[INTERVIEW] What role do Yes Boxes play in the life of Broadway Theater director Oldřich Lichtenberg?

Work plays a very important role in our lives. It can often be so time-consuming that other activities and responsibilities simply fall by the wayside. Even Mgr. Oldřich Lichtenberg jr., who is the director of the Broadway Theatre. He also saves time with Yes Boxes, and in our interview he will tell us not only how our boxes make his life easier, but also how his normal day goes and what is the most demanding part of his job.

You are the director of the Broadway Theatre. How did you get into this career and what were your beginnings like?

I am a trained lawyer and I still practice law. However, when this work did not completely fulfill me, I asked my father (the owner and producer of the Broadway Theater) if he was looking for help in the theater. He said yes, that his production manager was leaving and that I should come and try the job. Suddenly, we both discovered that it works very well for us in terms of production, so my father delegated most of the leading activities in the theater to me and appointed me to the position of director.

What do you perceive as the most difficult part of this job?

The most difficult is definitely the coordination of all professions together and especially the main ones such as director, choreographer, etc. Consider that I have about 200 people under me, and most of them participate in the creation of the musical - actors, singers, dancers, the above-mentioned authors, but also sound engineers, technicians, lighting, etc. – and all these want to impose their ideas on you (worse and better) and you have to communicate with all of them and try to make the only and best one out of all the opinions. Furthermore, you function as a glue between individual persons - and there are always some antipathies between individual professions, so another necessarily difficult task within my profession is precisely trying to bring these people together and find a consensus among them. I always tell everyone: "You don't have to be friends, but get along in the work, because we all have one thing in mind, and that is to put on the best show and charm the audience." Which most people understand, even if sometimes some moments are tense in the theater.

Which musical is your favorite?

It is definitely the musical Okno mé lásky, which is my first production venture, and in which I participated as an author. It's a musical that, after a two-year "dark period" for culture (covid), shot us to the top of the musical scene again, and we have incredibly great reviews and are sold out by the end of the season. Anyway, all the musicals here are beautiful, and I'm not just saying that because I'm the director there, but you really never miss a beat here.

How does your normal day go?

I go to work at about 8:00. In the morning, I have the most time to deal with e-mails and correspondence. Subsequently, on rehearsal days, when we are preparing a new project, I coordinate the rehearsals, solve the scenography and try to correct the director's and screenwriter's often foolish inventions, arrange for the actors to come to the rehearsals on time, etc. I also have continuous meetings and conversations with sponsors and patrons, because without them our theater would not exist. Then, of course, there is the file agenda that belongs to the theater and rehearsals, and I do this myself, such as contracts, orders, etc. Of course, together with my father and the production team, we always devise and coordinate events other than musicals, such as concerts, events and stand-ups - such as the Komikaze stand-up show or the theater's anniversary concert. There really is always something to do here.

Do you have time during the day for activities other than work?

I try to still practice law, but time is really short. But even so, I still keep a steady clientele.

As the director of a successful theater, you certainly have a demanding schedule. How much time will Yes Krabičky save you?

As I mentioned above, I am really pressed for time and often come home from work at night. And the fact that Yes Boxes provide me with the comfort of having a well-balanced and tasty meal prepared for the whole day saves me an incredible amount of time. I can't imagine coming home at night and having to cook and prepare food for the next day.

How did you come across Yes Krabičky?

For the owners of Yes Krabičky, I founded the trading company that Yes Krabičky belongs to. And from the first day they opened the kitchen, I fell in love with these boxes, and in fact, without a few days, I have not stopped taking the boxes since they started.

How long have you been buying Yes Krabičky and what are you most satisfied with Yes Krabičky?

As I mentioned, I have been taking the boxes since the first day when their preparation started. I like the varied diet, and the fact that you can see the culinary art on the boxes and taste it every day. You don't have a slice of meat and potatoes, as with others, but a colorful and colorful dish full of flavor, which shows that someone really cooked with it. Yes Boxes are for a more demanding clientele, and that's what I like about them.

What are your plans for the future in 5 years? Do you think you will have more time to cook or will you continue to save time with Yes Krabičky?

It is hard to say what awaits us in the next 5 years. Here we have a great threat of world war, an ever-looming pandemic and an energy crisis. It's probably not what our grandparents experienced, but it really is often a depressing time and it's hard to anticipate what awaits us. Anyway, I would like to continue creating musicals with our team that people will go to. I am also old enough to have the family I would like. So my subscription to Yes Krabičky will depend on all these aspects.

Do you primarily use courier delivery or do you pick up the boxes at the delivery point?

I use delivery. It's great for me that the courier brings the boxes to my home. Yes, the boxes have big plus points for me.

Who would you recommend Yes Krabičky to?

I always recommend Yes Krabičky to everyone, both at work and in private life.

What do you perceive to be the greatest benefit of Yes Krabičky?

Variety of food, interesting ingredients, modern cuisine, great cooking skills and home delivery.

What are your current performances and which ones would you invite Yes Krabiček users to?

Definitely for all our performances that we have in the schedule - Window of my love, Celestial love, Cleopatra, The Three Musketeers, Mandrake flower, The man with the iron mask,... There is really a lot and you really won't burn yourself in anything.

What new things are you preparing in the near future?

We are currently preparing the comedy "Já, diktátor", which he wrote and which stars Lukáš Pavlásek. It will be a parody of world dictators, especially Putin, and how these people behave in their private lives and what makes them make often absurd decisions. Tomáš Matonoha, Veronika Žilková, Milan Peroutka and David Bosh will also star in the comedy - all directed by Vladimír Morávek. In the near future, we also have an audition for the historical musical Troja, which will premiere on February 1, 2024. This musical will be unique in that several authors of music will participate in it and it will be a compilation of their work.

We recently entered 2023. Are you making any resolutions? Either in the area of ​​a healthy lifestyle or within the work sphere?

For me, it's an annual resolution that I successfully or unsuccessfully try to keep in certain waves, such as less alcohol, less stress, more rest, etc. But I love my job and unfortunately its nature includes stress, occasional parties and working 24/7. Anyway, I just enjoy it!

Thanks to Oldřich Lichtenberg for the interview. You can already look forward to more interviews with interesting personalities who are satisfied customers of Yes Krabičky, in which they will tell us how Yes Krabiček saves them time and energy in the course of every day, and we will also look a little under the hood of their working and personal lives.