"Anna Karenina", or Lev Nikolaevich's Terrible Dream .... Anna Karenina, Operetta Theater

I have to preface my review of the musical "Anna Karenina" with a short preface. So, a warning: if you are fond of this performance, if you can hardly endure criticism, and especially if you yourself are related to the production, urgently close this page and go read reviews of other authors. Without my scribbling, you will do just fine, and your nerves will be safer.

Well, the season of musical premieres has started. And I personally opened it "Anna Karenina". True, I unexpectedly got to the show even before the official premiere (thanks again to everyone who contributed) and had no idea what lineup was promised to me. It became all the more joyful after buying the program and studying the names of the artists who played that day. Indeed, if I chose the date of the trip to the Operetta Theater personally, for a long time and thoughtfully, I would not have achieved a better result.

One problem: I was determined in advance that nothing good would come of the idea of ​​transferring Lev Nikolayevich to the musical stage. At least in this case. For the examples were too revealing and (well, how can you keep silent about).

But I still hoped for the best. What if it explodes? .. Alas, it did not grow together. Already after the first scene, I formulated my opinion about Anna Karenina, which has not changed one iota since then: it's a bummer.

No, no, leaving the theater and frantically smoking in front of the entrance, trying in vain to recover, I, of course, heard with these ears the multiple delights of other spectators. But the musical god is their judge, these undemanding and omnivorous kind people.

I've been thinking about how to write a review for a long time. For the all-encompassing: “This is kapets!” - of course, will convey the maximum of my feelings and emotions, but will not reveal the details. Malicious swearing will get boring to the second paragraph, and the epithets in the text will quickly begin to repeat. And then I was reminded of a masterpiece memo to theater critics. Here's this one:

Shouting "Eureka!" - I danced the tarantella and now I'm starting to write a review according to the appropriate scheme ...

October 8 at the Operetta Theater took place long-awaited premiere Musical Anna Karenina. Fans of the genre were looking forward to this spectacle and savored the alleged details of the action, because Alina Chevik, well-known to the audience, had a hand in the production.

This director has his own unique style, which can be recognized from the first moment. Indeed, one has only to open the curtain, and immediately want to exclaim: “Yes, this is Chevik! ..”

The director's best finds pass from performance to performance. These are signature mise-en-scenes, and countless dances, and allowing the artists themselves to search for the depths of the role without any directorial pressure from above. The director can be understood: why invent a bicycle, if many years ago she groped for the same golden mine that allows you to use the same techniques to the greater delight of the audience?

A caustic spectator may notice that there is a difficulty in identifying which performance he is watching today. After all, he observes such dances, dialogues and costumes in all Chevik projects. I cannot agree with this remark. Think for yourself: in front of the entrance to the theater there is a poster with the name of today's performance written on it. How can you read it and not understand what exactly they are showing you on stage?

Done big job , after all, it was necessary not only to weed out the most successful production links of Monte Cristo and Count Orlov, but also to arrange them in the proper order for Anna Karenina.

Separately, I want to note the ease of presentation of the material. As you know, various audiences go to theaters, including those who accidentally enter the temple of art. And this means that the director should not make the production unnecessarily pretentious and overloaded with stratification of plans.

The musical, as you know, is an entertainment genre. Therefore, the director, who takes on sad story with a tragic ending, a double responsibility falls. The audience must be allowed to relax and not sink too deep into despair. Chevik skillfully copes with such a task, leaving behind the scenes all the moments that could be interpreted ambiguously ... Or at least just somehow interpreted.

As a result, Alina managed to create a performance that can without any doubt be called the pinnacle of her skill. The moves and author's tricks found in previous productions have now become the main directorial techniques. Chevik does not rush about and does not conduct creative research. By the hand of an experienced master, she generously sows publicly tested solutions into the soil of her performance.

Curious interpretation of the play allowed to leave "behind the scenes" most of Tolstoy's novel. Indeed, two hours of the musical is too narrow a framework to cover all the intricacies of the plot. Therefore, in Anna Karenina we observe a linear narrative that is not distracted by minor details. And this means that even those viewers who have never read the novel will understand what is happening on stage.

You may feel that the line of Levin and Kitty is redundant, because these characters minimally intersect with the rest of the plot. Let me again challenge this thesis. Think for yourself: if Levin remained out of the plot, how could we enjoy the Peisan scenes with rye and blue skies on the screen?

