Dutch National Opera

Frieda Belinfante

Theater Na de Dam 2024

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Photo: Annelies Verhelst

Dates

4-9 May 2024

Location

Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Studio Boekman

Running time

approx. 1:15, no interval

Tickets

From € 15

Musical meets opera

Resistance activist, cellist, queer – but above all the first woman ever to conduct her own symphony orchestra. In partnership with Stichting Boon en Ster, Dutch National Opera is proud to present a one-woman musical about the life and times of the fascinating Frieda Belinfante (1904-1995).

Musical tribute to a pioneer with a fighting spirit

A first short version of this music theatre performance was developed in 2022 by writer Sietse Remmers, composer Frank Irving, stage director Sytske van der Ster, and actress and singer Esther Lindenbergh. Dutch National Opera felt that now was the time for an extended version with live musical accompaniment. The production will be presented as part of Theater Na de Dam, the annual theatre manifestation on the night of 4 May, the day of Remembrance of the Dead in the Netherlands, honouring those who died during WWII and subsequent conflicts.

Lindenbergh, who plays Frieda, will take us on a journey through Frieda’s life set to music performed by the Chekhov Trio. Over the course of 75 minutes, we will catch a glimpse of her childhood years in Amsterdam, her sexual awakening, the wartime years, her subsequent depression, and her new life in the United States, where she forged a successful career as a conductor and met the love of her life.

Credits

Sung/spoken in Dutch
(without surtitles)

Artists
Concept and text Sietse Remmers
Concept and composition Frank Irving
Concept and stage direction Sytske van der Ster
Additional compositions, musical coordination Leonard Evers
Costumes Aldo Vreeburg
Design Elian Smits
Set design Okodi - Tess Ellis
Lighting design Coen van der Hoeven
Dramaturgy Céline Buren
Choreography Aisa Lafour

Cast
Frieda Belinfante Esther Lindenbergh

Ensemble
Chekhov Trio Fem Devos, Emma Rhebergen, Anna Litvinenko
Due to an injury, violinist Emma Rhebergen will be replaced by Martine Velthuis
Clarinet Neus Molero
Vocals Lente de Vries, Delaja Verduin, Liesl Torfs, Fem Devos,
Martine Velthuis, Anna Litvinenko

Arrangements by Leonard Evers of fragments from:
Henriette Bosmans, celloconcert nr 2
Robert Schumann, celloconcert
Leo Smit, kwintet voor fluit, strijktrio en harp
Maurice Ravel, fragmentopname menuet uit 'Le Tombeau de Couperin', uitvoering Walter Gieseking (1937)
Maurice Ravel, pianotrio
Antonín Dvořák, negende symphonie 'Uit de nieuwe wereld'

Coproduction Stichting Boon en Ster
Made possible with financial support from
Dutch National Opera, Fund 21 and AFK

School performances (12+)
A number of performances will be given especially for schools on 14 May.

This performance draws upon various sources, including the biography ‘Een schitterend vergeten leven’ by Toni Boumans, several documentaries that have been released, and conversations with surviving family members of Frieda. The performance is based on facts, but certain events and names have been altered.

Esther Lindenbergh delivers an outstanding performance as resistance activist Frieda Belinfante in a small parade tent

20 August

Ticket prices

Children aged 16 and under, City Pass & CJP: € 15,00
Adults: € 20,00

Prices exclude € 2,00 booking fee per ticket.

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Frieda Belinfante will also be performed in a few other Dutch theatres. Click here to see an overview of the tour.

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Frieda Belinfante (2022 - first version) | Photos: Annelies Verhelst

Frieda Belinfante (2022 - first version) | Photos: Annelies Verhelst

Theater Na de Dam

These performances are part of the national theatre event Theater Na de Dam. On the evening of National Remembrance Day, on 4 May, theatre makers and artists throughout the Netherlands devote themselves to lending extra significance to this day. Every year, more than a hundred performances take place at the same time, each of which addresses World War II in its own way.