Any ambitious director seeks to stage a performance with original content. The theaters saw numerous productions of the story that “there is no sadder thing in the world”, so Ilya Averbukh had no idea to simply transfer the play to the ice arena. The ice performance "Romeo and Juliet" in his production is an unexpected look at this tragic story. Averbukh makes an attempt to convey to the viewer his understanding of this beautiful, gentle and eternal theme of love, casting doubt on the ending of the play.
Averbukh's thoughts about the ice show
About how the ice show "Romeo and Juliet" (ice skating) was created, Ilya Averbukh shared in his interviews. He saw a picture of the performance that was always in his head after a wonderful rental of the Carmen ice show. He even saw leading actors for a future performance. Ilya understood that sooner or later that scenario would be created that would captivate. And when everything turned out, he shared his thoughts with colleagues and skaters who participated in the ice shows.
According to Ilya Averbukh, the plot of Shakespeare is set for so much time, because it is crystal clear built and dramatic art is clearly built in it. You just need to see and read this work in your own way. His vision is not a "cover version" of ballet performances, but practically a reprint and some rethinking of the original Shakespearean work. We can say that his plot is only the starting point of Averbukh's imagination.
Lorenzo in the foreground
Writing a script for an ice story, taking all the work completely, is difficult. That is why the Averbukh ice show "Romeo and Juliet" received its interpretation. For example, the image of Lorenzo, which was brilliantly performed by Alexei Tikhonov, is secondary in Shakespeare, but Ilya brought him to the fore. The whole performance begins with the history of his self-digging. Lorenzo blames himself that his plan to unite two loving hearts was not thought out enough, and considers himself an indirect culprit of their death. He agreed to help Romeo and Juliet only because he remembers his beloved. Lorenzo (Alexei Tikhonov) not only speaks, but also rides, reads poetry. He's just gorgeous.
Additional character
The second emphasis in the ice show "Romeo and Juliet" Ilya Averbukh makes an imaginary curse, sounded from the lips of Mercutio. Ilya introduces a new character into the play, which is absent in the original work. On the ice appears a real brightly illuminated image of the Plague, which was performed by Oksana Domnina. This Plague - a woman in red, the embodiment of evil and temptation - makes Tybalt lose his mind, and interferes with the embodiment of the plan of assistance to Lorenzo. Romeo takes poison from her hands.
Cast selection
Ilya is a good organizer, producer and director. He finds each his own image that fits well. Ilya Averbukh has known many skaters for a number of years and understands what images it is easier for them to try on for themselves and play them. Therefore, the actors he selected for the play "Romeo and Juliet" were actually in their places and were woven into the outline of the play. The show has involved over 100 people. Among them are eminent world figure skaters who completed sports performances, ice ballet dancers, dancers, singers of famous musicals, musicians, as well as technical and creative staff of the project.
Famous Olympians in the play
The performance is attended by figure skaters - champions of the Olympic Games of different years. The roles of Romeo and Juliet are perfectly performed by Marinin and Totmyanina, who were a couple in figure skating and brought a gold medal from Turin.
It was on these two main characters that Averbukh had the most questions. It was Tatyana and Maxim who were able to show the images of such young people who dance, don’t ride, but live each movement on ice. Everyone fell into his own character. Families of skaters brilliantly play the roles of families in the play: Albena Denkova and Maxim Stavinsky in the image of the Montecki family; Marina Drobyazko and Povelas Vaganes in the images of the Capulet family.
Tatyana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov were invited to the play in the role of the princely family of Verona. Choosing a role for Alexei Yagudin, Averbukh understood that Romeo would be difficult to play Alexei, but Mercutio is his character. The role of Tybalt in the ice performance "Romeo and Juliet" is Roman Kostomarov. Patrice is played by Olympic champion Ilya Kulik.
Scenery for the performance
Decorations in the style of the Middle Ages were prepared for the fully written script. A great merit in their preparation belongs to the artist-decorator Nina Kobiashvili. The main accents in the grandiose ice musical of I. Averbukh “Romeo and Juliet” are made on certain compositions of the scenery. This is a stained glass window, which is very characteristic of cathedrals, and a staircase that separates the warring families and at the same time serves as a connecting link. Viewers see that she is depicted as a dagger.
The balcony with a window into Juliet's room is the decoration of the Capulet house, and the stage for singers and musicians, located on the opposite side, is the house of Montecca. A monumental organ is at the center of this whole composition.
Ice show music
Ilya Averbukh in his interview for the press told how difficult it was to combine the music of different composers in the play in order not to turn musical compositions into vinaigrette. During sports, many skaters used Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky musical compositions in their programs.
Short variations of sports programs are very consonant with ice. And such works, says Ilya, provide a good fulcrum for one’s own improvisation, one’s own vision.
