Tolstoy's motifs
The Moscow Operetta Theater presented a new musical, Anna Karenina. The Ogonyok columnist reflects on the modern conveyor belt of turning tragedy into a “festival of love.”
Premiere of the musical "Anna Karenina"
A bright, exciting, emotional and high-tech performance based on one of the greatest works of Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy. “Anna Karenina” is a masterpiece of world classics about the relationship between a man and a woman. The dramatic love story between married lady Anna Karenina and the brilliant young officer Alexei Vronsky unfolds against the backdrop of the splendor and luxury of noble life in the second half of the 19th century.
Is it possible to sing Tolstoy? Reflections before the March showing of the musical “Anna Karenina”
In March, the Operetta Theater will again begin showing a musical based on the novel by Leo Tolstoy. In the fall, tickets to the show were bought a month in advance. Despite the fact that the audience confidently voted for the production using rubles, not all cultural observers praised the musical. Yulia Gusarova, a regular attendee of musicals and a backstage tourist, watched the production and analyzed its strengths and weaknesses.
The premiere of the musical “Anna Karenina” took place at the Operetta Theater
One of the most anticipated premieres of the season - “Anna Karenina” at the Moscow Operetta - fit into the autumn parade of starting musicals with a beautiful and powerful chord. The premiere brought together the entire capital's elite, including a large number of genre professionals. Producers Vladimir Tartakovsky and Alexey Bolonin, who for several years have been purposefully creating a national Russian musical in a world standard format, have succeeded in their noble and even, one might say, patriotic task: “Anna Karenina” is a Russian musical one hundred percent.
Waiting for the train
More than 50 film adaptations, countless dramatizations, a famous ballet and several operas: “Anna Karenina” is a universal plot and therefore immortal. Now the collection has been replenished with a genre that is quite risky for such a plot - the musical. The premiere took place at the Moscow Operetta Theater and became an important link in the creation of the Russian Broadway.
Love and blood
Leo Tolstoy's "family" novel is experiencing an interpretation boom. Almost all types of art are involved in it. The talk about the cinematic “Anna Karenina” by Sergei Solovyov and Joe Wright has not yet died down, and a film by Karen Shakhnazarov is already on its way.
Anna Karenina will not be saved. But they will sing and dance from the heart
World practice shows that a modern musical has a lot to offer. He amuses in a light comedy and captivates in a romantic tragedy, he is ready to tell about the fate of several heroes and unfold an entire historical action on stage, he is equally comfortable in rock opera and classics.
One of the loudest premieres of this fall is a new grandiose musical from the creators of the no less shocking “Monte Cristo” and “Count Orlov”, this time based on the cult novel of the same name by Leo Tolstoy. The greatest masterpiece of world classics began to sparkle on the stage of the Operetta Theater with new colors - in fact, the poet and playwright Yuliy Kim, the author of the libretto for Anna Karenina, rewrote the work of the mastodon of world literature, adapting its plot for the modern stage and two and a half hour action.The outline is generally the same. Russia, second half of the 19th century. A young officer, a married lady, love, passion, betrayal, gossip, despair and an inevitably looming dramatic denouement.
Generally? I liked the performance - spectacular, beautiful, rich, bright, high-tech, rich, exciting, emotional. The storyline is competently redrawn and, despite the reduction of stage time to two and a half hours, it looks quite integral and independent. The characters are memorable, charismatic, and interesting. The dynamics of the action constantly keep you in suspense, and, thanks to the powerful special effects, you are even afraid to blink and breathe in case you miss something. In a word, the show turned out to be a success - quite at the level of world musicals, as, indeed, all the predecessors of “Anna Karenina” on the stage of the Operetta Theater or, for example, the Pushkin Theater.
