“Zazerkalye”
(that means "Beyond the Looking Glass") State Musical theatre
for Children has been opened in 1987. It has been created on the
initiative of the director A. Petrov and the conductor P. Bubelnikov on
the basis of the "Musical Theatre Actor" course at the
Leningrad City Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinema.
"Zazerkalye" is a musical theatre. It is peculiar for its
light and undistorted approach to art, kindred to the paradoxical spirit
of "Alice in Wonderland" or to Mozart's childish lightness.
The plays are always directed towards the child in every one of us. But
they also address the wisdom and maturity that is present in every
child. The theatre's musicality is many-sided. It transcends every play
and finds itself not only in the sound of the orchestra and the actors'
singing, but also in their every dance movement, gesture or arabesque,
in every prosaic dialogue, in the visual art of scenery and
costume-making.
Over its nine-year period of existence, the theatre has staged more
than 20 plays. The theatre uses the works of generally accepted masters,
like J.S. Bach, Mozart, Donizetti, Shostakovich and Stravinsky, and also
of our contemporaries, like Banevich, Petrova, Vysotsky, Rogalev,
Podheitz. The creation of author's plays based on great masterpieces of
world literature and instrumental music (like Chaikovsky's
"Children's Album", "The Shepherd and the
Chimney-sweep" and "Christmas Mystery" based on J.S.
Bach's music), is the theatre's specialty.
"Zazerkalye" has a steady reputation of one of St.
Petersburg's most visited theatres. Its plays have been awarded at
numerous festivals and contests. "The Snuff-box City" by S.
Banevich, "Children's Album" by P.I Chaikovsky, "Noah's
Ark" by B. Britten and "Finist the Bright-eyed Falcon" by
I. Rogalev were awarded the Association of Theatre Workers of the
Russian Federation prize in the "best play of the year"
nomination.
One of the theatre's last stagings is an opera by Gaetano Donizetti
titled "Love Potion" that has not been staged in opera
theatres for over 30 years. It has been awarded the 1996 Golden Sophite,
the highest award of the Association of Theatre Workers of St.
Petersburg in three nominations: "best directing" (A.V.
Petrov), "best conducting" (P.A. Bubelnikov) and "best
female vocal part" (O.A. Pchelintseva). In 1997 E. Akimov has
received the Golden Mask theatre award for his role of Nemorino in the
same play.
In 1996 artistic director A. Petrov and chief conductor P. Bubelnikov
became laureates of the St. Petersburg Government prize for unique
contributions to the development of children's opera art.
The theatre's yearly tours to Moscow (1989-1993), its participation
in national and international festivals (Orenburg 1991, Pskov 1992,
Samara 1995, Kostomuksha 1996) have always been highly evaluated by
public and the media. In 1993 the theatre's troupe has visited Lubeck,
Germany while the city was celebrating its 850th anniversary. During the
same year the theatre has carried out a staging of G. Menotti's opera
"The Medium" in co-operation with the Boston Operafest troupe,
performed in the U.S. and in St. Petersburg, on the stage of the
Hermitage theatre.
