GYPSY LOVE (CONCERT PERFORMANCE)

Concert performance of Franz Lehar operetta

Director – Oksana Antonenko

Musical director and conductor – Alexey Nefedov

Artist – Irina Dolgova

Choreographers - Vladimir Romanovsky, Alexandra Kosik

Responsible accompanist – Igor Mazharov

Concertmaster – Mikhail Efremov

Assistant director - Alla Makaeva

On November 15, the Theatre of Musical Comedy will present a new production from a project launched last season: Franz Lehar operetta "Gypsy Love," performed in concert. The enchanting, imaginative music of this distinguished Austro-Hungarian composer will dominate the theatre this evening. The spectacular aspects of the genre, traditionally requiring numerous costumes and colorful sets, will take a back seat, but the spectacular dance cascades performed by the soloists and the passionate love affair between the main characters, so treasured by operetta fans, will certainly be on stage.

The introduction of unknown or rarely performed works by outstanding operetta composers in concert performances began in the 2024/25 season, when Lehar "Tsarevich" premiered at the theatre.

For the next performance, another fine example of the genre by an outstanding classic composer, whose stage career on the Russian stage was slightly more successful, was chosen. The Theatre of Musical Comedy repertoire of "Gypsy Love" featured three times: in 1934, 1936, and 1960, each time with not only a new group of directors and performers but also a new version of the libretto. However, the main plot—the story of a girl who, choosing between two young men in love with her, learns from personal experience that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush—remained unchanged.

Oksana Antonenko, director: "In the concert format, we place the main emphasis, of course, on Lehar music, which features many folk motifs characteristic of the Romanian-Hungarian tradition. Ilona Csardas is well known in this regard, often performed in the theatre's concerts today. At the same time, the scale of Lehár's score is almost operatic, on the level of Puccini finest works, and demands virtuoso mastery from the performers.

By turning to this work by this outstanding composer, we are giving our companys artists the opportunity to showcase their vocal and dramatic talents to the fullest. The role of the leading character, Zorika, will be performed by Irina Mulyarchik, who has an extensive operatic repertoire and is well known to a wide audience for her participation in the "Bolshaya Opera" project. The title role has been entrusted to a new company member, Alexei Konovalov, who has already established a reputation for his dazzling performances in his first season. Ivan Korytov will play several roles, acting as the narrator, transforming into his characters right before the audience's eyes.
So, connoisseurs of the genre will, I hope, be delighted to encounter new (or well-forgotten) music by Lehar and their favorite artists. And those experiencing the operetta for the first time will, I am sure, appreciate both the composer's melodicism and the relevance of the plots questions, which continue to resonate with many young people today.