Although, if you look at the details, many minor shortcomings emerge. In particular, I noticed that all modern domestic musicals of this scale have turned into a purely commercial pop product and are put, as they say, on an assembly line. They stopped being different from each other. Huge amounts of money invested in extremely colorful and amazingly large-scale decorations in fact only try to take their eyes off the rather mediocre musical accompaniment and lyrics. The music (the author of which, as in the two previous performances of the theater, was Roman Ignatiev) is beautiful, piercing, emotional, but absolutely the same and written as if it were a carbon copy - many compositions echo previous performances, and not only domestic ones. I don’t see any new ideas, no new trends, or even anything original and interesting. I have already seen and heard all this more than once. A bit boring. The same applies to words - rhyme, size, sound, texts - repetitions, repetitions, repetitions. Instead of creating something new, the authors use a proven, guaranteed income-generating formula - take and slightly adjust what works. The feeling of déjà vu is constant and never-ending.
Regarding the interpretation of the work - yes, the general plot is preserved, the story of Anna Karenina is conveyed very well - it’s interesting to follow, everything that happens on stage is easy to understand even for a viewer who has never opened the novel, so Yuliy Kim coped with his task perfectly. The only thing that surprised me was the placement of accents. Anna's fate was greatly simplified (for example, her second pregnancy from Vronsky was completely cut out), while various episodes that did not particularly affect the story were left in (in particular, I honestly thought that Levin and Oblonsky would be cut out altogether, because what what remained of their storyline for the overall picture and, moreover, the development of the plot turned out to be completely unimportant). In general, in an attempt to cover as much as possible, the authors spread themselves thin and did not cover the important things. Thus, all the psychologism of the novel, which even Dostoevsky praised so much, practically disappeared, leaving room only for a pop story in the spirit of Indian films. The picture is to the detriment of psychologism. A classic pop musical with more pop than operatic vocals and standard well-known moves without any attempt to bring something new to the genre. A superficial look at history without the slightest attempt at dramatic analysis. The same Hollywood (or, rather, Bollywood) film adaptation. This is neither bad nor good. It's just fashionable and fact.
But the directing is at the highest level! Alina Chevik, who has been successfully creating musicals and operettas for a long time, had an amazingly subtle feel for the mood of the work and how to present this or that scene, as a result of which the most natural magic happened on the stage - a bewitching play of light, stunning effects when the scene transforms in an instant from the ballroom to the platform with the oncoming train. I liked the transitions between actions, the emotional presentation, and the contrasts of the scenes. The scenery was amazing - spectacular giant screens, huge metal structures and hundreds of spotlights - the scale is amazing and mesmerizing. As well as the volume and naturalism of what is happening on stage - just look at the fatal train!
The costumes also deserve the highest praise - they are so authentic that you literally fall into the era, forgetting who you are and where you are now. Magic!
The choreography was also impressive - choreographer Irina Korneeva greatly diversified the production with a variety of numbers and styles that were breathtaking.
I really liked the actors - their performance gave me goosebumps. Stately, beautiful, lively, emotional - there are absolutely no complaints about the game. The vocals, although poppy (in the good sense of the word), are very beautiful and pleasant. Charming Olga Belyaeva in the role of Anna Karenina, the unusual Vronsky of Sergei Lee and the stately Karenin of Alexandra Marakulina, the inimitable Oksana Lesnichaya in the role of Adeline Patti, the absolutely stunning Levin of Denis Demkiv, the funny Oblonsky of Andrei Alexandrin and especially the Countess Vronskaya of Rulla’s Faces that struck me - it was something to watch and listen to !
So in general, I definitely recommend going to the musical. Just to experience visual pleasure. A beautiful, touching classic story of scandalous love in the mesmerizing scenery of the luxury of noble life of the second half of the 19th century. Passion and punishment, idyll and despair. Spectacular, exciting, bright. Albeit somewhat empty and superficial. I like it.
“I hope to give you good advice: it’s stupid to talk about something that doesn’t exist.”
Trailer for the musical "Anna Karenina"
A bright, exciting, emotional and high-tech performance based on one of the greatest works of Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy.
The musical "Anna Karenina" at the operetta theater
Anna Karenina is the greatest masterpiece of Russian literature, embodied in the spectacular genre of the musical. The tragic story of married aristocrat Anna Karenina, her unhappy marriage and fatal attraction to the young officer Count Vronsky. The star cast of artists, luxurious scenery, and wonderful music performed by a live orchestra leave no doubt that this is a world-class production.
