Organization

Conductor

Stathis Soulis

Kyriaki Kountouri

Stage director

Yannis Kalavrianos

Set designer

Petros Touloudis

Costume designer

Video Animation

Choreographer

Marianna Kavallieratos

Lighting designer

Nikos Vlasopoulos

Assistant to the Director

Giorgos Papadakis

Assistant to the set and costume designer

Giouli Stylianidou

Chorister musical training

Christos Sakellaridis

Spyros Souladakis

Singer

Maria Tsironi

Hélène

Smaragda Vangeli

Marialena Politi

Bacchis

Marietta Sarri

Katerina Alexiou

Pâris

Katerina Fountoukidou

Katerina Botoni

Achille

Angelos Kidoniefs

Antonis Antoniadis

Ajax

Antonis Kordopatis

Nikos Ziaziaris

Ménélas

Dimosthenis Vlachos

Christos Rammopoulos

Agamemnon

Zannis Kanterakis

Nikolaos Karagiaouris

Calchas

Nikos Masourakis

Greek National Opera

Offenbach’s La belle Hélène

Offenbach’s La belle Hélène Kornilios Selamsis

Public

Approved

Hélène, the Beautiful Helen, the figure we have encountered so many times in school books, in a story that changes, shapes and becomes shaped differently over the years, is our production’s central character. This time, we meet her in Kornilios Selamsis’ opera Offenbach’s La belle Hélène to a libretto by Alexandra K*, in a new fresh and contemporary version presenting us with the known myth in a colourfoul, melodious and – most of all – funny way. As the title shows, the work is based on Jacques Offenbach’s famous operetta La belle Hélène.

The new work is based on the much-loved operetta of the father of French operetta, Jacques Offenbach’s La belle Hélène, although it is a new opera. As the composer notes, it is “a blend of two musical ventures: on the one hand of Offenbach’s old and popular comic operetta and on the other hand of a new opera – or perhaps of a music theatre work with fragments of the past trapped inside it”. The libretto – based on the original text of Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy – has been penned by Alexandra K* and the production is staged by distinguished composer Yannis Kalavrianos. Τhe set, costumes and the video animation have been designed by Petros Touloudis, the movement by Marianna Kavallieratou and the lighting by Nikos Vlasopoulos. The musical direction is shared by Stathis Soulis and Kyriaki Kountouri, while the cast and the instrumental ensemble consist of a plethora of talented Greek soloists and musicians.  

The story is based on the known Greek myth and is set in Sparta and Nafplion. It introduces us to the myth of the Beautiful Helen of Troy through a modern and hilarious approach that treats issues of gender stereotypes, roles and identities. As noted by the director: “We have tried to grasp the concerns of modern-day teenagers with the utmost sincerity.”

-The production will travel across Junior High Schools all over Greece,

English

Offenbach’s La belle Hélène by Selamsis, Wed 18 Jan 2023, From (2023/2023), Directed by Yannis Kalavrianos,, Conductor Stathis Soulis, Kyriaki Kountouri

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Programme, About & Synopsis

Photos

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues