The Poznań Operetta Theatre started up with the premiere of Pál Ábrahám's operetta Victoria and her Hussar on 20th May 1956. There was no orchestra, no choir, no ballet. However, there was the enthusiasm of some passionate people. The Operetta Theatre has not had its own building from the very beginning. The history of the Poznań Operetta Theatre, which was renamed Musical Theatre in 1973, is rather the same as that of other operetta theatres in Poland. The only one difference, though, is that it has not acquired a new building which would suit the needs and aspirations of modern musical theatre. Despite such a situation, however, Musical Theatre, directed by Daniel Kustosik, has tried to create a modern musical theatre performing operettas, musicals, musical comedies, farces and tales for children. For the past 51 years, the theatre has premiered 137 shows, of which some have been written especially for the theatre.

Operetta Theatre on smouldering ruins. In his memories, Zbigniew Szczerbowski, the first director of the Poznań Operetta Theatre, wrote: "It was quite hard to find a room possessing, at least, basic conditions to create professional theatre as Poznań had been destroyed by the war. I was enthusiastic and believed that if a room with a stage could be found, then I would surely have enough strength to set up a new institution." And it could be set up, certainly because the soloists who accepted the invitation were already famous: Izabela Ferency, Irena Schulz-Kruk, Ludmiła Szwabowicz, Erika Wosińska, Jerzy Golfert, Janusz Golc... The stubbornness and determination of the first directors – Jan Teresiński, Zbigniew Szczerbowski and Zygmunt Wojciechowski – allowed the orchestra, the choir and the ballet to be completed. During the first four years of its activity, classical operettas prevailed in the repertoire of the Poznań Operetta Theatre: Pál Ábrahám's Victoria and her Hussar and Ball at the Savoy, Ferenc Lehár's The Merry Widow and The Land of Smiles, Imre Kálmán's Countess Maritza, Jacques Offenbach's Parisian Life...

Renz's revolution. While Henry Duczmal was director, a young and talented composer, Stanisław Renz, became artistic director. He was the one who decided about the artistic line of the theatre for fifteen years. First, he introduced world novelties, i.e. musicals such as Cole Porter's Can-Can and Frederick Loewe's My Fair Lady. Shortly after, his own works appeared on the playbill: Export Wife, The Winged Lover or the very famous Thank You Very Much, Ewa. Thanks to Renz, the Poznań Operetta Theatre was in the front of the Polish operetta theatres. He did his best to even up musicals with operettas. He searched for titles less known but artistically attractive, though. With such a personality as his, he won over young and talented artists such as Janina Guttner, just to remember one of them.

Musical Theatre. Henry Olszewski, who succeeded Renz, started up by changing the name of National Poznań Operetta Theatre to Musical Theatre. Next, he modified the repertoire and thus the aesthetics of the theatre changed. He was a drama actor and classical operettas were not his cup of tea. So, they were withdrawn. The following directors stayed for rather short periods of time: operettas prevailed with Andrzej Wiza; Włodzimierz Krzyżanowski and Jan Tomaszewski concentrated on Polish musicals. In 1989, Daniel Kustosik came to Poznań to direct the musical Gigi. And he has stayed. On 1st September of that year, he became director of the theatre.

He was not forty yet; however, he then had his own vision of musical theatre, which he has constantly realized up to the present day. He relies on a balance of classical operettas (The Merry Widow, The Czarevitch, The Bat), musicals (Hello Dolly, My Fair Lady) and a repertoire quite unacquainted with musical theatre (farces: Lend Me a Tenor, Not Now, Darling, Out of Order; dramas: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?). Not only do all of these widen the repertoire but also and above all improve the artists' workshop. Kustosik constantly searches for new repertoire and experiments with form. The old building is a challenge for him. He often wins the battle and proofs are Fiddler on the Roof or Phantom, just to mention some of the newest premieres. As a director, he has made Musical Theatre turn its attention to children and some musical or ballet tales have been introduced into the repertoire.

Audience comes to see stars. Directors manage theatres, but audiences come to see stars. The first staff with Irena Szulc-Kruk, Wanda Jakubowska, Jerzy Golfert and Andrzej Wiza, among others, set the tone for the theatre. In the mid-sixties, Janina Guttner and, a little later, Krystyna Westfal joined the staff. The latest twenty years have been dominated by Anna Bajerska-Witczak and Daniel Kustosik. Not many a music lover remembers that Mary Didur-Załuska performed with the troupe at the time of Poznań Operetta Theatre: "Daughter of the well-known singer, herself gifted with considerable vocal cords, just like Ordonka, she entered aristocracy through marriage", wrote Sławomir Leitgeber about her. The actual troupe of Musical Theatre reminds of a large family with the older generations – Janina Guttner, Marzena Małkowicz and Anna Bajerska-Witczak, Daniel Kustosik and Włodzimierz Kalemba – and the younger one – Agnieszka Wawrzyniak or Maciej Ogórkiewicz, just to name some. Daniel Kustosik cares for the young since, as he says, "farcical stage and musical theatre are governed by some rights: you have to sing, act, dance... You cannot cheat biology". Since we are writing about stars, it is worth remembering that excellent stage directors such as Danuta Baduszkowa, Beata Artemska, Bogusława Czosnowa, Daniel Kostusik, Paweł Pitera, Artur Hofman have also come and gone here on the stage at Niezłomnych Street. As for the conductors, the list is gorgeous: Zygmunt Wojciechowski, Stanisław Renz, Wiesław Suchoples, Maciej Szymański, Renard Czajkowski, Marcin Sompoliński. All the same with the outstanding art directors - Zbigniew Kaja, Ryszard Strzębała, Barbara Wolniewicz, Anna Bobrowska-Ekiert, Ryszard Melliwa – and choreographers – Stanisława Stanisławska, Teresa Kujawa, Olga Sawicka, Krystyna Gruszka, Zofia Kuleszanka, Jerzy Wojtkowiak, Władysław Janicki, Juliusz Stańda, Wioleta Suska, Grzegorz Kawalec - who have all co-worked with the theatre.

Looking to the future. Daniel Kustosik strives for a new stage just like all the other directors did. There is hope, there is money for adaptation, but decision does not come along. Meanwhile, at Musical Theatre, shows are premiered, talented young people are attracted to it and, what is more, the theatre plays full house every day. Poznań Music Theatre does not wait for the audience. Sometimes, it goes to it. Once, the audience is German, the other it is Polish: from Piła to Warsaw through Elbląg, Grudziądz, Kętrzyn...