Both the director and the author of the libretto, the permanent Julius Kim, know the main rule of the musical: in order for the audience not to get bored, not only fervent dances are needed, but also a change of scene, which means a general picture and projections on the screen, which the audience takes with a bang (no one will not argue that in our time this technique still looks innovative).

Skeptics may say that the performance turned out to be boring and uninteresting, and its ending is predictable. They say that the authors were able to present the well-known plot in such a way that one wants to revise it again and again, but Karenina failed. And again an error.

Anna Karenina is a story that gives the creators the opportunity not only to tell a love story, but also to impress the audience with the brilliance of the 19th century, immerse them in the history of their own country and introduce them to the life of the nobility and chic (it’s not for nothing that these theses are endlessly repeated in press releases).

Perhaps the musical "Anna Karenina" is aimed primarily not at the mind and ear of the public, but at another, no less significant sense - vision. Gorgeous costumes (when creating them, they again used the “Take the best from past projects” rule), pompous transforming scenery (and here the rich experience of previous productions was used), endless projections - all this splendor is displayed on foreground and plays first fiddle.

As for the poetic texts, it is impossible not to note the author's attempt to convey their meaning to the public as clearly as possible. Most of the phrases are repeated several times, and therefore the most inattentive viewer realizes what the characters are talking about.

Separate praise - for the attempt at word creation. Recall the phrase: "Patty is snapping." We all know what "snapped up" and "on the hook" means. Kim, on the other hand, does not adhere to patterns and creates something fresh and unfamiliar.

I declare with confidence that, as for Chevik, for Kim "Anna Karenina" has become the quintessence of the creator's talent. Here he reached a certain absolute, after which other authors will hesitate to write texts for the following projects. For this is the peak, the peak, Everest! ..

A similar picture is observed in the musical component. Composer Roman Ignatiev composed a lot of wonderful musicals, but finally he came to the understanding that it is necessary to rely on the best in his work. Therefore, all the melodies from Karenina will seem pleasantly familiar. regular viewers Operetta Theatre. Here the notes from "Monte Cristo" sounded, and here - the spitting image of "Count Orlov".

Everyone knows that the viewer, as a rule, hardly accepts something new for himself. He will meet Anna Karenina as if he were his own, because all the elements of the performance will seem familiar to him.

Experienced the viewer will notice, that there are a lot of songs in the musical, and sometimes they do not carry any semantic load - only aesthetic. The creators give us maximum opportunities to immerse ourselves in music, and a separate advantage is that it is difficult to find a melody that stands out from the general range. If in "Monte Cristo" or "Count Orlov" the so-called "musical action movies" sometimes sounded, then the contemplation of "Karenina" will not make you shudder from the sound stream.

Some will say that musical melodies are boring. These cavils are completely inappropriate, because the audience may also be in the hall, who spent a sleepless night, and now have a chance to snooze comfortably under the lulling sounds of Karenina.

Summarizing all of the above, I note that, of course, interpretation of "Anna Karenina" is controversial, but has the right to exist. In the end, most of the academy viewers did not finish, but here they are accessible and musically attached to the classics. Yes, you can not read the novel and not watch a single movie, but feel the troubles of the characters.

Finally, we were presented with another musical, designed not for high-browed nerds, but for the mass public. Let it go the price policy of the theater seems bold, one can already say now that the hall of the Operetta Theater will be full on the days when Anna Karenina is given.

I'm sure the show will grow from performance to performance. although even today it is clear that the musical is a true diamond. This is not surprising, because such monsters of the genre as Chevik and Kim had a hand in the creation of Karenina.

And if someone new project if you don’t like it, then I hasten to please you: The pies at the buffet are delicious.

Well, I sincerely hope that I managed to convey my thoughts about Anna Karenina. And if I visit this show again in the near future, it will be only in a feverish delirium or for a lot of money transferred to my card.

But there is a link in the musical that is not just good, but great. I'm talking about artists. IN Once again the project of the Operetta Theater gathered all the cream of the actors, forcing the poor, unfortunate talented people exist in captcha. (Yeah, but now they will listen, they will read the laudatory reviews and naively believe that Karenina is cool ...)

