Welcome to Poland’s Broadway: Jazz Up Your Life With Polish Musical Theatre
A big round of applause, standing ovations, shiny faces in the spotlight – there’s only one place where you can tap your troubles away. Everyone’s invited to this entertaining world. Let’s embark on a journey through Polish musicals that will jazz up your life!
So where do we start our musical theatre exploration? ROMA Musical Theatre in Warsaw will be the best first stop. The theatre stages both Polish and foreign musical shows. Does that mean you can watch The Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia, Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, Aida, Kinky Boots and other world-famous shows in Polish? Of course! But apart from translated versions of musical classics, you should know the musicals originally written in Polish.
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ROMA Musical Theatre, photo: Paweł Daszkiewicz /Meyer Sound LINA System Elevates
Behind the curtain of every great show, there’s a great number of people working hard for a few months or even years to make a play stageable. What we see on stage is of course the outcome of the joint work of actors, directors, producers, scenographers, stage managers and make-up artists. But we sometimes forget that before the play is taken to the stage, a group of translators, music writers, and playwrights work on the text. And amongst those people, there’s Daniel Wyszogrodzki, who gives Polish audiences access to shows that are popular worldwide. How does he do it?
Wyszogrodzki is a translator and the dramaturg of ROMA Musical Theatre, as well as the author of the first Polish encyclopaedia about musicals – Ale Musicale! Złote Stulecie (Oh, Musicals! The Golden Century). The book describes famous musicals staged from 1918 to 2018 with the addition of numerous anecdotes from behind the scenes. Wyszogrodzki is also a professor and music journalist who wants to popularise the musical genre in Poland:
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We need to teach our Polish talented young generations not only to sing, but also to speak the language of musical theatre!
From ‘Ale Musicale! Złote Stulecie’, Trans. SS
Thanks to his work for ROMA, we can watch Les Misérables, Mamma Mia, Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Dancing in the Rain, and Aladdin Jr. in the Polish language. And before anybody asks: yes, the songs were also translated! His work is an inspiration for those interested in musical theatre, and a guide for those who want to get acquainted with it.
‘Metro’ (1991)
There are moments in theatre that change everything. Whenever we think about the most iconic Polish musical, Metro comes to mind immediately. This spectacular show, directed by Janusz Józefowicz, with a libretto written by two sisters – Agata and Maryna Miklaszewska – and music by Janusz Stokłosa, was revolutionary for the Polish theatre.
It all started on one beautiful day in Warsaw, when a queue of young artists stood in front of Dramatyczny Theatre. The whole of Poland was given an opportunity to audition for the musical, but only the best candidates were chosen. The director wanted to find new talents and faces unknown to Polish media. This strategy was a great decision. The actors were energetic, creative and not jaded by the industry. They had a lot in common with the characters they played. The plot tells the story about young passionate people with big dreams of becoming musical stars. Unfortunately, they can’t show their talent in theatre, so they decide to perform at a metro station.
The musical was sensational. After being staged for 30 years, it’s still possible to watch it. But the Polish audience isn’t the only one who’s had the opportunity to watch Metro. It was taken to Broadway and presented at the Minskoff Theatre. How did this happen? According to Grzegorz Kowalczyk, an actor and dancer who played in Metro, there had been many rumours about going to New York, but nobody really believed it could happen. The Polish cast was about to go on their first trip to the US and perform in the English language. At the time, not everyone could speak a foreign language. As we learn from Kowalczyk’s interview with Andrzej Dybowski:
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The producers of the musical decided to give free lessons to our cast, and those who didn’t know English – like me, for example – had to learn it. We have been taking English classes for half a year, and then staged the English version a few times in Warsaw to check how the audience responds to it. When we finally came to New York, we had only 10 days to practice […], then we had 16 test performances until it finally came to the premiere.
Trans. SS
So how was the musical received overseas? Unfortunately, the musical wasn’t an immediate success in America, and it received a few unpleasant reviews. Wyszogrodzki, in his book, states that taking Polish musical to Broadway was like bringing owls to Athens. But let’s face it – performing on Broadway was a challenge and great opportunity for young people to get the taste of life in the larger world. This production proved that finding young artists and helping them to spread their wings onstage is the way to produce an energetic, spectacular show. Such auditions help unknown but talented people get into show business.
Even though Metro wasn’t an instant success on Broadway, it was nominated for Tony Award in 1992. It was the only time in history when a Polish musical was nominated for this most prominent theatrical award.
There’s no doubt this musical must have been a hard act to follow… So what happened after 1991? Did anyone manage to beat it?
‘Polita’ (2011)
Certainly not the musical Polita – but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t groundbreaking! After achieving great success with the production of Metro, Józefowicz and Stokłosa opened their own theatre called Studio Buffo. Their next idea was to make another musical with Agata Miklaszewska, which would commemorate Pola Negri (Barbara Apolonia Chałupiec) – a prominent Polish Hollywood film star who led a vivid life.
The most innovative and surprising element of the performance is that it involves a 3D effect which joins cinematic special effects with stage performance. The set design is prepared with stereoscopic technology, and the audience watches the show wearing 3D glasses. The actors perform on stage, but the setting is entirely virtual, which helps to avoid using heavy properties. Polita was presented not only in Poland, but also in Russia and Germany.
After this performance, Stokłosa and Józefowicz took an even bolder step – Romeo and Juliet – the first musical in the world in 3D and… in water! Such ideas prove that everything is possible in theatre.
