Musical "Princess of the Circus" - reviews, description and cast

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Recently, interpretations of classical works, remade in a more modern way, have become fashionable and relevant. The generally accepted and beloved compositions, written by wonderful and talented masters, tested by time and epoch-making changes, acquire a new look, become closer and more understandable to the modern man in the street, fascinate with their intrigue and unusual production.

The musical “Princess of the Circus” also belongs to such newly transformed works (reviews of the audience about which will be discussed in this article). We will also get acquainted with the cast and director of the performance, learn interesting facts about the production itself.

A little about the style and genre of the work

The idea to combine opera arias, pop dances and circus tricks in one production is very bold and innovative in an unusual way. In the entire history of musical art, no one has yet triedbring to life such a risky and peculiar idea. And only here in Russia we found a person who is able to vividly and colorfully convey what is an advanced idea in creating not only an operetta, but also a musical hall.

According to numerous reviews of the musical “Princess of the Circus”, the production brilliantly combines all of the above genres, harmoniously intertwining them into a single effective and coherent composition.

Briefly about the main creators

As mentioned above, the idea to create an incredible enchanting performance based on opera solos and dance exercises belongs to Russian authors and directors.

First of all, we should mention Alexei Ivashchenko, a wonderful songwriter and libretto, known for the charming, but so tragic, musical “Nord-Ost”. Alexey Igorevich was born in 1958, for his active creative work he created many musical productions (in some of them he participated as a performer). At various times, he tried himself as a producer, translator of musicals, understudy of films and so on.

Marina Shvydkaya is a Russian actress and director of theater and cinema, a service artist of the Russian Federation. Born in 1951, Marina Alexandrovna is one of the most popular directors of theatrical compositions. Together with the Canadian Sebastian Soldevilla (who is responsible for staging mind-blowing stunts and dizzying numbers), Shvydkaya was able to create a magnificent musical that captivates not only with bright and dynamic songs orcircus reprises, but also a harmonious combination of such different and complex styles of theatrical art.

According to the numerous and commendable reviews of the play “Princess of the Circus”, the union of such diverse talented people has borne positive results - the musical is a lively, exciting action, impressive with its tenderness and energy.

History of appearance on the modern stage

When did the premiere take place? In 2016 (in mid-October), the Moscow Musical Theater opened the season with “Princess of the Circus”. And until now, for more than a year, the production has not left the Moscow stage, attracting the attention of numerous and enthusiastic spectators. True, the team recently moved from the Gorbunov Palace of Culture to a building that is an architectural monument of regional significance, the Rossiya Theater (former cinema). According to reviews, the musical "Princess of the Circus" on Pushkinskaya Square, 2 (the new official address of the company) is one of the most interesting and impressive works of the theater (of course, after the rock opera "Crime and Punishment").

The move had a positive impact on the popularity of not only the production, but also the ANO “Musical Theatre” itself. Reviews about the “Princess of the Circus”, left by ordinary Moscow inhabitants in the very first days of the premiere, repeatedly expressed regret that the building of the Palace of Culture, where the theater was originally located, is located very far from the center, and is inconvenient in terms of transport and otherurban communications.

Therefore, if you visit this performance in its new location, you will be pleased to note that getting to the theater has become easy and simple. And staying in the hall is distinguished by increased comfort and well-being.

What else is interesting about this production? Before discussing this issue, let's take a quick look at the piece itself.

The composer and his immortal work

Imre Kalman, who wrote the operetta "Princess of the Circus", is a talented Hungarian composer known for his numerous compositions, such as "Silva", "Maritsa", "Violet of Montmartre" and others.

It is noteworthy that in "Princess of the Circus", written in 1926, Kalman transfers the action of the operetta to Russia, in particular, St. Petersburg. The work was met with a bang by his contemporaries. True, in Russia itself the operetta was not staged for some time. This was accompanied by political difficulties (at that time the USSR had barely recovered from the civil war), as well as numerous inaccuracies made by the author in his work, which arose due to ignorance of the conditions and circumstances of true life in Russia. Therefore, the characters mentioned in the production were renamed and turned into French or Austrians.

However, these are not all the changes that were made during the production of "Princess of the Circus" on the Russian stage. According to the original, the protagonist of the work, Mister X, had to perform his arias in tenor. In Soviet performances, the character sang in a lower baritone voice. Such a traditioncarried over to contemporary productions. In the Musical Theatre's version of the operetta, Mister X sings in a pleasant lyrical-dramatic baritone.