I'll tell you more: it is precisely because of the artists involved in the performance that many give Karenina a positive assessment. A cretin libretto with a missing plot, idiotic texts, secondary and uninteresting - garbage. The actors are smart, so I liked it.

And I think that even the efforts of chic artists who are trying to squeeze the maximum out of flat, unwritten characters (sorry for them, she-she) do not make Karenina at least worthy of screenings in the center of Moscow.

Let's talk a little about the ones I saw.

Prince and Princess Shcherbatsky - Vyacheslav Shlyakhtov and Elena Soshnikova. Scanty commercials, in which you can only show off with costumes. But even from this "splendor" Shlyakhtov and Soshnikov come out in all their glory. And yes, they didn’t let me sing - only in the ensemble.

Countess Vronskaya - Anna Guchenkova. How much can poor Anna be given age roles ... The character, like everyone else, is about nothing, thanks to the author of the libretto and the director (I won’t repeat these phrases anymore, you can extrapolate them to everyone else yourself). But then Guchenkova. So, it’s a pleasure for the eyes and ears (thank you - they let me enjoy Anna’s vocals).

Patti - Oksana Lesnichaya. The only scene consisting of a single song. And I would write that I don’t understand the meaning of such an inclusion, if not for what Lesnichaya demonstrated. This is what I liked.

The manager is Maxim Zausalin. The person who makes the opinion: “This is a kapets!” - turned into: "This is Kapets and Zausalin." Not only because of the undeniable talent of Maxim. It's just that his character seems to exist in a qualitatively and ideologically different performance. Here is Anna Karenina - banal, boring, ordinary, and then there are steampunk scenes with a manager. This character is the local Der Todd, Karenina's demon. I have no idea what bit Chevik when she staged these moments. But even if the rest looked a bit like managerial pieces, it would turn out lovely. The manager is interesting to watch, and in general he stands out from the crowd of other artists. It seems that for the mass of projects worked out together, the people have chiseled each other and are working in the same vein. And here is such Zausalin, existing on his own wave. In general, if it were not for Maxim, I would probably have ended with melancholy right in the theater.

Princess Betsy - Natalya Sidortsova. I will never be able to forgive productions that do not use Sidortsova's talent to the fullest. So it is in Karenina - there is, it seems, a character, but what's the point? .. Remove this Betsy from the musical - nothing will change. It does not carry any semantic load. Natasha, of course, is gorgeous always and everywhere, but sorry ... the role is not her scale.

Stiva Oblonsky - Andrey Alexandrin. Well, they arrived ... I liked Alexandrin! I'm not lying, honestly! Let him play creepy, but still it looked even cute. And he sang well. So this is my new theatrical perception.

Konstantin Levin - Vladislav Kiryukhin. It’s also a role that can be safely thrown away (Kitty would have coped without him - well, given the ability of the Operetta Theater to isolate heroes and storylines). But there is a plus: you can just enjoy the presence on the stage of Kiryukhin, who sings a lot. Although the character would be brighter for him.

Kitty Shcherbatskaya - Daria Yanvarina. Here's the only one I didn't really like. Maybe I was worried, I understand. But she didn’t convince me as an actor (what was it at all? ..), but vocally she pulled herself up to the second act. Although not a fountain either.

Alexey Karenin - Alexander Marakulin. Should I write something here or just once again note that “there is nothing more beautiful than Marakulinaaa”? .. No, it’s completely unclear why such a husband didn’t suit Anna. However, this is not only about the talent and charisma of Marakulin, but once again about the intelligibility of the libretto.

Alexei Vronsky - Sergei Lee. Absolutely gorgeous Vronsky in the given conditions. Well, how could it be otherwise, when it comes to Lee? Yes, go and understand what happened to Anna in the finale, since Vronsky sings so touchingly that she accuses him and finally doesn’t understand (they don’t show us anything like that on stage). But if we are offered Sergei Lee in a musical, then it will definitely be great.

Anna Karenina - Olga Belyaeva. The only Anna I initially agreed to (and I won’t even hide it). And I was so happy. Alas, the libretto and here planted a bunch of pigs. Most importantly, the reason for being thrown under the train is unclear - but Olga did everything possible to justify the actions and thoughts of her heroine. It was powerful and piercing... And the vocals... Before, I thought that only Sidortsova could cope with Anna's parts. Now I know - also Belyaeva. Karenina's final song is something. Here it is worth noting that it is also very interesting melodically, stylistically standing out from the rest of the material. And when Olga sang it ... No, I didn’t forgive the musical for dullness and meaninglessness and didn’t want to watch it again, but goosebumps ran skipping. So, if you suddenly want to watch Anna Karenina, then choose Belyaeva's dates.

