On October 20 and 21, 2017 the premiere of the musical «The Picture of Dorian Gray» based on the eponymous novel by Oscar Wilde will take place at the Big Stage of the Music Hall Theatre.
 
The most well-known novel by O.Wilde - the story of Dorian Gray, who sold his soul to the devil in exchange for eternal youth and beauty – has survived numerous screen versions and theater productions. And today once again we turn to the masterpiece of the English prose of the end of the XIX century. Because in modern life, when sensual delights and earthy pleasures often become the main goal of existence, a character like Dorian Gray is relevant as ever.

Young and highly attractive Dorian Gray, endowed with a great gift of beauty, yields to all the temptations that life generously presents to him, but neither sins no years leave any marks on his face. What is the secret of Dorian Gray and how will he pay for eternal youth?

Earthy pleasures, secret sins, and dangerous intrigues inspire and excite the minds of many people. The play’s protagonist lives only for his own pleasure. He uses people around him to reach the fullness of sensations, he conquers people thanks to the magical influence of his beauty. He enjoys life without any limits or obligations. Nothing restrains Dorian in the process of getting sensual delights, and ethical or religious taboos are simply prejudices, which a civilized man can ignore.

This way the dangerous immoral game gradually turns Dorian Gray into a monster and condemns him to self-destruction. The play will vividly show how dangerous the temptation of a sin can be. Crimes never go unpunished.
The score for the musical was created by a St. Petersburg composer Vladimir Baskin, whose family play “Alice in Wonderland” has a great success in the Music Hall Theatre. The music is filled with anxiety, unavoidable tragedy, and the sense of apocalypses. All title roles will be performed in the rock ballad style. Stage Director of the performance – Winner of the St. Petersburg's Highest Theatre Prize Golden Sofit Natalia Indeykina.

The exquisite style of the high society of England of the XIX century will be created on the stage of the Music Hall Theatre by artist Julia Goltsova, known for her work on the play “Dangerous Liaisons” and on the performances of the St. Petersburg International Festival “All Together Opera”.

Costumes of a popular designer from St. Petersburg Alina German will give a special charm and a bohemian element to the play. To get fully submerged in the gloomy atmosphere of Victorian London a spectacular video sequence will be used, which will recreate the inner world of the main characters with the help of associations. Moving sets will be combined with video projections, which will make the play as impressive and dynamic as possible. The main element of the play – the portrait itself – will appear thanks to new video projection technologies.
The musical “The Picture of Dorian Gray” is a mystical play about the meaning of life and art, of good and evil, of betrayal and beauty, which doesn’t subject to any earthy laws. It is like a key that opens any door leading to the garden of eternal delights…

Cast: Alexander Chernyshev, Alexander Osinin, Igor Eremin, Maria Elizarova, Anna Snegova, Winner of the St. Petersburg's Highest Theatre Prize Golden Sofit Tatiana Taranets, Julia Asorgina, Maria Reshavskaya, Alena Bulygina.

Duration– 3 hours with 1 intermission, 18+