"Consumers" (musical): reviews, actors, authors

A musical comedy, or musical, has long become a familiar part of our cultural and entertainment program. Despite the fact that this genre was born in America, he liked the whole world. Modern art is unthinkable without original, in terms of production, scenery and attracted actors, musical performances. "Spoilers" - a musical, whose reviews consist entirely of adjectives of superlatives, - was first shown in November 2012.

About the musical

In itself, the genre of musical comedy is unique. Sometimes critics say that this is a revived operetta. There is some part of the truth in this. But there are some differences:

1. The musical never had its own dramaturgy. All librettos correspond with classical operettas or dramatic works.

2. The musical part of the productions abounds with jazz techniques, deviates from the canons of the classical operetta.

3. Often the performances are based on shocking, stunned spectators.

4. The choreography of the musical is fundamentally different from the salon dances of the operetta.

In general, musicals are much more complex and realistic than classical light operettas. This, perhaps, the most important difference - the performance can be a comedy, drama, phantasmagoria or tragedy. And the operetta is an easy comedy work.

Old song in a new way

In 1926, the writer Valentin Kataev wrote a novel, which in a couple of years it was converted into a script for a dramatic theater - the play "The Waste". The theater of the musical took up this work, and the light was an excellent sight. Let's be frank: not every modern viewer knows the name of Valentin Kataev. The first to come to mind is the book "A white solitary sail" and "The son of a regiment", and not all his satirical works were accurately read. And in vain!

For the first time the play was staged by the Moscow Art Theater director Gorchakov. These scaffolds were honored with this honor, because in 1925 the government announced the struggle against embezzlement and embezzlement in the industries of all branches of the national economy. Kataev at the same time ridiculed and philistinism - tasteless desire for a "beautiful" life.

It should also be noted that the "Spoilers" (a musical, about which all the media published immediately after the premiere) were written according to the materials of the workers who sent their works to satirical magazines. So it is possible to declare with full responsibility: the plot is based on real events.

Searches for investors

Despite his considerable age (about 90 years), the play remains relevant to this day. In one of the interviews Maxim Leonidov, the author of music for the musical, said that "the theme of this anecdote" is not just not obsolete, but every day it becomes more and more popular, judging by the news programs and headlines of print media.

According to the author of the libretto and the director-director of the modern version of Alexander Shavrin, the musical "The Waste" (tickets according to the Broadway tradition for the premiere performance were sold for half the price) literally scared away potential investors. Bankers, without hesitation for a second, refused to hear the name of the future production. Probably, associations with this word are so strong that no one wanted to finance such a project.

What is the play about?

What is so scary about "Waste"? The musical, the reviews of which are not obsessed with the obvious theme of the play, take us back to the time of the NEP. The new economic policy is the development of cooperative and entrepreneurial activity, a cheerful life, the desire to surround ourselves with "wealth" and "foreign" things, light dances and glamor.

It was at this time that Mr. Prokhorov Philip Stepanovich, the protagonist of the performance, "took" the treasury of the enterprise. And of course, squandered it. Being the chief accountant, Philip Stepanovich could not independently turn his scam. Therefore, on the stage appears his companion - cashier Vanechka.

With stolen money, they start running, look for a beautiful life, traveling around the country, and find themselves in the center of many unusual stories. The desire to get into the higher society (according to the laws of the NEP, consisting of the nobles of the former empire) and walk in taverns echoes the merry walks of commoners from Vanya's homeland. Of course, it was not without the triumph of justice - the thieves were finally caught and convicted for five years each.

Adventures, lyrical history, fun - all this suits the requirements of the genre so much that it's simply impossible to miss the musical "embezzlers". Actors, mostly young and not yet eminent, judging by the reviews, perfectly got used to the images, managed to convey a time extravaganza and phantasmagoria of adventure.

And morality, what is the moral!

We take a lot from Western culture; Not finding suitable terms in their language, attach special importance to foreign ones. So it is here. The message of the musical is very correct - happiness is near, it is only necessary to look around; Mad riches and crazy adventures - not the most important component of our life. And chasing them often turns into incredible problems and tears.

But what we need, we do not appreciate - the love of a good man, for example. And this is the most expensive. Understanding such a simple truth comes during the endless runs and adventures of our heroes.

Debut

To write music for his performance Alexander Shavrin attracted a famous artist and writer of beat-hits Maxim Leonidov. What are the "embezzlers"? The musical (reviews of the audience in this issue are unanimous) perfectly conveys the epoch of the 1920s. There is also a variety of styles, dissonances of time (and music), recklessness of gypsy festivities, urban romance, and, of course, Soviet symphonism of the beginning of the century. It should be noted that in the role of the author of music for a full-scale performance Maxim Leonidov spoke for the first time. Maxim himself called this musical "paradise for the composer": light couplets, "thieves' songs and romances - this is not the whole arsenal of musicians.

During casting, it turned out that picking a singing dramatic actor of solid age is very difficult. The central aria of Philip Stepanovich requires not just vocal data, but professional singing skills. Therefore, the composer became the performer of the main role. From time to time, Alexei Kortnev comes to replace him.

In other roles, as already noted, there are no loud star names. The production involves young, but already quite famous Ksenia Larina and Anna Guchenkova, Artem Lyskov and Stanislav Belyaev.

Scenery

Talking about the play "The Waste" (a musical lasting 2.5 hours), you can not ignore the scenery. Change the backdrop is already 29 times! The art of NEP times is so varied and free that the decorators could not resist. Experiments inherent in that era, we observe on the stage: surrealism, cubism, avant-garde ... Artist Olga Shagalina (the reviews of satisfied viewers confirm this to the fullest) made everything bright and colorful, bright and unusual.

The Epoch of the Declaration of Freedom

Among other things, the beginning of the 20th century is also marked by freedom, which was realized, and most importantly, received, by a woman. Therefore, we also like the fashion of those years - lightness, coquetry, emphasized femininity in every detail of the toilet. Streaming fabrics, light draperies, ryushki, stockings, hats ....

Of course, the creators of the play could not leave aside this point. The female crowd looks like a great vaudeville, which even more captures the spirit of the already astonished and enthusiastic spectator.