It is very sad that we are stuffed with such creations, calling them musicals. It is doubly sad that this thing will have its own fans - and even in large quantities. It is a pity that people who know and appreciate the genre come up with excuses for Karenina, look for pluses and dig up imaginary pearls in a pile of finds from Chevik.

What am I? I'm just glad that the final post-bow song finally ends not with the word "love", but with the word "happiness". Some kind of evolution...

PS. And I won’t write anything about a live orchestra, because its presence, of course, is a huge plus, but I will join those viewers who thought that a minus phonogram often sounds ... Maybe I’m deaf, I don’t argue.

Musical in Russian literary classics It's always a bit of a scandal. Moscow viewers are accustomed to imported Broadway stories, but the decision to “voice” one of the pillars domestic literature are perceived with caution. Not surprisingly, the musical "Anna Karenina" became the most discussed theatrical event of last year's autumn. At one time, Dostoevsky called Tolstoy's novel "an enormous psychological development of the human soul" - some theater critics they complained that in the musical arrangement of Karenina's love story, not much was left of this "psychological development". Any source can be taken as the basis of the musical, the main thing is to remember that the musical and this source will be pursued by different artistic purposes and be in different aesthetic planes. For the mass audience, judging by popular reviews of films and shows, the criterion of proximity to the text is decisive: they can forgive not the most outstanding music or sluggish characters, but not an "original reading".




Therefore, in working with Tolstoy's legacy, the creative team of the musical "Anna Karenina" showed an almost religious seriousness. As a result, mass "ballroom" scenes seem stuffy due to the abundance of crinolines and wigs, stylistically they are rather conditionally connected with avant-garde dances in "street" scenes. Fortunately, Karenina's birth pangs are not shown to the viewer, but twice during the performance a boy, Seryozha Karenin, appears on the stage, who utters only one word (guess which one). The producers of the musical, Vladimir Tartakovsky and Alexei Bolonin, say that it was through the character of Serezha Karenin that they managed to convey to the viewer the scale of the act of the main character: “If a woman decides to leave her beloved child, then what is the strength of her feelings for Vronsky!” The bust with color in action is compensated by the outstanding scenography by Vyacheslav Okunev and lighting designer Gleb Filshtinsky.


Photo provided by the Press Service A scene from the musical "Anna Karenina"

Key Characters actors cannot be called sketchy, although the "light" genre of the musical often sins with this. There are no negative or at least simply repulsive or demonic characters - this good sign. Alexei Karenin evokes as much sympathy as Anna Karenina. Among the heroes of the musical there is one - a certain Steward - who is not in Tolstoy's novel: a figure-medium that appears in various images wherever Anna is present. The producers describe it like this: “This is the conductor of the will of higher powers on earth. Initially, he was conceived as a conductor who dictates the rules of behavior and conditions to passengers in the “train of life”. It is he who establishes the “rules of conduct” for the characters, sets the conditions for the game and sets the tone for the entire performance. He is Destiny." The Steward's area of ​​influence is much larger than the train station. In the most dramatic scene with his participation, the character will not utter a word - at this time, Anna will listen opera diva Patty, who sings: "Keep me with wine, refresh me with fruits." The line, by the way, refers to the song of Solomon, which is similar in the Song: “Reinforce me with wine, refresh me with apples, for I am exhausted from love” - such “ Easter Egg” left in the text the author of the libretto Julius Kim.


