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Mike the Magnate
Being one of the most successful Hungarian operettas, Mike the Magnate is time and again played both in music and drama theatres.
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Its popularity is partly due to the satirical and amusing story, and partly to the superb evergreen songs written by Albert Szirmai and Andor Gábor. “Who knows a woman's heart", “I wish to be happy" and “What a nasty world" have certainly become operetta hits.
The operetta was originally written for Márton Rátkai and Sári Fedák, a legendary Hungarian duo of stage artists. Therefore, theatres should only come out with a new production if the roles of Miska and Marcsa are played by absolute celebrities. It is perhaps the only operetta that has a comical character in the leading role. Miska, a quick-witted stable-boy with a heavy non-U accent, turns into a sophisticated aristocrat in a matter of minutes. His hefty partner, Marcsa becomes a “Frenchy" dame, who is introduced to the upper-class world as Countess Mary.
All this happens because the standoffish family would not allow Baracs, a farm bailiff to marry their daughter Countess Rolla. Thank goodness that a kleptomaniac grandmother, not caring about such prejudices, takes side with the young couple, and the story unfolds into a merry finale.
