«St. Petersburg Vedomosti» Newspaper 

Great Gatsby will sing and dance at the Music Hall

St. Petersburg Music Hall Theatre presents a premiere based on the novel by Francis Scott Fitzgerald «The Great Gatsby».

«When I was still studying in Italy, I wrote a work on this novel, - recalls the Artistic Director of the Music Hall Theatre Fabio Mastrangelo. - I was 19 years old, and my favorite writers were Hermann Hesse and Fitzgerald».

There are many different readings of one of the most popular American novels - dramatic and musical. The cinema has more than once referred to this plot, there was even a ballet. 

And now you can watch the musical.

 Music for the production was created by the composer Vladimir Baskin, who is a Prize Winner at the international and All-Russian competitions. He has composed music to the 2 ballets, 21 musicals, 14 television series, several movies, documentaries and animated films. Libretto was created by a poet and playright  Konstantin Rubinsky. The musical was directed by Natalia Indeykina, laureate of the Golden Sofit Prize, stage director of the performances based on the classical French novels at the Baltiysky Dom Theatre.

«I believe that this story fits a lot to today's time, - she says. -The theme of a dream’s collapse, the theme of non-fulfillment is consonant with the Russian world perception».

Let’s recall the plot (if not the novel, then the film, in which Leonardo DiCaprio played the role of Jay Gatsby). The story unfolds against the backdrop of New York in the 1920s (at a time when everything seemed possible and legal, and life seemed like a frivolous dance). This is a story about the life of a man who managed to achieve all the benefits, but never won the woman he loved. For her, he did the impossible making the American dream a reality. Alas, the ladylove  ( Daisy Buchanan) did not fully appreciate it, and her husband (Tom Buchanan) was not so noble as to understand and forgive.

It took much time to select actors for principle parts. The whole theatre watched at the applicants - from director to accountant. But both the artistic director and the director are satisfied with the results. «Whatever else, but the vocals will be great», - Natalya Indeykina says. – «We found artists who are able not just to reveal the images, but also to bring something of their own into them. The Daisy’s role was performed by a soloist of the Music Hall Theatre Anna Pozdnyakova, very refined and poetic actress, and Maria Elizarova, who is a soloist at the Theatre of Musical Comedy. By joint efforts, for the role of Gatsby we chose an artist at the Karambol Theatre Sergey Korovin, for his amazing voice and human charm, and  Alexander Osinin. Tom Buchanan, who is a very difficult character, will be performed by a soloist at the Music Hall Theatre Alexander Chernyshev and an amazing singer Vyacheslav Nogin».

Of course, the main role in the performance will be played by music. There will be jazz, charleston and foxtrot – inspiring dances and sincere, lyrical moments. The decorations, created in the Art Deco style, in black, white and gold colors, will be an important feature. «Any artist wants to get in touch with the period of Art Deco», - the production designer Julia Goltsova admits. She promises the viewer to experience the thrill: - Imagine that you are eating a hot strudel with ice cream, feeling the heat, then the cold. So, the viewer will move along with the characters from the world of luxury and beauty to the world of cruelty, to the bottom».

The theatre promises to please those who were lucky enough to buy tickets for the very first performances. They are asked to dress in the style of the Great Gatsby's epoch  (dresses with low waistline, funny hats and fur boas), and then to walk along the red carpet (it is placed in the foyer). The best pictures will be put on the internet.

By Dina Gin

The material is published in the « St.Petersburg Vedomosti» Newspaper № 197 (6306) from 23.10.2018 under the heading «The Great Gatsby will sing and dance».