Photo provided by the Press Service A scene from the musical "Anna Karenina"

Forte musical "Anna Karenina" - cast. The role of Vronsky went to Sergei Lee and Dmitry Yermak - the latter was awarded the Golden Mask last year for the role of the Phantom of the Opera. IN different time on " golden mask” Both performers of the parts of Alexei Karenin were also nominated: Igor Balalaev and Alexander Marakulin. Valeria Lanskaya and Ekaterina Guseva have an amazing Anna: restrained at the beginning, and in the final - crazy and disoriented. Ekaterina says that while working on the role, she changed her attitude towards the heroine, who had not previously evoked an emotional response in her: “Anna Yulia Kima is love itself! She sank from somewhere above us, rustled, touched and left. There is no place for her on our earth, no one is able to accept her. And Vronsky failed. He is an earthly, ordinary man, one of many. An avalanche of all-consuming love fell upon him, and he overstrained himself, he had nothing to answer for such an all-encompassing feeling. I stopped judging, fell in love with my Anna, I feel infinitely sorry for her. And I am happy that I have the opportunity to go on stage in this role. To exist in the poignant music of Roman Ignatiev, to love, to perish, to be reborn and to love again.” The heroine of Guseva evokes the strongest emotional response: she crawled out in tears. And this means that the magic works, and the question of the viability of the musical "Anna Karenina" can be closed.

REVIEW of the musical "Anna Karenina"

Moscow Operetta Theater
Libretto by Julius Kim
Composer - Roman Ignatiev
Stage director - Alina Chevik
Choreographer - Irina Korneeva
Set Designer - Vyacheslav Okunev
Make-up and hair artist - Andrey Drykin
Lighting designer - Gleb Filshtinsky
Premiere: 8.10.2016
Date of viewing: 23.01.2018

This solemn and high-society musical met all the expectations of Muscovites; in the beautiful hall of the Moscow Operetta Theater, it seems to be conscious of becoming a pearl from 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. great romance Leo Tolstov, framed by the libretto and poems by Yuli Kim and music by Roman Ignatiev, impresses with its sincerity and amazing melody. Perfect and well-coordinated work cast, choir, dancers and live orchestra. The atmosphere of the performance is very pleasant, it all starts on a snowy winter day with sledding and skating, and the dancers skate very professionally with twists and support from their partners. And, how many magnificent ball scenes, amazingly rich interiors and crystal chandeliers the directors did it, the monitors show the interior in a duet with scenery in a very interesting way. The costumes of the heroes are solemnly bright, embroidered with stones, everything glitters and sparkles, but with a very delicate taste. There is a scene in the play where Anna Karenina (Ekaterina Guseva) in a black coat trimmed with a silver fox collar sings the song “blizzard”, the heroine in love and happy glows from the inside walking along the station under snow flakes, this scene catches the viewer instantly. And, the game of Ekaterina Guseva is so sincere that you become a fan not only of her talent, but also of the musical performed by her. Main character Alexei Vronsky (Sergei Lee), a seductive and handsome man with a charming voice, plays very well in the play, in love and ready to do anything for his beloved, even take her away from her husband, and then a cold and prudent servant at court. Together they make an amazing duet with main character. It is worth noting the whole, well, just the entire cast of actors with magnificent exciting timbres of voices and acting. Watching the musical until the intermission, I thought nothing would surprise me anymore, so I was very impressed, but the second part completely struck me. In the scene when everyone comes to the theater to listen to Patti, the scourging of Anna Karenina begins and everyone is talking about her wrong life, the heroine herself is hysterical, when suddenly upstairs, as if bright Star, Patti enters the stage and sings an aria with 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 the locomotive appears under the ceiling, a terrifying sight and very tragic. Anna throws herself under the train, which is leaving the center of the stage and blinding the viewer. Moving scenery throughout the action is the main and this interesting find, just often used in musicals, to quickly and completely change the picture. Many thanks to the orchestra, I don’t know for sure whether it was the orchestra of the operetta theater itself or invited, but it was magnificent. I would like to note that this Russian musical was bought by main theater V South Korea and put it on our pattern. 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!

- Musicals based on Russian literary classics have always caused rather mixed reactions. Many people think that singing Tolstoy is a failed idea. How do you feel about it?

“I think that those who consider this a failed plan are mistaken. For the simple reason that the musical is a genre for which all plots are good. At one time about famous directors- or - said: "They can even put a cookbook."

IN human composition, and even more so - in such a classic, literary, there is everything that is needed for a musical: there is drama, there are human relationships, characters.

As soon as they appear, the musical is ready to embody them.

