Angela Lobefaro Photography

05 June, 2012

Ti mangio in Testa - I eat on your Head

Ti mangio in Testa - I eat on your Head, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

04 June, 2012

Volevo Entrare nel Teatro Vígszínház dal Tetto

Volevo Entrare nel Teatro Vígszínház dal Tetto, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

I wanted to enter the Vígszínház Theatre from the Roof!

© Angela M. Lobefaro
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© RIPRODUZIONE RISERVATA

The Comedy Theatre of Budapest (natively Vígszínház) is a theatre in Budapest. Starting in the turn of the 19th and 20th century as an opposition to the conservative National Theatre, it became a pioneer institution of Hungarian drama, and one of the oldest theatres still in operation.

The building
The Vígszínház was designed by architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer who worked on over 47 state-of-the-art theatre buildings around Europe. Its construction was financed by the tripartite ownership consisting of Count István Keglevich, the writer Ferenc Szécsi, and local businessman Gábor Faludi. I The destined area was a swampland before, but in the next few years it developed into the bourgeois Lipótváros district. The construction started in 1895 and lasted for one year, finishing in 1 May 1896. With 3 main tracts: the stage, including the flies; the lower seating tract; and the entry hall; the building exemplifies late historicism, featuring large sizes, an elevated driveway and baroque decorations, often using golden coloring. As a distinct feature from contemporary theatres, the Vígszínház featured three rows of box seats, large corridors and public areas supported by several wide stairs to answer the call of rising social life in the rapidly developing Budapest.

Mór Ditrói was the first director, coming from Kolozsvár (today Cluj-Napoca). He also brought his company of young actors, who were unknown to the Budapest audience at the time. They quickly created a unique and modern repertoire differing from the era's classical theatre, that featured both French comedies, contemporary Hungarian (starting the career of Ferenc Molnár, Sándor Bródy, or Jenő Heltai), and foreign (like from Irwine Shaw, Bertold Brecht, Anton Chekhov) dramas. The Vígszínház provided starting ground and home for several of the biggest names of the theatrical world from the turn of the century, like Gyula Csortos, Lili Darvas, Lili Muráti, Artur Somlay, Klári Tolnay or Gyula Kabos.
In the last days of World War II, Jan 1 1945 the theatre was hit by bombshells, so the company moved to the Radius Movie Theatre in the Nagymező Street. The repairs began under the supervision of Oszkár Kaufmann. Along with other similar artistic institution, Vígszínház was nationalized in 1949 (before this time, it operated as a private theatre). It reopened in 1951 under the name Theatre of the People's Army. Regaining its original name in 1960, Vígszínház became the main center of contemporary drama again, showing plays from Hungarian authors like Gábor Thurzó, Gyula Illyés, István Örkény, or classical 20th century authors like Arthur Miller or Friedrich Dürrenmatt . In 1973 they premiered the popular Képzelt Riport egy Amerikai Pop-fesztiválról (An Imaginary Report on an American Pop Festival), resulting in several other musical productions under the supervision of Gábor Presser. The building underwent significant repairs in 1994.
With an average of 350.000 tickets sold each year, Vígszínház is still one of the most successful theatrical venues in Budapest.

Courtesy of en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%ADgsz%C3%ADnh%C3%A1z

03 June, 2012

Meet me in Budapest

Meet me in Budapest, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

01 June, 2012

Girl Power in Budapest

Girl Power in Budapest, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro
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© RIPRODUZIONE RISERVATA

The phrase "girl power", as a term of empowerment, expressed a cultural phenomenon of the 1990s and early 2000s. It is also linked to third-wave feminism. The term was made popular by the Spice Girls in the mid to late 1990s.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl_power

31 May, 2012

Meet me in Budapest

Meet me in Budapest, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro
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© RIPRODUZIONE RISERVATA

The Halászbástya or Fisherman's Bastion is a terrace in neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque style situated on the Buda bank of the Danube, on the Castle hill in Budapest, around Matthias Church. It was designed and built between 1895 and 1902 on the plans of Frigyes Schulek. Between 1947–48, the son of Frigyes Schulek, János Schulek, conducted the other restoration project after its near destruction during World War II.

From the towers and the terrace a panoramic view exists of Danube, Margaret Island, Pest to the east and the Gellért Hill.

Its seven towers represent the seven Magyar tribes that settled in the Carpathian Basin in 896.

The Bastion takes its name from the guild of fishermen that was responsible for defending this stretch of the city walls in the Middle Ages. It is a viewing terrace, with many stairs and walking paths.

A bronze statue of Stephen I of Hungary mounted on a horse, erected in 1906, can be seen between the Bastion and the Matthias Church. The pedestal was made by Alajos Stróbl, based on the plans of Frigyes Schulek, in Neo-Romanesque style, with episodes illustrating the King's life.

It was featured as a Pit Stop on the sixth season of The Amazing Race.

from Wikipedia : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisherman%27s_Bastion

29 May, 2012

Little Girl and two Bugs

Little Girl and two Bugs, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

28 May, 2012

Purple Heights

Purple Heights, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro
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© RIPRODUZIONE RISERVATA

shot taken in a wonderful private garden, close to where we live.
I forgot the name of these flowers, I'll have to ask again!