Krasnoyarsk Musical Theater will show the new “Overcoat”

The Krasnoyarsk Musical Theater is preparing for the premiere of the play “The Overcoat” based on Gogol’s story. Screenings of the chamber musical tragic farce will take place on February 9, 21 and 22 on the stage of the Great Hall of the Siberian State Institute of Arts.

Director Gemma Avetisyan presents the author's interpretation of the classic. At the center of the production is not a victim of circumstances, but a person who shapes his own destiny through daily choices.

“This is a man who was given opportunities and he just didn’t take advantage of them. We don't feel sorry for him. He is a conventional office worker who is satisfied with everything. He is an introvert, he feels good in his microworld. We see proof of this early on when he turns down a promotion. This very marker gives us the understanding that he is not unhappy,” says the play’s director Gemma Avetisyan.

This idea is embodied on stage by only four artists, each performing several roles. The key element of the scenography was a transforming suitcase, which creates the space of St. Petersburg.

The music for the performance was written by composer Murat Kabardokov, combining jazz, musical and academic genres. According to him, the music became a cinematic soundtrack to the life of the main character. The author of the libretto, Oleg Ernev, preserved Gogol's plot, but added more light and humor to the narrative to enhance the contrasts.

“Gemma Avetisyan, Oleg Ernev and I decided to slightly level out the tragedy in the original story. The music turned out to be stylistically diverse. The most complex image, of course, is Bashmachkin’s; accordingly, his musical approach is quite varied: from “weakness” in communication to concentration in work and the rage with which he attacks the offender before death,” shares Murat Kabardokov.

The creators of the play offer viewers a personal dialogue with eternal questions about choice, fear of change and inner freedom.

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