Roughly speaking, there is a genre prose work. Leo Tolstoy saw or came up with a certain plot and embodied it in this genre. Another poet came up with a plot and embodied it in the genre of a novel in verse - and it turned out "". The plot of "Karenina", full of psychologism and conflicts, is the most fertile option for a musical. There are no low genres: even the most seemingly popular, mass-produced stage is nevertheless a genre of art, and serious ideas can be embodied in it. Moreover, the genre of the musical is large enough to cope with the plot of Romeo and Juliet, or its remake - West Side Story, or Notre Dame de Paris. There is absolutely no contradiction here.

Anna Karenina is not only a love story, but also a strong social line. What is the focus of the musical?

Mainly on love story, Certainly. At first, the social line was spelled out in large detail in the libretto: there Levin speaks in more detail and longer - about the reforms, about Russia, about the peasants. In the musical, this line was not developed enough. But I don't regret it at all. I did not hide the social issues, I tried to express it together with the rest of the authors of the musical.

Our Levin also talks about the peasants, about the place where one should live good man where you can find your meaning in life.

- The characters of Tolstoy's characters are revealed in long monologues, including internal ones. How is the character of the heroes, their torments conveyed in your libretto?

- To the best of my ability and to the extent that the conditions of the genre are observed. The genre of the musical usually requires less extensive monologues than prose can afford. But I managed to convey the quintessence of feelings and thoughts. All the more so since this was done in verse—and verse always has its own pathos and its own very useful brevity, verbal economy, which requires a special strain of feeling. I tried to ensure that the internal monologues of the characters were well conveyed in verse, and (the composer of the musical. - Gazeta.Ru), in my opinion, did an excellent job with their musical expression.

There is a human note in Karenin, and we did our best to emphasize this note.

The last scene of the performance is the scene where Karenin and Vronsky sing together an aria about their failure to respond to Anna's drama. Both did not have enough soul for this, and both bitterly regret it.

— The idea to quote the Song of Songs did not arise immediately. At first I decided that the culmination of the whole action should take place during a scandal in the theater - I thought of this in advance, and everyone agreed with me. But the role of the singer Adeline Patti was not very clear to me. Initially, I did not intend to make some very important point out of her aria. And only then I realized that the most important thing here is what exactly she will sing. At first, I imagined that she was singing Violetta's aria from Verdi's La Traviata - it is very good and close in content to the experiences of Anna herself. But I listened to the aria and realized: this is not enough.

Then a happy thought came to me: it will be an aria of Sulamith, Patti will sing: “Oh, my beloved ...” - and so on.

I took literally four verses from this aria, but the singer repeats them twice or thrice. Listening to her singing, Anna suddenly understands: love is as strong as death. Life and love for her are now equivalent concepts: love disappears - life also ends. Anna sings about Patti: "She told me all about me."

— How was the work on the libretto? How did you build interaction with producers, who relied on whose ideas?

- We exchanged views: I offered a solution to a particular scene, they either accepted it, or we continued to think together. So the story happened with the visit of Stiva and Levin to Anna. Initially, the composer and I decided that it would be good to write a duet between Anna and Levin in this place. Moreover, it was written: very good duet about the meeting of two extraordinary people who felt something familiar in each other. Levin saw something more in Anna than in Kitty, and Anna sensed in Levin something more sensitive, a kinder soul than that of Vronsky. The producers listened to this duet and said: “You wrote a declaration of love. This immediately changes everything and makes the further plot pointless. We did not rewrite the libretto - we simply removed this part and instead made a duet between Anna and Kitty. It also has its own dramaturgy.

- Interest in musicals in Russia appeared not so long ago. Is this due to the fact that the musical in the mind of the viewer is a colorful show with bright scenery and lighting effects, or is it something else?

- First, foreign musicals appeared in our country. Then there were the first attempts to create their own. One of the attempts to create their own musical, as we remember, ended tragically: it was Nord-Ost. Therefore, our audience got acquainted with musicals with the help of films and the Internet. All the popular foreign musicals — West Side Story, Oliver!, Cats — have given our viewers an idea of ​​what a musical is.

And when the first musicals appeared on our theater stage, the audience, of course, tumbled down.

What she likes in this genre, unlike opera or operetta, is a special question. The musical is a very democratic genre that copes with any plot without losing depth and brilliance.

Nevertheless, the musical certainly has a commercial component. It is always designed for a wide demand and, accordingly, for a good income. Therefore, all directors of musicals try to make the spectacle attractive. The public gets a spectacle, but a spectacle filled with good sense. This is how genre and audience are interchanged: people are enlightened, their taste becomes better.

