Kálmán Rózsahegyi
Encyclopedia
Kálmán Rózsahegyi was a Jewish Hungarian actor and teacher.
He descended from a family of theatre actors; his father, Ödön Rózsahegyi performed in the countryside. Kálmán Rózsahegyi also began his career performing in the countryside, but in 1898 he was hired by the Hungarian National Theatre. Between 1900 and 1935 he was a member of the National Theatre
, from 1923 as a permanent member.
With his wife, Angéla Hevesi, he founded his own private drama school, which was the place of learning for many famous actors.
and sensual humor.
He was born in Endrőd, Békés
on October 6, 1873. Following in the footsteps of his father, Ödön Rózsahegyi, he became an actor, and he graduated as an actor from drama school. He began his acting career in 1892 in the troupe of Sándor Dobó, and then worked in Debrecen
and Cluj-Napoca
. In 1898 he joined the Hungarian Theatre, where he played parts in operettas. At the turn of the century he entered the National Theatre
, to which he loyally bonded, a bond the institution reciprocated when he was elected into permanent membership in 1923. On the course of his various appearances he stayed with the National Theatre until his retirement in 1935.
Rózsahegyi's name became popular in the 1910s and 20s as a cabaret
artist, thanks to which he received renown abroad as well. In 1926 he played a part in the United States
. After 1935 he acted in an assortment of private theatres.
The drama school that he founded with his wife, Angéla Hevesi, remains famous to this day. He later taught there with his girls up until his death. He was an outstanding teacher: many notable actors graduated from his school (such as Róbert Rátonyi, Juci Komlós, and József Sas).
Due to his ancestry he was prevented from acting in the Second World War, and after 1945 Tamás Major forbade him from rejoining the National Theatre. In the following decade he acted variously at the Pest, the Hungarian Comedy, the Hungarian, the Budapest Operetta and the Madách Theatre
s. He was at home in every genre: operettas, comedies, cabarets and classical drama.
He played as one of the gravediggers in Shakespeare's Hamlet
, the fool of King Lear
, and Gobbo in The Merchant of Venice
.
Kalman's students liked the uniquely voiced, smiling man just as much as his audience. He was not forgotten by his birth town, who elected him an honorary citizen.
Kalman Rozsahegyi died on August 27, 1961 in Budapest
having become permanent member of the National Theatre, the founder of the School of Acting and an outstanding artist.
He descended from a family of theatre actors; his father, Ödön Rózsahegyi performed in the countryside. Kálmán Rózsahegyi also began his career performing in the countryside, but in 1898 he was hired by the Hungarian National Theatre. Between 1900 and 1935 he was a member of the National Theatre
National Theatre (Budapest)
The National Theatre is the main theatre of Budapest, and the largest such institution in Hungary, opening originally in 1837. Its company used several locations since then, including the original building at the Kerepesi street, and the People's Theatre at the Blaha Lujza Square...
, from 1923 as a permanent member.
With his wife, Angéla Hevesi, he founded his own private drama school, which was the place of learning for many famous actors.
Biography and works
Rózsahegyi was one of the most notable representatives of realist theatre; a person who was not an artist of words, but rather of simple, natural and direct plays. The range of his work was broad: his works covered all the shades of low comedyLow comedy
Low comedy is a type of comedy characterized by "horseplay", slapstick or farce. Examples include somebody throwing a custard pie in another's face. This definition has also expanded to include lewd types of comedy that rely on physical jokes, for example, the wedgie.- History :This type of comedy...
and sensual humor.
He was born in Endrőd, Békés
Békés
Békés is a town in Békés county, Hungary. It lies about north of Békéscsaba and east of Budapest.- History :The area of the present town has been inhabited since ancient times, due to its good soil and proximity to rivers. After Hungarians conquered the area, Békés and its surroundings were the...
on October 6, 1873. Following in the footsteps of his father, Ödön Rózsahegyi, he became an actor, and he graduated as an actor from drama school. He began his acting career in 1892 in the troupe of Sándor Dobó, and then worked in Debrecen
Debrecen
Debrecen , is the second largest city in Hungary after Budapest. Debrecen is the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar county.- Name :...
and Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
. In 1898 he joined the Hungarian Theatre, where he played parts in operettas. At the turn of the century he entered the National Theatre
National Theatre (Budapest)
The National Theatre is the main theatre of Budapest, and the largest such institution in Hungary, opening originally in 1837. Its company used several locations since then, including the original building at the Kerepesi street, and the People's Theatre at the Blaha Lujza Square...
, to which he loyally bonded, a bond the institution reciprocated when he was elected into permanent membership in 1923. On the course of his various appearances he stayed with the National Theatre until his retirement in 1935.
