the actors and actresses of the cast. She knew we'd come over from England to see the Hungarian Phantom, and we'd told several of the front of house staff how much we loved the production. So I half-jokingly asked if we could meet the Phantom, and heavens, without more ado she went off to telephone! In a couple of minutes she was back with the terrific news that yes, we could meet Zoltán after the show!!! What an evening this had turned out to be!
So then our lady collects us all, including Timea and Edith, and we are taken backstage (where we saw to our left the stage, and to our right the model of the Opera Garnier standing on top of a cupboard and just calling to me to take it home!!! Oh, how I'd love that as a music box! Lots of the costumes were hanging on rails and I touched the DJT black cloak. The backstage area is one of the nicest I've ever seen - so bright and airy and fresh. Some backstage areas are a bit dim and dusty. Finally our friend knocked upon Zoltáns' dressing-room door and got a slight shock when she saw him in just his dressing gown! While we waited for him we saw and nodded greetings to Attila who was still in costume (loved the make-up!) He then suddenly started to sing – what a voice! No microphone needed there, that's for sure!
When Zoltan emerged, he had just pulled on an England supporter's t-shirt!!! We had a chat with him, he signed our programmes and posed for photos with us and was utterly charming and welcoming. He also gave Lavinia and I a very special gift each which we'll always treasure.
So then it was time to say goodbye to our lovely Hungarian friends and go back to our hotel for our last night. We'd had a great time in Budapest, which is a super city to visit, met lots of lovely people and best of all, seen this gorgeous production of Phantom. It is totally in harmony with Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber's beautiful music and I think all concerned at the Madách should be very, very proud of what they have achieved. Zoltán told us they were contracted to do 400 performances over three years, so there's still lots of time for Phantom phans to book their flights to Budapest and go see this lovely show!
For information about Az Operaház Fantomja, here is the address of the Hungarian webpage:
http://www.azoperahazfantomja.hu/
Finally, I have some photographs of our trip, which you will find here:
I was lucky enough to return to beautiful Budapest in September 2005 to see Az Operaház Fantomja again.