AN ORDINARY STORY
The Peter Tchaikovsky National Musical Academy, Kyiv Symphony Orchestra, and Choir conducted by Roger McMerrin staged the popular musical West Side Story . Mr. McMerrin also acted as the play's producer. He invited Ian Polster (USA) to conduct the performance. In this specific genre, requiring vocal and choreographic skills, the main burden was, of course, on the cast made up exclusively of Musical Academy and Theatrical Institute students. Against the background of sparse stage props they played out the story of Tony and Maria, a 20th century Romeo and Juliet, whose love is born amidst the hatred of two warring street gangs. The dramatically simple plot and melodious score made it conquer the world at one time. The Ukrainian students sought to convey at least some of that special Broadway spirit present in every top-class musical. The audience responded quite favorably, yet some of the scenes obviously lacked planning and coordination, and the same was true of vocal parts and accompaniment. This and the stage props selected by the surplus principle were further evidence that outside the United States any attempt to stage a genuine modern musical is doomed.
Strange as it may seem, West Side Story , being quite exotic for Ukraine, has a stage history in Kyiv. Says Yevheniya Huliakyna, Associate Professor (Drama) at the Theatrical Institute, stage director of the current and member of the cast of the previous production:
«It was first staged twenty-five years back at the Theatrical Institute by Iryna Molostova with her graduation class. Of course, at the time it was interpreted as a story about the life of white and black Americans, about wealth and poverty. Its success would be remembered for years after. Some black students came and, as there was hardly standing room left, we found benches for them and seated them in the aisle.»
The Day : How come the production was reduced to the Institute's stage?
Ye.H.: Well, that's another story. It was in 1974, a year marking the peak of Soviet stagnation. At the time there were five officially recognized drama companies in Kyiv and forming a single new one was out of the question. We, the graduation class, wanted to do just that. We invited party, scientific, and cultural functionaries to watch the performance, hoping they would support our initiative. As a result, a couple of black Volgas drove up, some characters got out. We were ready to start and then the electricity was cut off. Iryna Molostova was later summoned to the party central committee and told to forget it. «What you are trying to do is wrong. What is it? A revolt from below?» Well, that was it. And mind you, there wasn't anything political about the production. It was just that any initiative «from downstairs» was taboo at the time. And the local student construction teams [an officially encouraged movement of volunteer construction teams sent to the most important construction sites, paid token money but broadly propagandized as Soviet youth enthusiasm in building socialist paradise — Ed. ] assured us they would pay for our meals for a year until we found the premises for our new theater.
In that first production Bernardo, Tony's antagonist, was played by Anatoly Khostykoiev, currently with the Ivan Franko Ukrainian Drama Company.
The Peter Tchaikovsky National Musical Academy, Kyiv Symphony Orchestra, and Choir conducted by Roger McMerrin staged the popular musical West Side Story . Mr. McMerrin also acted as the play's producer. He invited Ian Polster (USA) to conduct the performance. In this specific genre, requiring vocal and choreographic skills, the main burden was, of course, on the cast made up exclusively of Musical Academy and Theatrical Institute students. Against the background of sparse stage props they played out the story of Tony and Maria, a 20th century Romeo and Juliet, whose love is born amidst the hatred of two warring street gangs. The dramatically simple plot and melodious score made it conquer the world at one time. The Ukrainian students sought to convey at least some of that special Broadway spirit present in every top-class musical. The audience responded quite favorably, yet some of the scenes obviously lacked planning and coordination, and the same was true of vocal parts and accompaniment. This and the stage props selected by the surplus principle were further evidence that outside the United States any attempt to stage a genuine modern musical is doomed.
Strange as it may seem, West Side Story , being quite exotic for Ukraine, has a stage history in Kyiv. Says Yevheniya Huliakyna, Associate Professor (Drama) at the Theatrical Institute, stage director of the current and member of the cast of the previous production:
«It was first staged twenty-five years back at the Theatrical Institute by Iryna Molostova with her graduation class. Of course, at the time it was interpreted as a story about the life of white and black Americans, about wealth and poverty. Its success would be remembered for years after. Some black students came and, as there was hardly standing room left, we found benches for them and seated them in the aisle.»
The Day : How come the production was reduced to the Institute's stage?
Ye.H.: Well, that's another story. It was in 1974, a year marking the peak of Soviet stagnation. At the time there were five officially recognized drama companies in Kyiv and forming a single new one was out of the question. We, the graduation class, wanted to do just that. We invited party, scientific, and cultural functionaries to watch the performance, hoping they would support our initiative. As a result, a couple of black Volgas drove up, some characters got out. We were ready to start and then the electricity was cut off. Iryna Molostova was later summoned to the party central committee and told to forget it. «What you are trying to do is wrong. What is it? A revolt from below?» Well, that was it. And mind you, there wasn't anything political about the production. It was just that any initiative «from downstairs» was taboo at the time. And the local student construction teams [an officially encouraged movement of volunteer construction teams sent to the most important construction sites, paid token money but broadly propagandized as Soviet youth enthusiasm in building socialist paradise — Ed. ] assured us they would pay for our meals for a year until we found the premises for our new theater.
In that first production Bernardo, Tony's antagonist, was played by Anatoly Khostykoiev, currently with the Ivan Franko Ukrainian Drama Company.
Newspaper output №:
№31, (1999)Section
Culture