‘Piloci’ (2017)
If there is a Polish musical that could upstage Metro, it’s definitely Piloci (The Pilots), produced by ROMA theatre. With a libretto by Wojciech Kępczyński, song lyrics by Michał Wojnarowski and music by Jakub and Dawid Lubowicz, the show brings us high above the earth. The musical tells a story about Polish pilots from the 1930s and 1940s and their romantic relationships interrupted by war.
Piloci serves as further proof that theatre should open up to new talents. Auditions began in 2016, and 600 people tried out for the show. But the most beloved element of the musical is probably the soundtrack. The amount of CDs with the songs from the musical sold is overwhelming. This high-flying soundtrack is also available in an English version
Piloci brings our attention to one crucial advantage of musical theatre – namely, the way it breaks up the traditional way of teaching. There’s a tendency in Poland to treat historical events with seriousness and pathos. But if we want to interest the youngest generations – nothing works better than music. You may learn a lot from songs, but you also get to see how people dressed and behaved in the past through the costumes and stage properties. Take, for instance, the idea of theatrical director Wojciech Kościelniak, who realised that musical theatre can be a way of retelling literary classics and bringing people of different age together. Working for the Musical Theatre in Gdynia, he made musical shows based on The Doll by Bolesław Prus and The Peasants by Władysław Reymont. How about creating more shows like that?
‘Lunapark: Piosenki Grzegorza Ciechowskiego’ (Lunapark: The Songs of Grzegorz Ciechowski) (2018)
Metro, Polita, Piloci… you can find these titles on the lists of Polish theatrical musicals. But there is also one treasure which is not mentioned as often – Lunapark: Piosenki Grzegorza Ciechowskiego. It isn’t a classical musical; we should rather call it a musical tribute paid to the great Polish musician, poet, writer, composer and singer from the 1980s and ’90s – Grzegorz Ciechowski and his band Republika. The show was a final assignment prepared by students from Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw.
Republika rocks the world again! The stage setting and actors look like taken from the black-and-white CDs and posters of the band. This breathtaking show demonstrates that musical theatre doesn’t need numerous props and exaggerated designs to move people’s hearts. The most important thing is the sense of belonging – and great music, of course. A small stage with a few chairs and a couple of actors dressed in black, emphasising their body movement and facial expressions, is enough.
Even though the songs were written 30 years ago, the group made them incredibly up-to-date. Through this music, they managed to comment on the political situation of modern Poland, show their interpretation of the works, and recreate the specific movement and artistic expression of the Republika band.
‘Kapitan Żbik’ (Captain Żbik) (2020)
Listen well to the sound of Poland under the communist regime, and meet the Polish version of James Bond – that’s the best summary of Kapitan Żbik i Żółty Saturator (Captain Żbik and the Yellow Soda-Water Machine). There is no other musical which portrays the everyday life of the Polish People’s Republic so well. Long queues, shopping in Pewex shops, soda-water machines on the streets, hairspray, and comic books – it’s all present in the vivid stage adaptation of the Polish comic book popular from the 1960s to the 1980s. The main character of the comic book is Captain Żbik – a brave, police captain who is always right and works like a detective protecting Warsaw from danger. The Syrena Theatre decided to transform the comic sketchiness into the actors’ behaviour, short dialogues, and make-up. The show sparkles with pop culture, and it’s suitable for both children and adults.
Most intriguing, however, is how the theatrical group transmitted the hidden message from the comic book to the show. It’s not a coincidence that Captain Żbik works for the Citizens’ Militia. In Poland at the time, the communist government used comic books to subtly spread their propaganda. They intentionally created the figure of a heroic police-captain role model to make everyone trust the militia. The performance consists of many songs of people from various social classes, which accurately portray life in those times. People were oppressed by the system – and in the musical, this is best demonstrated when a song from George Orwell’s Animal Farm gets interrupted with Żbik’s enumeration of social obligations and prohibitions. Ultimately, his voice silences people instead of helping them.
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A scene from 'Chłopi' directed by Wojciech Kościelniak, .2013, photo: Piotr Manastersk/ Musical Theatre in Gdynia
Evidently, comic books have started to rule Polish musical theatre. Following the plans of Syrena Theatre, the next stage adaptation of a Polish comic book – Kajko i Kokosz (Kajko and Kokosz) – will be released in September 2021. Together with Daniel Wyszogrodzki, we hope that the list of Polish musical gems will continue to grow:
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Theatres filled to the top with spectators, standing ovations, the bond between the actors and the audience, everlasting enthusiasm – that’s the prognosis for the future of the Polish musical theatre. A musical show made itself at home in our country and has led a life of great comfort. And something tells me it will only get better.
From ‘Ale Musicale!Złote Stulecie’ by Daniel Wyszogrodzki, trans SS
And he’s absolutely right. Musical theatre invites everyone to sing along, and it tells every story in a vivid, amusing way. The producers create big shows and expect even bigger results (not to mention bulging pockets). But even if a show doesn’t cause a sensation, it doesn’t mean it lacked value. The golden recipe for success can be found after creating a thousand shows and as many failures. Every new musical brings us one step further to world-class productions.
One day, when Poland realises musical theatre is the key to people’s hearts, we’ll watch a Polish show that will grow to the rank of Hamilton. There’s still a million things that Polish musical theatre hasn’t done… but just you wait!
Written by Sylwia Sienicka, Jun 2021
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