Imre Kalman moved the action of his composition to the Russian land for a reason. The fact is that the composer was insanely passionate about the Russian emigrant, artist Vera Makinskaya, whom he later married. In marriage, the couple had three children.

Some information for family viewing

What else can be said, according to real reviews, about “Princess of the Circus”? The duration of the musical is three hours. This is very convenient, as it allows you to fully enjoy the divine singing, magnificent acting and intricate tricks of the performers, and, at the same time, does not burden or annoy you with an excessive length of the storyline and numerous maneuvers.

Is there an age limit for attending a musical? According to official information, children who have reached the age of six can attend the performance. Therefore, if you are thinking about where to go with your family in your free time, the Moscow Musical Theater may be your best choice. “Princess of the Circus”, according to the reviews of viewers who have already visited, is a good pastime for families with school-age children. The guys are impressed not only by the complex techniques and breathtaking dance figures, but also by the marvelous voice of the performers, and the exciting plot, and the festive dynamic atmosphere that prevails throughout the performance.

Public feedback on artists

What else can you say about the acting? According to the audience's feedback on the musical "Princess of the Circus", the artists perfectly coped with the task assigned to them. They accurately and realistically conveyed the meaning of Kalman's work, as well as vividly and originally portrayed strong, all-consuming feelings.

Besides, almost all reviews of the musical “Circus Princess” boil down to the fact that the performers are not only gifted singers, but also dexterous, talented gymnasts, circus performers and dancers.

Male Lead Actors

Who among such a variety of talented and spectacular actors should be mentioned first of all?

Of course, the lead actor. Two names are mentioned in theater posters - Maxim Zausalin and Yevgeny Shirikov.

Maxim Zausalin, born in August 1978, has been serving at the Musical Theater for more than five years. Among his numerous works are such diverse images as Prokhorov (“The Wasteers”), Porfiry (“Crime and Punishment”), Erast (“Poor Liza”), Don Juan (“Don Juan”) and so on.

Evgeny Shirikov is ten years younger than his colleague. He has been working at the Musical Theater for only a year. Prior to this, the actor successfully acted in films. It can be remembered from such paintings as "Provincial Madonna", "Can I Hug You?", "Beautiful Life" and others.

According to reviews of the musical “Princess of the Circus”, both artists performed their central role with talent and inimitability. Although each put something different into the character, both actors absolutely managed to conveythe subtlety and tragedy of the soul of the protagonist, his tender love and all-encompassing passion for a woman. Well, there is nothing to say about the performance of tricks and dance steps - you just need to see it!

Female lead roles

The role of the rich and windy Theodora went to two young bright actresses - Maria Biork and Yulia Vostrilova.

Maria has been working at the Musical Theater since 2013. Prior to that, she was involved in the Sergei Bezrukov Theater and other theatrical associations, where she played mainly supporting roles.

Unexpected character

As noted by numerous reviews of the musical “Princess of the Circus”, the audience was pleasantly surprised to see a new character on stage, not provided for in the original operetta. This hero turned out to be Poisson, performed by Efim Shifrin. The famous actor got the role of an intriguer and greedy man. It is known that the character was written specifically for Shifrin (a Russian pop artist, film actor and director), so it’s not worth mentioning that the artist brilliantly played his role, bringing a spectacular twist to the musical.

Comic characters

Among other heroes, the perky and sparkling Pelican and Caroline Bonville, performed by Pavel Lyubimtsev and Alexei Kolgan, stand out, respectively. In this case, the game of Alexei Anatolyevich should be mentioned separately.

Firing the audience with his jokes and curiosities, the artist showed himself in a new role - rolecomedian. Indeed, before Colgan most often starred in films, portraying serious solid roles of bosses, mayors of the city, deputy assistants, directors, and so on. Although there are comic performances in his creative biography - the beloved Shrek speaks in the voice of Alexei Anatolyevich.

In closing

As you can see, the musical "Princess of the Circus" has gathered a lot of talented artists and directors. He is truly a masterpiece of the Russian musical hall and one of the most remarkable interpretations of Imre Kalman. What is there much to say? You just need to see and feel it!