The Bremen Town Musicians January 21, 2011

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College will partner with independent theater promoter Anton Krylov to present the American premiere of "Бременские музыканты" ("The Bremen Town Musicians"), a Russian musical from Moscow. Adapted from the enormously popular Soviet cartoon based on the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, this family-friendly musical will be presented on Friday, January 21, 2011 at 7:00pm and Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 12:00pm and 6:00pm. "The Bremen Town Musicians" is performed in Russian, with no English language translation provided.

The tale of the Bremen Town Musicians has been beloved by Russian children since 1969, when the story was adapted by Vasily Livanov as a full-length animated television movie in Russia. This was followed by an animated sequel, “Following the Bremen Town Musicians,” featuring the voice of internationally-acclaimed baritone Muslim Magomeav, and a live stage show called “The Troubadour and his Friends,” which starred Michail Boyarskii in the lead role.

The story follows the adventures of The Troubadour, a handsome wandering minstrel who is accompanied by his friends Donkey, Dog, Cat and Rooster. When the King’s daughter falls in love with The Troubadour and runs off with the troupe, mayhem ensues. But as in any fairy tale, true love wins out and everyone lives happily ever after. Russian audiences will recognize the famous ballad “There is Nothing Better in this World.” The show is produced by Triumph, Moscow (Ilshat Gataulin, Artistic Director and Dennis Saypeev, Managing Director) and features music by Genadii Gladkov, lyrics by Yuri Entin, and a libretto by Vasily Livanov and Yuri Entin. The production, which has been running in Moscow for three years, is staged by honoured artist of Russia Boris Boreiko.