Among the many theaters of the capital for children there is one special one. This is the first temple of art in the world where children are shown opera and ballet. It was discovered in the last century by Natalia Sats, an amazing woman with a difficult fate. She is no longer in the world, but the institution is still functioning. Now it bears her name. About the Sats Musical Theater and its founder our article.
Who is Natalya Sats
Natasha was born in the Siberian city of Irkutsk. Her parents were creative people: mother - an opera singer, father - a composer. It was he who predetermined the fate of his eldest daughter, having connected her with music and theater as a child. In Siberia, little Natasha lived only one year, as her family moved to the capital. The father of the family worked at the Art Theater, was friends with many celebrities. Konstantin Stanislavsky, Evgeny Vakhtangov, Sergey Rachmaninov - all these people have been familiar to Natasha since childhood, as they were regulars in her house.
The girl began to work with fifteen, heading the children's sector of the theater and music department of the Moscow City Council. It was Natasha who initiated the appearance of the first children's theater in Moscow: she found a place, money, opportunities. Starting from the twenties of the last century for seventeen years, she was the permanent leader of the
Moscow Theater for Children (later it was renamed Central). His symbol was the Blue Bird. It is located above the Sats Musical Theater to this day. This figure was chosen by Natalia herself, and it is no coincidence. Her father wrote music for the play by Maurice Meterlink, who was walking at the Art Theater in those years. It was called the Blue Bird.
Under Natalia Ilyinichna, the children's theater was an incredible success, it was even invited to tour abroad, which was rare at the time. Natalya also worked as a guest director abroad, for example, in Berlin. And in 1937, everything collapsed. Natasha was arrested as the wife of a “traitor to the motherland”. She spent five years in the Gulag camps, and after her release she did not receive permission to return to the capital. She lived in Alma-Ata, separated from her children. But there Natalia did not stop working. It was thanks to N. Sats that the musical theater appeared in Kazakhstan.
Only at the end of the fifties was she rehabilitated allowed to come to the capital. She set to work with renewed vigor. In 1965, the world's first children's musical theater appeared in Moscow. Sats remained its leader until her death in 1993.
Children's Musical Theater. N.I. Sats: the story of creation
As a child, Natasha really wanted to organize such a children's theater, in which kids were taught to understand and love ballet, opera, symphonies. It was not possible to realize the dream right away, I had to prove for a long time that opera and ballet were needed not only by adults. In 1965, the debut performance “Morozko” took place on the stage of the Variety Theater in Moscow, and this November day is considered to be the birthday of the new children's theater, which is now an academic.
At first, the troupe did not have its own corner and clambered over other people's scenes, but the energetic Natalya Ilyinichna was soon able to solve this problem. First, the children's musical theater received premises on Nikolskaya Street, then moved to Vernadsky Avenue, where it is located now. As mentioned above, the symbol of the theater is the Blue Bird. It should be noted that the building was built specifically for the musical theater of Natalia Sats, and she herself took an active part in its design.
The temple of art gained popularity immediately. Already in the first years of work, he successfully toured both in Russia and abroad. Austria and Hungary, France and Italy, Japan and Canada - wherever the troupe has visited! And everywhere the performances of the children's musical theater N. Sats were sold out. This is because both the head of the institution and his troupe unconditionally followed the precept of the great director Stanislavsky, who believed that children should play as adults, only better.
Currently
After the death of Natalia Ilyinichna, the head of the children's musical theater was Viktor Provorov. He continued the work of the founder. So, “The Thumbelina”, recognized as the best children's performance of the capital, was staged under him. Many of the productions performed at that time are still in the theater’s repertoire.
The last seven years, its leader is Georgy Isahakyan. Each season, the troupe under his leadership releases premieres. Theater performances are now designed for the most tender age - for kids from three years old. Of course, this does not mean that older children in the Children's Musical Theater. Sats nothing to do. There is also a very rich selection of performances for teenagers, and many parents say that they themselves enjoy watching beautiful performances. The building was thoroughly renovated. Now there are two scenes. One hall has more than a thousand seats, the other seats about three hundred spectators. In addition, for seven years a children's studio has been operating at the theater, and anyone can enter it.
