06 march 2020 After The National Theater - "Kiss Me, Kate!" In Burgas Again • The eternal Shakespearean story on Taming the Shrew will be presented on March 10 at 7pm at the Opera Hall

After November 19th - a memorable date for the artists of the State Opera - Burgas, when "Kiss Me, Kate!" was presented with great success on the stage of the National Theater "Ivan Vazov", the musical will be played again in Burgas - on March 10, at 7 pm, in the Opera Hall. The production has already formed its mature appearance - after the glamorous premiere on September 4, 2019, at the Burgas Summer Theater, the large-scale Broadway musical with the whole composition of the Burgas Opera, had successful performances - in the Opera and Burgas Hall, in Gorna Oryahovitsa and Plovdiv, and the apogee was the full hall in the National Theater, where the audience sent Burgas to its feet. The charge of the production, which was born and upgraded by the creators of the musical, was unfolded entirely on the capital's stage, which turned out to be the measure of our artists. After the performance on the Burgas stage - next Tuesday, the Burgas Opera Company will play "Kiss Me, Kate!" In Shumen.

The musical is based on the music of American composer Cole Porter and was created on the basis of Shakespeare's comedy "Taming of the Shrew." The title is first put on the Bulgarian stage - with officially purchased copyrights. "Kiss Me, Kate!" it gives the audience the opportunity to experience the fun twists and turns of the stage action and to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of a universal emotional and aesthetic cause reached by the artists on stage, in a creative synchronization with the orchestrators, who recreate the wonderful musical score. The mood created and overflowing from the stage accumulates aesthetic delight in its purest form. An original reference to Shakespeare's spirit, updated through American musical means, and a complex sense of symbiosis between libretto, music, and full-blooded scenic reproduction of the images are obtained. And the "shrew" - completely according to Shakespeare's plot - is tamed because it is the logic of life and relationships. And the semantic-emotional mantles of immortal history, though "theater in theater," have been respected - as messages and intellectual teasing.

Over time, "Kiss Me, Kate!" Shows a growing brilliance - both artistically and emotionally, more depth, the richness of nuance, and stage dynamics. The overall look of "Kiss Me, Kate!" is united by the direction of Alexander Tekeliev - with an avant-garde taste, but adhering to the parameters of the classic musical. The original set design with smart vision is by Denis Ivanov, who is also the ideal creator of attractive costumes created with fantasy, romantic finesse, sense, and precise approach to detail. The stylish impressive choreography is by Zhelka Tabakova. The role of assistant directors Lina Peeva and Peter Tikholov, who will also see the audience in the image of Senator Howell, is in a semantic parallel with the completed appearance of the spectacle. The choir conductor is Nevena Mihaylova, concertmaster - Yordan Kovachev. Behind the conductor panel will be Tsanislav Petkov, who has studied conducting skills with Maestro Plamen Dzhurov. Only 30 years old, he manages to ignite in the orchestrators the spark of the pleasure of playing a classic, fresh, expressive musical thought and emotion.

The story of "Kiss Me, Kate!" Intersects two main lines - one that tells the eternally entertaining and instructive story of Taming of the Shrew, in which the action unfolds during Shakespeare's time, and the other in the middle of the last, XX century. Shmilena Sultanova, the star-studded movie star of Lily Vanessi / Katerina - in the storyline of Taming of the Shrew. She will sing in a brilliant stage tandem with the tenor of the National Music Theater - the tenor Marcho Apostolov, who will star in the role of Fred Graham / Petruchio. Nona Krastnikova, soprano, will act as Lois Lane / Bianca. Artist Branimir Nedkov will reprise his role as Bill Cоhan / Lucenzio and will showcase not only singing but also remarkable ballet skills on stage. In the other, no less memorable and important for the plot development roles will be: in the form of the strict Harry Trevor / Baptista / father of the "shrew" Catherine / will present bass Veselin Hristov, wardrobe star Lina Vanessi - Hetty will be Darina Zapryanova, gifted with multilateral talents Paul - Jordan Hristozov. Coming into the fun roles with the criminal-comic flavor of First and Second Gangster, the mood will be brought to the stage by Diman Panchev and Yani Nikolov. In the image of the senator - sponsor of the theatrical performance and candidate for the hand of the movie star Lily Vanessa - Mr. Harrison Howell, Peter Tikholov will be introduced. The roles of Bianca's fans / in the storyline of Taming of the Shrew / will be Hortenzio - Lyubomir Todorov, Gremio - Milen Dinolov, Ralph - Alexander Perperiev. Vlyu Totev Totev takes on the role of the doorman.

 "Kiss Me, Kate!" has a good chance of becoming a stage hit, not only on the Burgas stage - this is the opinion of both specialists and the public.

During the production, there is soldering between music, artistry, bright presence, original stage design, intelligent decisions with the play of lights, half-shadows, reflections, refracting images and taking away from the angle of unexpected perspective what is carefully guarded and almost imperceptible. But, at the same time, it works, through the intellectual resonance that it provokes.

 

About the musical:

 

"Kiss me, Kate!" is the first musical in which music and lyrics adhere closely to the plot of the story, with the libretto of Shakespeare's masterpiece Taming of the Shrew. This is Cole Porter's greatest hit and his only musical to be played more than 1000 times on Broadway. With "Kiss Me, Kate!" the composer commemorates his creative return and professional triumph - in 1949 Porter won the Tony Award for Musical and for Best Text and Music. Work on this performance also brings to mind the writing tandem of spouses Bella and Samuel Spivak, who created the libretto - two Toni awards - for best musical and best libretto. All this causes the transformation of "Kiss Me, Kate!" in the unrivaled classics of this genre and its history as the first musical to win this prestigious award.