Wed, 8. 4. 2026, 19.00 hrs

GOLDEN AGE OF THE SEMAFOR

Venue: Zlín Congress Centre  |  Organizer: Filharmonie Bohuslava Martinů, o.p.s.  |  Price: 590,- 500,- 430,-

When Prague’s Semafor Theatre staged Člověk z půdy, its first musical comedy by Jiří Suchý and Jiří Šlitr, in 1959, few suspected that they were witnessing the birth of a huge phenomenon that would leave its mark on entire generations to come. From the early 1960s, the theatre became a literal revelation and often a symbol of Czechoslovak society's desire for freedom and liberalisation.

Besides presenting original music and theatre, Semafor introduced new singing stars such as Waldemar Matuška, Eva Pilarová and Hana Hegerová, aiming not to educate, but above all to entertain, and in this respect it was a roaring success. The unique atmosphere and songs from the plays of the now legendary duo Suchý & Šlitr soon became hugely popular, putting down firm roots in Czechoslovak culture. In short, the 1960s were Semafor’s golden age, and seeing the duo Suchý & Šlitr live was a dream for many. But standing in long queues for hours on end to get advance tickets was almost impossible at that time! 

The catchy melodies and whimsical lyrics of the Semafor era are etched in the memory of today's 70-somethings, but even in the 21st century, these ageless songs hold their appeal with their unique poetry and timeless humour. Hits like Co jsem měl dnes k obědu, Je nebezpečné dotýkat se hvězd, Pramínek vlasů, Marnivá sestřenice, Tak abyste to věděla and Babetta are no strangers to the younger generation, thoughthey may not even know who wrote them, so tonight is our Easter opportunity to showcase the greatesthits of Semafor’s heyday.  Heading up tonight’s show is the conductor, saxophonist and singer Felix Slováček jnr. who takes our soloists and the Orchestra back to the time when the sounds of Semafor could be heard on almost every street corner.