NdB October: The Show Must Go On

The National Theatre of Brno has many performances every month in opera, ballet and drama. Here are some of the highlights. Click here for the complete schedule, ticket information and more details, in English. Photo: Janacek Festival opening ceremony. Credit: Marek Olbrzymek.

Brno, Oct 3 (BD) – Possibly besides “break a leg” and calling Macbeth “the Scottish Play”, the most famous show business saying is: “The Show Must Go On”.

And that is exactly what the Janáček Brno 2020 festival, which started on Monday, and the National Theatre of Brno will attempt to do in light of the tightened restrictions against the spread of the coronavirus, which specifically banned operas and signing performances.

Facemasks are required and seating arrangements have been altered, but, mostly, the show will go on. The festival concert series will mostly stay the same, with modifications to the vocal parts of the programs. Many events will be postponed. Some events, including visiting orchestras, have been adjusted significantly.

Řecké pašije (Greek passion), which was postponed during the spring quarantine period, has been moved again. This time it will be performed on Oct. 20, rather than this Wednesday.

The Oct. 10 performance of Salome by the Hungarian State Opera will be replaced by a concert by the Janáček Opera Orchestra NdB.

The Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, which was to be in Brno on Oct. 16, will now perform on a live stream from the concert hall in Bamberg, Germany, because of travel difficulties. The live stream will be shown in the Janáček Theater and on the websites of the festival and the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra.

The seventh Janáček festival, which is a celebration of local-boy Leoš Janáček and began with great fanfare with a stellar performance of Osud (Destiny), will have the Oct. 14 performance of that opera canceled. Future performances are scheduled of Nov. 28. and Nov. 29.

“I hope that music will continue to accompany us through this difficult period,” said Jiří Heřman, the artistic director of the Opera of the National Theatre Brno. “Stay with us!”

For a full list of changes, click here to go to the website. Use Google Chrome or a translation program if the English version is not available.

For the main festival site, in English, go https://janacek-brno.cz/en/.

DRAMA

Stage plays that do not include singing are allowed to continue during this period.

Hana, a wrenching and emotional play about a girl’s experience with fate and her complex family history, will include English subtitles at its Oct. 10 performance at Mahen Theatre.

Several other important plays will also be performed, in Czech, during the month. Click here to see the complete schedule for October and beyond.

BALLET

Swan Lake is schedule for four performances later this month: Oct. 17, 18, 23 and 31.

Click here to see the complete schedule for October and beyond.

Brno Daily Subscribe
Sign up for morning news in your mail