Pushkin. The Musical
Description
Desc 1
It might come as a surprise to some, but China and Pushkin are deeply intertwined. On one hand, it’s known that Pushkin dreamt of visiting China, walking the Great Wall, and immersing himself in the life, culture, and traditions of its people. In 1830, he was even slated to join a delegation but, deemed “unreliable,” he didn’t receive the “highest permission” to go. On the other hand, China has shown immense interest in Pushkin’s persona and works. In what other country could dozens of complete collections of his works be published across several provinces? Only in China! And it’s only there that “Eugene Onegin” has been translated into eighteen different versions. Many Chinese schools teach the Russian language, universities have departments dedicated to Russian language and literature, and the Chinese Pushkinist Association has been established. According to their assessments, the interest and love of Chinese readers for Pushkin are growing daily. His lyrics, prose, and drama have long blended with the essence of Chinese literature and theater.
In China, it’s rare to see monuments in bronze and granite dedicated to the great figures of the world. Yet, in Manchuria, Shanghai, and Beijing, monuments to A.S. Pushkin have been erected—the only ones in all of Asia. This not only speaks of the people’s love for the great Russian poet but also of the deep influence of Russian culture on China’s social and intellectual life. It underscores a great interest in the personality of the Great poet himself.
In China, it’s rare to see monuments in bronze and granite dedicated to the great figures of the world. Yet, in Manchuria, Shanghai, and Beijing, monuments to A.S. Pushkin have been erected—the only ones in all of Asia. This not only speaks of the people’s love for the great Russian poet but also of the deep influence of Russian culture on China’s social and intellectual life. It underscores a great interest in the personality of the Great poet himself.
Desc 2
The “Musical Pushkin” project, which narrates episodes of the poet’s youth and his first love, is poised to satisfy this interest to some extent. There’s a legend that the twenty-year-old poet, during his “Southern Exile,” spent about a month traveling with a Gypsy camp across the boundless steppes of Bessarabia, where he fell in love with the beauty of the Gypsy Zemfira. This beautiful, albeit somewhat controversial legend, inspired the renowned St. Petersburg poet and playwright A. Kozyrev, in collaboration with the brilliant composer and maestro of Russian musicals, Alexander Baraev, to create the musical “Pushkin.” It’s quite symbolic that the musical premiered at the “Aleko” theater, considering the name of the main character in Pushkin’s “Gypsies.” However, there’s no need to draw any other parallels between these two works—they simply don’t exist! Except perhaps for the name of the Gypsy Zemfira, which wasn’t invented by A. Pushkin himself but was a real name.
Audiences will have the chance to immerse themselves in the life of Bessarabian Gypsies through touching and bright poetry, living one life with them, dancing fiery dances, and listening—or perhaps even singing—beautiful songs and romances. The musical is filled with complex artistic and technical solutions, amazing graphics, trick scenes, original special effects, and powerful video content. The best artists from St. Petersburg in this popular genre are involved in “Pushkin.”
Audiences will have the chance to immerse themselves in the life of Bessarabian Gypsies through touching and bright poetry, living one life with them, dancing fiery dances, and listening—or perhaps even singing—beautiful songs and romances. The musical is filled with complex artistic and technical solutions, amazing graphics, trick scenes, original special effects, and powerful video content. The best artists from St. Petersburg in this popular genre are involved in “Pushkin.”
Desc 3
Usually, new theater projects require time and significant advertising funds to attract audiences. However, this statement doesn’t apply to the musical “Pushkin”—all its performances are sold out and met with tremendous success. The review section on the Theater’s website is filled exclusively with positive feedback. Furthermore, many attendees travel from various regions of Russia to witness “Pushkin.” As such, there’s little doubt that the musical’s debut in China will mark a significant cultural milestone, drawing full-house audiences. This will be influenced not only by the project’s theme and title but also, albeit not yet to its fullest extent, by the increasing interest of the Chinese audience in the relatively unfamiliar genre of musicals. This interest is particularly noteworthy considering there is no other musical where Pushkin serves as the main romantic character, not just in Russia but globally. The production is adaptable to stages of any size, and a complete synchronous translation on a large video screen will ensure a comfortable viewing experience for the audience.
The musical was developed to commemorate the 225th anniversary of the poet’s birth, receiving significant support from the Committee for Culture of the Administration of St. Petersburg. It premiered on November 27, 2023.
The musical was developed to commemorate the 225th anniversary of the poet’s birth, receiving significant support from the Committee for Culture of the Administration of St. Petersburg. It premiered on November 27, 2023.
