This year, when the famous singer and musician, groups Evil leader Victor Coy would have turned 60, Chekhov Theater in cooperation with Hansa platform stage a musical performance Here it is! dedicated to a man who has become one of the legends of the 20th century.
A few years ago, as a result of his creative search, Romans Smirnovs created a special genre in which the dramaturgy of the show is made up of songs, and since then he has successfully staged projects of this form several times. Now such a unique musical message will also appear in Riga.
The video material of the artist associated with Viktors Coja and his friends will be used as a presentation, which will be realized artistically and technically by the video projection artist Artis Dzērve, while the show will be dressed in light moods by the artist Oskars Pauliņš.
The well-known theater director Romans Smirnovs, who knew Viktor Coja, his family, friends and colleagues personally, says: “I like to compose a play together with actors. Here, my intentions probably coincided with the intentions of the theater – in the sense that I am once known to the fact that I create musical performances and not just musical ones, but with the songs of the authors that I love and know. I have a pretty clear idea of what Viktor [Cojs] would have agreed, but why not. These are also limitations. There are real feelings in there, hot, very real, sometimes naive… even more often naive. Until then, I would like to bury myself. It seems that I have now declared our goals and objectives. Perhaps it will be beautifully said – I have tried and will try to achieve authorial, personal learning of the material. I offer the actors to look for themselves, their attitude, their reading.”
Victor Coy’s bright and sharp talent flourished in the “breaking era” of the 1980s. The expressed anti-war mood, the felt resistance of the individual to the system in its various manifestations and forms, the deep individual shade of experiences, the strong and bright lyrics, the brave and memorable for the group Evil characteristic musical solutions coincided with the times themselves and the spirit of change. At the moment, Viktor Coja and the group Evil in the same way, songs that have been loved by many until now are gaining relevance and, in some sense, a second wind. They again – for today’s us…
The director of the theater, Dana Bjork, says about the upcoming project and cooperation: “Sometimes you can only be happy about the coincidences and coincidences of life. It is a very interesting story, how the theater came to the idea of staging such a musical show. During the pandemic, while having lunch in an outdoor cafe, I noticed a provocative quote by Choi and I reflected on it on social networks. Roman Smirnovs responded to my thoughts. The idea settled down and developed until the moment when I had to look for a suitable environment for such a production. Hansa platform with its design, infrastructure and atmosphere, it seemed really cozy, so we are very pleased with this cooperation! Here it is!”
Hansa platform: “We are excited to do the show again at the Hansa platform, especially when it comes to Victor Coy. Until now, amid the restrictions of the pandemic, both concerts and theaters have filled our premises, but this will be a combination – a musical performance with songs that almost everyone knows. We appreciate the cooperation with Mikhail Chekhov’s Riga Russian Theater and are glad that this performance will take place at our place. We are waiting for the audience to the performances very soon!”
Director Roman Smirnov graduated from the Novgorod Higher Theater School and the Leningrad State Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinematography (professor Georgy Tovstonogov’s course; specialty of dramatic theater director-producer). 1988-1994 years was CBS News Moscow (United States) correspondent, cameraman and journalist. Conducted reports from the “hot spots” of the USSR and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Cooperated with telecommunication companies RAI (Italy), CNN (ASV), NHK (Japan), BBS (England), TF–1 (In France), ABC (ASV), ABC Australia etc. Since 1998, he has been performing in St. Petersburg. In 2001, there was the US National Academy of Arts International Emmy member of the award jury.
More information: www.mct.lv.
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