Since its premiere on October 8, 2016, the musical “Anna Karenina” has enjoyed phenomenal public love. The secret of success lies in the combination of Tolstoy’s brilliant work and modern technologies, allowing the viewer to be completely immersed in the refined atmosphere of the 19th century.
“Anna Karenina” is another victory for the creative team led by producers Vladimir Tartakovsky and Alexei Bolonin, which gave us two other grandiose productions - “Count Orlov” and “Monte Cristo”. Among the creators of the play are stage director Alina Chevik, composer Roman Ignatiev and choreographer Irina Korneeva.
The roles are performed by: Ekaterina Guseva, Valeria Lanskaya, Dmitry Ermak, Sergey Lee, Igor Balalaev and other popular artists of the capital's musicals.
The author of the libretto, Yuli Kim, brilliantly solved the most difficult task - to transform the tragic story of Tolstoy into a musical, traditionally considered a light genre. The transformation took place without loss - the poet managed to preserve all the key scenes and dramatic intensity of the original work.
Projection sets and multi-ton mobile structures transform the stage space in an instant, transporting the audience from the railway station to a luxurious ballroom and to a snow-covered square with a crowded skating rink. One after another, picturesque pictures of Russian life in the mid-19th century are resurrected before the viewer.
The musical “Anna Karenina” at the operetta theater received the “Theatrical Star” award in the “Best Musical Performance” category, and was also recognized as the most attended performance of 2017. Two years after its premiere, it is still breaking all popularity records.
Tickets for the musical "Anna Karenina" at the Moscow Operetta Theater
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Visit the musical Anna Karenina in Moscow and enjoy a fresh interpretation of your favorite novel in the format of a musical performance. Excellent music and choreography, multimedia scenery and brilliant costume work allowed Anna Karenina to make a real breakthrough in the development of the musical genre in Russia.
REVIEW of the musical “Anna Karenina”
Moscow Operetta Theater
Libretto author - Yuliy Kim
Composer - Roman Ignatiev
Stage director - Alina Chevik
Choreographer - Irina Korneeva
Production designer - Vyacheslav Okunev
Makeup and hair artist - Andrey Drykin
Lighting designer - Gleb Filshtinsky
Premiere: October 8, 2016
View date: 01/23/2018
This solemn and high-society musical met all the expectations of Muscovites; in the beautiful hall of the Moscow Operetta Theater it seemed destined to become the pearl of the trio of musicals Anna Karenina, Monte Cristo and Count Orlov. This is a completely Russian musical; its creators put the Russian spirit into the production. The great novel by Lev Tolstov, framed by the libretto and poems of Yuli Kim and the music of Roman Ignatiev, amazes with its sincerity and amazing melody. Well-honed and well-coordinated work of the cast, choir, dancers and live orchestra. The atmosphere of the performance is very pleasant, it all begins on a snowy winter day with sledding and ice skating, and the dancers skate very professionally with twists and support from their partners. And how many magnificent scenes of balls, amazingly rich interiors and crystal chandeliers the directors created; the monitors show the interior in a duet with the scenery very interestingly. The costumes of the heroes are solemnly bright, embroidered with stones, everything glitters and sparkles, but with a very subtle taste. There is a scene in the play where Anna Karenina (Ekaterina Guseva) in a black coat with a silver fox-trimmed collar sings the song “blizzard”, the loving and happy heroine glows from the inside as she walks through the station under the snow flakes, this scene instantly captivates the viewer. And, Ekaterina Guseva’s performance is so sincere that you become a fan of not only her talent, but also the musical performed by her. The main character Alexey Vronsky (Sergei Li), a seducer and handsome man with a charming voice, plays very well in the play, in love and ready to do anything for the sake of his beloved, even to take her away from her husband, and then a cold and calculating servant at court. Together they make up an amazing duet with the main character. It is worth noting the entire, well, simply the entire cast of actors with magnificent, exciting voices and acting. Watching the musical before the intermission, I thought that nothing could surprise me, so I was very impressed, but the second part completely amazed me. In the scene when everyone comes to the theater to listen to Patti, the flagellation of Anna Karenina begins and everyone gossips about her wrong life, the heroine herself is beating in hysterics, when suddenly, above, like a bright star, Patti appears on stage and sings an aria in an operatic crystal voice . For Anna, this is a cleansing wave against insults and slander, she has already made her choice, and even the persuasion of her husband Alexei Karenin (Alexander Marakulin) leaves no chance. And then a huge wheel from a locomotive appears under the ceiling, a terrifying sight and very tragic. Anna throws herself in front of a train, which drives into the center of the stage and blinds the viewer. Moving scenery throughout the action is the main thing and this is an interesting find, it is often used in musicals to quickly and completely change the picture. Many thanks to the orchestra, I don’t know exactly whether it was the orchestra of the operetta theater itself or a guest one, but it was magnificent. I would like to note that this Russian musical of ours was bought by the main theater in South Korea and staged it according to our template. Of the musicals presented in Moscow, this is the best and I advise everyone to plunge into this atmosphere, even those who do not like to go to theaters will be pleasantly impressed!