- The song "Belle" from the Russian version of the musical "Notre Dame de Paris" - though not your translation - became a hit, entered the popular culture. Would you like such a fate for some songs from Anna Karenina?

- Certainly. I would say this: if this happens, I will be glad. If this does not happen, I will not consider it as a disadvantage. I don’t think that of our two previous musicals with Roman Ignatiev (“Monte Cristo” and “Count Orlov” - “Gazeta.ru”), some of the arias went to the people and are now willingly sung by everyone.

I think each of these musicals is a hit in itself, a two-hour hit.

If you remember it, then immediately from beginning to end. At the same time, I do not see individual hits in these musicals. And the public does not see them, but walks very willingly. So eagerly that when, after four seasons of Monte Cristo, the no less successful Graf Orlov was already on, the audience began to ask for more - and we had to show Monte Cristo next to Graf Orlov.

- I want to ask you, as a writer, a question about literary interpretation- after all, in Anna Karenina, you, in fact, are doing it. How would you react if someone interpreted your stuff? And what would Tolstoy say if he saw your Anna Karenina?

- I am not able to predict the reaction of Leo Tolstoy or any of his adherents. It is easy to imagine that many are outraged by my treatment of his prose (or better, our treatment, meaning all the directors and authors of this performance). It's a matter of taste. I am not at all ashamed of this work, and I have already said why. The musical is a special genre that can afford a lot. And if someone is somehow going to interpret my writings, I will take it with curiosity. And if we imagine that all this will be done after my life, everything depends on how much tact and taste will be in it. Let them show such taste and tact as I show in relation to.

Tonight, my wife and I went to the operetta theater to see this musical.
Long wanted. Yes, nothing. And so they decided, as always - impromptu. No tickets in hand. My wife was worried - how will we get there, if it is written on the Internet that all tickets are sold out? I was calm. And my intuition did not disappoint.
At the box office, only the balcony of the 2nd tier, the last row, was for sale. 400 scars. In general, in the middle of nowhere. We don't need such a hockey alignment - I decided, and we went out into the street. Then an intelligent uncle spicul came up to us and offered tickets to the amphitheater for 2500 re. I knew that they were cheaper there, but my wife wanted to go to the musical so badly that I pulled out a red piece of paper and gave it to my uncle. Later it turned out that two ladies were sitting to my left, who also bought tickets from spicul, but for 3,000 rubles. And to the right of us landed a couple who generally managed to buy tickets for 4500 per person. So we haven't suffered so much materially yet. Regarding neighbors.
But the places were, alas, not ah. 7 row, the last amphitheater. There is only a wall behind. If you want to get to this musical, it is better to get the 1st row of the mezzanine, from there it is wonderfully visible. However, I had one undoubted advantage - I could shoot what was happening with a video camera, because behind me there were no Cerberus ticket attendants who instantly react to such encroachments. And thanks to this, I shot a lot of frames of the musical, plus I made a video for 10 minutes.

Briefly about the impression. Best Musical I have not seen in my life. We were also lucky that we got to the first squad. The role of Anna Karenina was played by the magnificent Katya Guseva, and the role of Vronsky - Dmitry Ermak. He is the soloist in the musical "The Phantom of the Opera".

Here they are in one of the scenes of the musical.

The scene of the meeting at the station, Anna leaves for St. Petersburg.

Levin (Vladislav Kiryukhin) and Kitty Shcherbitskaya (Natalia Bystrova).

Countess Vronskaya (Anna Gurchenkova)

Stiva Oblonsky (Andrey Alexandrin)

The incomparable Katya Guseva (Anna Karenina)

The exit of the artists to pay their respects.

The mood after the performance was great! I'll be waiting for the release full version musical online. They say that a DVD disc is being removed for future sales.
And I warmly recommend everyone to go to see Anna Karenina. Literally loved everything there! Music, voices, acting, scenery, costumes. And what really impressed me is that you can hear every word of the performers. It doesn't always happen that way. For example, in "Count Orlov" the music often drowned out the voice of the singer. This I only later dismantled after watching the video clip. And here - complete clarity.

Rating - 10 points out of 10!

In conclusion - my video from fragments of the musical.