Decor
Children's Musical Theater. Sats is unique not only in that it is the first in the world, but also in its internal design. The magic of design begins at the entrance - there guests are met by heroes of Alexander Pushkin's fairy tales on bas-reliefs and treble clefs instead of door handles. And above the foyer are hanging bridges, from where the children are greeted by the heroes of their favorite works. Nearby is the incredible beauty of a rotunda with an aviary for birds. The theater founder, who believed that birds are the best singers, loved them very much. The rotunda is decorated with magnificent panels of famous Russian artists.
Huge aquariums accompany the audience on the way to the upper foyer, which houses a variety of sculptures and unusual plants. It is here that musicians often go out to chat with visitors and tell them something interesting about the instruments. In the same lobby is an exhibition of children's drawings. She works constantly, and anyone can become her participant. Many children leave their work here during the intermission. For their creativity, there are specially chairs and a table with the necessary accessories.
Near the upper foyer is a fabulous room made in the form of a Palekh casket. On human growth plates, one can see scenes from various performances: Ruslana and Lyudmila, Romeo and Juliet, The Little Mermaid and many others. There is also a conservatory with a buffet in which there is a sculpture of a mother with a child. On the sideboard walls are painted forests and fields with diverse fauna.
Parents sending a child to the room alone and remaining to wait for him in the lobby will not be bored either. For them, a large television screen hangs in the lobby, which broadcasts the performance. Thus, adults can see the production without being present in the hall. There are also kiosks in the lower foyer where various music books and records with performances are sold.
The repertoire of the musical theater named after N.I. Sats
As already mentioned, the performances in this temple of Melpomene are designed for a variety of ages - from three years and above. And the genres of productions here are also diverse. These are operas, ballets, and symphony concerts. The premieres of this season are the performances “Aelita” (ballet), “Moydodyr” (opera for the youngest), “Masquerade” (ballet), “The Night Before Christmas” (opera). In addition, other equally spectacular performances are in the theater: “Snow White”, “The Wizard of the Emerald City”, “The Ugly Duckling”, “Twelve Months”, “Carmen”, “Cat's House”, “Swan Lake”, “Son shelf ”,“ Sherlock Holmes ”and many others.
Poster
All the above premieres can be seen at the Sats Children's Musical Theater in December. In addition, at the very beginning of the month, on the fourth day, a very interesting event will be held - a gala concert with the participation of the world ballet dancers “Petipa and the New Time”. It is dedicated to the bicentenary of the birth of Marius Petipa.
In addition, in the last month of this year, everyone will be able to enjoy such wonderful theater productions as The Lord of the Flies, Thumbelina, The Persistent Tin Soldier, Madame Butterfly, The Snow Queen, Noah's Ark, and Morozko " and others. Even on December 31, the theater will open its doors to spectators. Kids and their parents will be shown the Nutcracker. Tickets for performances cost from 100 rubles to 2000, which depends on the number of the series.
Location
The building of the Sats Musical Theater is located on Vernadsky Avenue. House number is five. To get to the institution using public transport, you can first take the metro. Then you will need to get off at the Universitet station, and then take two stops on the trolleybus.
Reviews
About Sats Musical Theater, most of the reviews are positive. Parents note that the children really like the atmosphere of the institution. Many say that their children reviewed the entire repertoire several times (for their age). People write about the friendly theater staff, good audibility and visibility in the auditorium, affordable prices. Viewers also note the beautiful scenery, live music and a wonderful play of actors. Many people buy books at the theater and believe that their cost is quite acceptable. Parents especially emphasize the fact that their restless children calmly and with unquenching interest watch the play, even if it lasts about two hours.
Interesting Facts
We offer a selection of interesting facts about the N. Sats Theater and its creator:
- Natalia Ilyinichna composed many libretto herself.
- The world's first symphonic tale "Peter and the Wolf" was written by Sergei Prokofiev along with Natalia.
- It’s not the bell that calls for the performance of the guests, but the music of Ilya Sats for The Blue Bird.
- In front of the theater is a monument to its founder.
- The first performance of Natalia on the stage took place at the age of one.
- The opening of the children's theater on Vernadsky Avenue took place on the International Year of the Child.
Residents of Moscow and the region have a huge choice of where to take their child. But to visit the musical theater named after Natalia Sats is a must.