Lottery for Husbands, or Fiancé No. 69 holds a special place in Karol Szymanowski’s oeuvre. It is the only instance when the composer opted for the lighter genre of operetta. The original libretto and sung texts preserved in the score were penned by Szymanowski’s friend, Julian Krzewiński-Maszyński, a Lviv operetta artist and a sought-after author of many comic and operetta librettos. Unfortunately, the libretto of Lottery did not survive in full: the spoken dialogue linking the musical numbers together went missing. The Baltic Opera Festival’s production features newly written texts by excellent dramaturge and scriptwriter Wojciech Tomczyk. But that is not the only reason the staging is special. It will feature none other than Karol Szymanowski himself who is fully behind the premiere.
The plot is set in 1908 in America. A local car factory owner, Tobiasz Helgoland, has two sons, Charly and Darly. The bibulous rascals cross paths with a scheming impresario who travels across the country holding husband lotteries that attract the attention of old maids. Among those who turn up at one of the events is a Mrs Troodwood who buys a ticket for her unwed daughter, Sarah. Impressed by the girl, the roisterer Darly puts himself down for the lottery. Complications ensue but eventually the young couple develop feelings for each other and the whole affair ends in an engagement.
Music Director
Piotr Sułkowski
Director
Marcin Sławiński
Libretto
Wojciech Tomczyk
Set Designer
Natalia Kitamikado
Costume Designer
Izabela Chełkowska-Wolczyńska
Choreographers
Jarosław Staniek and Katarzyna Zielonka
Lighting Designer
Ada Bystrzycka
Chorus Master
Janusz Wierzgacz
Multimedia
Stanisław Zaleski
Sound Effects
Jędrzej Rusin
Assistant Director
Mateusz Makselon
Assistant Music Director
Joachim Kołpanowicz
Stage Managers
Justyna Jarocka-Lejzak and Agnieszka Sztencel
Prompter
Maria Mitkowska
Orchestra and Chorus of the Krakow Opera
Tobias Helgoland
Tomasz Kuk
Charly
Szymon Raczkowski
Darly
Adrian Domarecki
Sherlock Holmes / Djep
Piotr Maciejowski
Impressario
Stepan Drobit
Hercules Poirot / Tinker
Jakub Foltak
Williams
Damian Wilma
Jack
Jan Kubas
Mrs Troodwood
Magdalena Barylak
Sara
Justyna Khil
Miss Huck
Justyna Bluj
Sara’s Friends: