Margitsziget Theater describes “The Ballad of the Pearl-Haired Girl” (playfully subtitled “The Alpha and Omega of Musicals) as a fairy tale wrapped in “grown-up clothes.” The season-closing show is a joint production of the band Omega, calling on its back catalog of Hungarian rock hits, and dance troop ExperiDance. Musical actors Nikolett Füredi, Máté Szabó, Viktória Békefi, Ádám Lux and László Janik star as the main characters.
Füredi explains that the piece “is the story of a young girl’s first great love and disappointment, from her own perspective and from that of her parents, who are at first quite estranged from each other.” She says she loves the Omega songs.
“They remind me of my childhood when I absolutely did not think that I would ever be able to sing them myself. The ‘Pearl-Haired Girl’ is a very cathartic moment of the performance, not only musically but also dramaturgically, as it is about my unborn child, a memory and trauma that a mother or parent can never process. For me, this is the highlight of the performance; it touches me very deeply spiritually.”
Máté Szabó created and continues to bring the character of Frédi Trombitás to life. “I was given a completely free hand in shaping the character of Frédi, which is why this role is very dear to me,” he says.
He adds, “I grew up in a music-loving family, and from kindergarten to high school, music accompanied me throughout my life. I knew Omega’s hits from a very early age; I learned them, I loved them, and I have to say, it feels incredibly good that now, as an adult, I can play a role in which I can sing these songs.”
The story is set on the shores of Lake Balaton and woven with a touch of mysticism, combining 21 Omega hits, 24 ExperiDance dancers, and five musical actors.
“Playing in the open air is always a great experience. It’s as if the energies are multiplied; there is an extra charm to the fact that you can swing a lot of spiritual chords in the huge space. Margitsziget is also a truly unique and wonderful location among outdoor stages here in the heart of the city,” Füredi adds.
This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of September 9, 2022.
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