For several years, Ilya Averbukh collaborates with Roman Ignatiev, whose music sounds in Russian musicals. The joint work in the performances "City Lights" and "Carmen" continued in the work on the ice show. In the play "Romeo and Juliet" sounds music Prokofiev. In the version of the show, it sounds during the performance of the dance of Tatyana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov as a visit to the Prince of Verona, which calls on everyone to truce. The play contains a lot of classical Bach music, as well as musical compositions by Roman Ignatiev. Just one music complements another. In general, Ilya Averbukh believes that everything worked out.
Backstage work
In the play, a supporting role is behind the scenes. The employees of the Ice Palace and the technical staff of the ice show must work synchronously. In order for the performance to play with bright fantastic colors, it is necessary to correctly set up scenes, sound and light, which plays an important role in such a special effect as the interweaving of fire and rain, unexpectedly spilling on the ice.
Correct work of scenery and movement of ice ballet dancers creates an atmosphere of the scene. For all this, it is necessary to hone every movement of all the participants of this grand show during rehearsals. An important role is played by costume designers who prepared all the necessary costumes and helped to change them not only to the skaters, but also to the singers.
Features of the show "Romeo and Juliet"
In the new ice show, Ilya Averbukh used interesting features that were not previously seen in his productions. Why are there only special effects about which charmed spectators write in their reviews about the ice show "Romeo and Juliet" (in Moscow) on social networks.
Fire, rain and smoke accompany the performances of the heroes of the play. Also in the performance were introduced circus unique numbers and spectacular elements of the show of lights, figured acrobatics on ice and real fencing on ice skates played with unexpected colors. Moreover, fencing is not a simple wave of swords. Olympic champions Alexei Yagudin and Roman Kostomarov were trained by Dmitry Ivanov, GITIS fencing teacher. This is a difficult craft, Roman said in an interview, and he needed to take time and learn the basic combinations. It is very difficult to skate fencing while being careful not to hurt your "enemy" with a sharp sword. Everything should have looked professional.
The stage decoration of a large organ and the reproduced musical melody created the effect of a real organ in the audience, since the method of simultaneous sounding of a phonogram and an orchestra was used. Ilya Averbukh resorted to an interesting method of “story in a story” when he introduced Lorenzo into the script as the main storyteller.
First performance rental
The premiere of the performance “Romeo and Juliet” took place on the main arena of the Sochi Olympic Palace Olympic Park Iceberg. Skaters with a new project by Ilya Averbukh came here for a long tour. The tour lasted three months. It’s a great pleasure not only to attend the stunning ice show, where everything shines and sparkles either from special effects, or from a large number of star duets on the ice of the Ice Palace, but also reading reviews of I. Averbukh’s ice performance “Romeo and Juliet”.
Spectators note the charm of skaters, familiar to many from the time of their participation in the Olympics, who went out in the lobby to just talk and find out the opinion of the audience about their performance. In reviews of the performance, one can find admiration for beautiful costumes and chic decorations. Music connoisseurs noted the wonderful sound of the music, they were pleased with the live performance and, of course, captivated the skill of the skaters. Literally in the air, an amazing emotional atmosphere was felt. The result of Sochi's performances was fantastic. Spectators did not leave the audience for a long time, applauding the skaters for the pleasure delivered on the ice show.
Reviews
The ice show "Romeo and Juliet" in Moscow began in October 2017 at the small sports arena in Luzhniki. Viewers were familiar with ice shows and dances in the Ice Age, many saw Ilya Averbukh's previous productions of “The Lights of the Big City” and “Carmen,” so they eagerly awaited something unusual. And their expectations were met. Usually, people react differently to a particular performance, performance or exhibition. Here, everyone unanimously praises Averbukh and his brainchild. Everything is perfect: music, singing, staging, and fairy skating of figure skating stars.
Spectators in Moscow in reviews of the ice show "Romeo and Juliet" highlight the bewitching dance of the Plague (Oksana Domnina), personifying both the demon and death, were impressed by the insertion of aerialists in the show.
Viewers also note such an important element as the musical accompaniment of the entire show. The music was so perfectly matched to each character that it seemed to be written just for him. According to viewers, the ice show of Ilya Averbukh “Romeo and Juliet” is at the moment the best that can be shown on ice, viewers who visited the show write on social networks. There are many solo numbers in the play, and each of them is beautiful in its own way.
Ilya Averbukh's plans
As already mentioned above, Ilya Averbukh is the third performance he released. The first was the "City Lights", which brought success and fell in love with the viewer. After 6 years, the Carmen ice show was set, which was seen by spectators of many cities of Russia. Currently, says Ilya Averbukh, negotiations are underway on the possibility of taking the ice show "Romeo and Juliet" to Verona, according to reviews in Moscow, which the audience liked very much. This project just needs to be taken to the homeland of Montecchi and Capulet.
In St. Petersburg, the skaters did not please the audience for long - from November 16 to November 19, but, as the director assured, the show would come to St. Petersburg in the summer of 2018. Ilya answers with certainty regarding competition in this niche that he currently does not see any obvious competitors. It’s just that each show works in its own niche, and you need to do your job efficiently so that the audience has a desire to come to your productions.