The Moravian Theatre Olomouc
The National Moravian-Silesian Theatre
Il capello di paglia di Firenze (The Florentine Straw Hat)
Festival hudebního divadla OPERA 2025
Basic information
The Estates Theatre
EnsembleThe National Moravian-Silesian Theatre (Ostrava)
LanguageIn Italian, surtitles in Czech, English
PremiereThe Czech premiere: March 13, 2025, Antonín Dvořák Theatre
Performance as part of the 16th Festival of Music Theatre Opera 2025
About
A comic opera by a composer best known for his music in Federico Fellini's films and The Godfather trilogy. However, in the shadow of these Oscar-winning and other accolades, Rota's remarkable body of work in symphonic, chamber, and music-dramatic compositions is often overlooked. A striking example of his versatile musical talent is the comic opera The Florentine Straw Hat, with a libretto inspired by the famous farce by Eugène Labiche and Marc Michel. This story gained extraordinary popularity in the Czech Republic, particularly thanks to Oldřich Lipský's 1971 film adaptation starring the brilliant Miloš Kopecký.
Set in mid-19th century Paris, the story draws viewers into a world of absurd situations, mistaken identities, and uproarious humor. It follows Fadinard’s chaotic and adventurous wedding day, after his horse eats the straw hat of a stranger. His desperate attempt to replace the hat before the situation turns into a scandal leads him through a series of increasingly absurd escapades, encountering a colorful cast of characters along the way. Rota’s music, filled with lively melodies, witty orchestration, and inventive musical motifs that highlight the comedic elements of the plot, perfectly complements the whimsical nature of the story. It’s a masterful blend of Italian buffa, neoclassical style, playful energy, and the composer’s brilliant sense of comedic timing. The Florentine Straw Hat is one of the essential gems of 20th-century comic opera, and its delightful music, timeless humor, and irrepressible joy of life now come to you in its Czech premiere.
Creatives
Conductor: Marek Šedivý
Stage director: Jiří Nekvasil
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Practical information
Where to buy tickets
The National Theatre sells tickets up to 6 months in advance. We are currently selling tickets for performances of Drama, Ballet, Opera and Laterna magika taking place in December 2024 – May 2025.
When purchasing online, you can get an e-ticket. You can pick up printed tickets in person at the box offices of the National Theatre.
What to wear?
By their appearance, attire and behaviour, the audience is obliged to adhere to the accustomed practice expected from them when attending a theatre performance.
Parking at the Estates Theatre
Unfortunately, there is no parking near The Estates Theater. You can use the guarded parking lot in the Kotva shopping center (Revoluční 1/655, Prague 1) and Paladium (Na Poříčí 1079 / 3a, Prague 1).
Buffets at the Estates Theater
No waiting. For your benefit, please pre-order your food and beverages at the bar to minimize waiting in the queue!
Menu (PDF, 60 kB)