With the participation of 70 members of the Hungarian State Opera Children's Chorus, the OPERA presents the world premiere of Beauty and the Beast, a one-act children’s opera by Péter Tóth and Anna Mechler, on 9 May 2026, at the Eiffel Art Studios. The production imbued with an Eastern atmosphere and incorporating motifs from folk tales, and primarily intended for younger schoolchildren is staged by Attila Toronykőy and conducted by Nikolett Hajzer.
Following the successful 2019 world premiere of The Tót Family, Péter Tóth returns to the OPERA’s Eiffel Art Studios with Beauty and the Beast. This new adaptation of the timeless tale emphasizing the true value of inner qualities moves away from the version familiar to many from the classic animated film and is reborn in a vibrant Middle Eastern setting. The accessible and melodic work, rich in musical references, features a libretto by the popular children’s author Anna Mechler. In addition to her literary work, she is closely connected to vocal music as a choir conductor and music teacher. After several joint choral compositions, the composer-librettist duo wrote their approximately one-hour opera during the COVID-19 pandemic, originally for mixed chorus. At the request of the OPERA, it was later adapted to suit the Children’s Chorus.
Attila Toronykőy, who has directed numerous youth and children’s productions for the opera house, including The Magic Flute for Children, The Little Sweep, and Hungarian Christmas, once again collaborates with the OPERA Children’s Chorus. His dynamic staging makes full use of the technical possibilities of the Bánffy Stageat the Eiffel Art Studios, with more than 70 young performers not only appearing as characters but also actively shaping the onstage action and transformations. The Eastern-inspired visual world is enhanced by sets by Balázs Fügedi, costumes by Katalin Juhász, and projections by Zsombor Czeglédi.
Musical director of the production is Nikolett Hajzer, who, as chorus master, is responsible for preparing the Children’s Chorus and, as conductor, for conducting the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra. The female title role, Viola, is double cast with Luca Gábor and Brigitta Turi, while her sisters are portrayed by Loretta Melkovics and Lina Zsófia Bede (Magda), and Panna Csányi and Johanna Turi (Léna). The two adult roles are also performed by young singers: the Beast is sung by Balázs Papp, and Merkantil, the girls’ father, by Máté Fülep.
Beauty and the Beast is the latest addition to the OPERA’s outstanding series of productions for young audiences, in which children perform for their own age group through the company’s youth ensembles in high-quality productions. The organizers hope that this approach will help future opera audiences become more familiar with the genre, while young performers can develop their artistic skills in a playful environment.
Péter Tóth’s children’s opera is performed twice daily on 9 and 10 May, and again on the evening of 17 May, at the Hungarian State Opera’s Eiffel Arts Studios.