Desc 4
From one of the many reviews: “We are students, future theater artists, who came as a group to see the musical ‘Pushkin.’ And we are all thrilled!!! The day has passed, but we are still overwhelmed with the strongest and brightest impressions. All of us are simply convinced that today ‘Pushkin’ is the best musical, at least in St. Petersburg! Brilliant plot, charming music, wonderful atmosphere. And the dances! And the songs!!! Wonderful Actors—talented, (very young, and not only). What strong and pure voices!!! They play with complete dedication, so much so that the audience’s emotions were overwhelming, especially at the end, when many could not hold back tears! In general, everything is breathtaking! Special thanks to the very young Natalia Kozyreva and Andrei Smirnov, who managed to convey the feelings of first love very vividly and sincerely. What a virtuoso performance by the young Violinist! Bravo, guys, and a huge thank you for the pleasure you have given us this evening!”
Cast
Natalie Kozyreva
Zemfira
Andrew Smirnov
Pushkin
Vsevolod Mosuk
Danko
Igor Besschastnov
Old Gypsy
Nikita Shishkin
Violinist
Anna Annina
Gita
Creative Team
Alexey Kozyrev
Author
Alexander Baraev
Composer
Alexander Lenogov
Director
Iscander Fahrutdinov
Choreographer
&
Natalya Chekanova
Costume design
Vladimir Ilyashenko
Lighting design
Vadim Fefelin
Sound design
Anton Liptsev
Technical supervisor
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
Tech 1
— Stage: minimum stage dimensions — 10 × 9 m; height — from 5 m;
— Stage surface: linoleum, parquet.
— A full LED panel for the entire stage backdrop is highly desirable.
— And (or) a rear projection screen.
— An automatically retractable net across the entire stage is desirable.
— 2 — 3 free barres in front of the stage backdrop.
— Stage attire: black cabinet (preferably).
— Lighting equipment: standard stage lighting plus a panel and two powerful video projectors (no less than 20,000 lumens each).
— Sound equipment: standard stage equipment, equipment for playing back recorded music, a console with the ability to connect at least 12 headsets, and the headsets themselves. ALL ARTISTS SING LIVE!
— Stage surface: linoleum, parquet.
— A full LED panel for the entire stage backdrop is highly desirable.
— And (or) a rear projection screen.
— An automatically retractable net across the entire stage is desirable.
— 2 — 3 free barres in front of the stage backdrop.
— Stage attire: black cabinet (preferably).
— Lighting equipment: standard stage lighting plus a panel and two powerful video projectors (no less than 20,000 lumens each).
— Sound equipment: standard stage equipment, equipment for playing back recorded music, a console with the ability to connect at least 12 headsets, and the headsets themselves. ALL ARTISTS SING LIVE!
Tech 2
Duration of the musical: 1 hour 30 minutes. Intermission and non-intermission options are available. Cast: 27 individuals 18 actors and 9 members of the administrative and technical staff. We will provide the capability for simultaneous translation via a scrolling ticker.
Tech 3
— Makeup rooms: 1 for men and 1 for women.
— A room for storing costumes, props, and staff equipment.
— Local technical services:
* No fewer than two stagehands for assembly, rearrangement, and dismantling of scenery;
* A lighting operator to implement the lighting design of the project (in collaboration with our lighting director);
* A sound engineer to work in collaboration with our sound engineer.
* A makeup artist is desirable (in collaboration with our makeup artist);
The foundation of the musical’s set is a two-story structure, 2-3 meters wide, spanning the entire length of the stage with a gentle ramp parallel to the apron. It is essential to efficiently produce this structure and a series of volumetric scenery pieces based on our drawings and under our authorial supervision at the facilities of the host party.
— A room for storing costumes, props, and staff equipment.
— Local technical services:
* No fewer than two stagehands for assembly, rearrangement, and dismantling of scenery;
* A lighting operator to implement the lighting design of the project (in collaboration with our lighting director);
* A sound engineer to work in collaboration with our sound engineer.
* A makeup artist is desirable (in collaboration with our makeup artist);
The foundation of the musical’s set is a two-story structure, 2-3 meters wide, spanning the entire length of the stage with a gentle ramp parallel to the apron. It is essential to efficiently produce this structure and a series of volumetric scenery pieces based on our drawings and under our authorial supervision at the facilities of the host party.
Tech 4
COPYRIGHT The play, staging, artistic design, and all musical works are written specifically for this Musical and are the property of “Aleko.” ADVERTISING We will provide the inviting party with samples of advertising materials (posters, programs, tram ads), as well as videos, press releases, and photos for the Musical.