Well, it’s time to write a review about the brilliant musical of the Operetta Theater “Anna Karenina”, the final one in the November block of performances, which I was able to attend yesterday, November 27th.
Please forgive the tautology, but I'll start from the beginning.
When the curtain rose (or disappeared, or evaporated (I still didn’t understand, speaking of the magnificent technical organization of the performance)) tears of happiness flowed from everything that was happening on stage, I had been waiting for this for so long and it was so majestic and beautiful!
So the curtain is up and the action begins. I immediately found myself there, next to the heroes, it was so real!
Brilliant libretto and music; melodies and words keep ringing in my head, again and again bringing me back there, to the stage, to Anna and Vronsky, Kitty and Levin, Karenin and Seryozha...
Separately, it is necessary to say about the dance ensemble, figure skaters and ballet dancers - everything they did was amazing! Every movement is at the highest level! Bravo!
Scenery... How was it possible to create this single organism of instantly successive and unusually realistic pictures, from golden arable lands to literally golden ballrooms? I admire those who worked on creating the external background of the performance, which is very important for the emotional and visual perception of events!
And finally, for dessert, so to speak, I’ll tell you about the actors. Ekaterina Guseva, Dmitry Ermak, Alexander Marakulin, Natalia Bystrova, Vlalislav Kiryukhin, Andrey Alexandrin, Oksana Lesnichaya - a great cast! Voices, acting skills, facial expressions, movements - everything deserves applause and delights!
I especially want to dwell on Ekaterina Guseva, my favorite actress from “Nord-Ost” and “Count Orlov”! Beautiful, stately, fatal - the way Anna seemed to me. And most importantly, I saw on stage not Ekaterina Guseva in the role of Anna Karenina, it was Anna herself, alive, real, sincere, loving and suffering. Absolutely no feigned emotions and no drawn tears. And what strong dramatic scenes: in Seryozha’s bedroom, and Anna’s conversation with Vronsky after the noble meeting, and Anna’s arrival at the opera, and Patti’s song - I cried along with Ekaterina Guseva and Anna Karenina, the heroine of the brilliant novel by Leo Tolstoy and no less brilliant musical by Yuli Kim and Roman Ignatiev!
Anna's lullaby, performed acapella by Ekaterina, took out my whole soul! I endlessly admire and love you!
And how can one not remember the frank scene between Anna and Vronsky, the most sensual and passionate! Time stopped, everything around faded and disappeared. They were alone and they loved each other!
Unfortunately, everything comes to an end, and the 2nd act of the play has come to an end... Words cannot describe its last minutes. I was shaking from tension and heart-breaking sobs... Why Anna? Why a train?...
She stood and sang, unfortunately, her last song; suddenly red lights flashed, the headlights of the locomotive came on, and the roaring train rushing straight at her swallowed up Anna in an instant, blinding flash of light... At that moment, something broke in my soul... This was Anna’s life, which became my own, I lived her with her... I've never experienced anything like this!
Thanks to everyone who was involved in this musical in one way or another! Leaving the hall, I couldn’t hold back my tears, I didn’t want to leave, never, ever!
And I hope that I will be able to relive these unforgettable emotions; I'm already thinking about visiting the Moscow Operetta again!