Pinocchio.  Belarusian Premiere

‘There are two kinds of lies: one has short legs, the other has a long nose.’ On 19 December, one of the kindest fairy tales of Carlo Collodi came to life on the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus.  It came out almost 140 years ago – and still this story about a wooden doll that became a human being, captivates with its sincerity and kindness. The adventures of Pinocchio are known in at least 90 countries – the book has been translated into so many languages. This story has inspired many directors to create cartoons and movies. And in 2008 the children's opera Pinocchio by the German composer Gloria Bruni appeared. For the first time it was performed in Hamburg, then it was staged in theatres of Naples, Parma, London and other European cities. During the winter holidays this fairytale story appeared on the Minsk stage. The production team include: conductor Vladimir Ovodok, director Natalia Baranovskaya, designer Lyubov Sidelnikova, choreographer Sergey Mikel, chorus master Sergey Agranovich.

‘The story of a wooden doll that became a human being is especially relevant today,’ Natalia Baranovskaya said. For her, this is the first directorial work on the big stage of the theatre. ‘We all make mistakes, but we grow by correcting them. So Pinocchio, stumbling, still comes to the point that he sacrifices himself for another person.’

The composer Bruni created a Belarusian version of this opera for our theare. Together with conductor Vladimir Ovodok they were looking for the best form of work and we think they have found her. ‘We hope that this production, among other things, will attract young viewers to such a beautiful and magical world of opera. Perhaps this is our main task,’ the conductor said.

Next time this production will be performed on 26, 27, 28, 30 December in the afternoon, and on 3 January two performances will take place at 11: 00 and 14: 00.

We congratulate our wonderful artists and production team, our audience and theatre on the fact that Pinocchio has appeared in the repertoire of the Bolshoi theatre! Happy opening night, friends! Congratulations on a successful premiere, friends!