Rózsahegyi's name became popular in the 1910s and 20s as a cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
artist, thanks to which he received renown abroad as well. In 1926 he played a part in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. After 1935 he acted in an assortment of private theatres.
The drama school that he founded with his wife, Angéla Hevesi, remains famous to this day. He later taught there with his girls up until his death. He was an outstanding teacher: many notable actors graduated from his school (such as Róbert Rátonyi, Juci Komlós, and József Sas).
Due to his ancestry he was prevented from acting in the Second World War, and after 1945 Tamás Major forbade him from rejoining the National Theatre. In the following decade he acted variously at the Pest, the Hungarian Comedy, the Hungarian, the Budapest Operetta and the Madách Theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
s. He was at home in every genre: operettas, comedies, cabarets and classical drama.
He played as one of the gravediggers in Shakespeare's Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
, the fool of King Lear
King Lear
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
, and Gobbo in The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
.
Kalman's students liked the uniquely voiced, smiling man just as much as his audience. He was not forgotten by his birth town, who elected him an honorary citizen.
Kalman Rozsahegyi died on August 27, 1961 in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
having become permanent member of the National Theatre, the founder of the School of Acting and an outstanding artist.
Major acting roles
- Nick BottomNick BottomNick Bottom is a character in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream who provides comic relief throughout the play, and is famously known for getting his head transformed into that of an ass by the elusive Puck within the play.- Overview :...
in A Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta... - the gravedigger in HamletHamletThe Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
- the fool in King LearKing LearKing Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
, Twelfth Night - Gobbo, old and young, in The Merchant of VeniceThe Merchant of VeniceThe Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
- ScapinScapinFor the French play by Molière, also known as Scapin, see Les Fourberies de ScapinScapin is an Italian surname, frequent in the region of Veneto in northeastern Italy, especially in the provinces of Padua and Vicenza...
in MolièreMolièreJean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
's The Schemings of Scapin - Master Jacob in Molière's The MiserThe MiserL'Avare is a 1668 five-act satirical comedy by French playwright Molière. Its title is usually translated as The Miser when the play is performed in English....
- eponymous character in HalévyLudovic HalévyLudovic Halévy was a French author and playwright. He was half Jewish : his Jewish father had converted to Christianity prior to his birth, to marry his mother, née Alexandrine Lebas.-Biography:Ludovic Halévy was born in Paris...
's L'Abbé Constantin - eponymous character in PooleJohn Poole (playwright)John Poole , an English playwright, was one of the earliest and best known 19th century playwrights of the comic drama, the farce. Paul Pry is considered his most notable work, while Hamlet Travestie, performed as a burlesque, was the first Shakespeare parody since the Restoration.-Partial...
's Paul PryPaul Pry (play)Paul Pry , a farce in three acts, was the most notable play written by 19th century English playwright John Poole. It premiered in London on 13 September 1825 at the Haymarket Theatre and ran 114 performances... - the Notarius of Peleske in József Gaál
- Matyi Baracs and Göre Gábor in GárdonyiGéza GárdonyiGéza Gárdonyi, born Géza Ziegler was a Hungarian writer and journalist. Although he wrote a range of works, he had his greatest success as a historical novelist, particularly with Eclipse of the Crescent Moon and Slave of the Huns.-Life:Gárdonyi was born in Agárdpuszta, Austria-Hungary, the son of...
's The Wine - Luka in Gorky's The Lower DepthsThe Lower DepthsThe Lower Depths is perhaps Maxim Gorky's best-known play. It was written during the winter of 1901 and the spring of 1902. Subtitled "Scenes from Russian Life," it depicted a group of impoverished Russians living in a shelter near the Volga. Produced by the Moscow Arts Theatre on December 18,...
- Gáspár Boly in HarsányiZsolt HarsányiHarsányi Zsolt , also Zsolt von Harsanyi or de Harsanyi, was a prolific and renowned Hungarian author, dramatist, translator, and writer....
's The Old Villain - Uncle Berci in Zsigmond MóriczZsigmond MóriczZsigmond Móricz was a major Hungarian novelist and Social Realist. He was among the earliest significant literary figures writing in Hungarian.- Early life and education :...
's Relatives - Rageneau in RostandEdmond RostandEdmond Eugène Alexis Rostand was a French poet and dramatist. He is associated with neo-romanticism, and is best known for his play Cyrano de Bergerac. Rostand's romantic plays provided an alternative to the naturalistic theatre popular during the late nineteenth century...
's Cyrano de BergeracCyrano de Bergerac (play)Cyrano de Bergerac is a play written in 1897 by Edmond Rostand. Although there was a real Cyrano de Bergerac, the play bears very scant resemblance to his life....