In the musical, the best 6-7 ten sound. music based on jazz traditions, which nostalgically transfers to a fun satire of the pre-war American criminal world colored by retro colors.
The story begins in 1929. St. In the Chicago gangster massacre on Valentine’s Day. They happen to be witnessed by two jazz musicians. To hide from the mafia thugs who are chasing them, the musicians disguise themselves as women and get a job in a women’s jazz orchestra. Here they meet the glamorous singer Sugar Kane, who dreams of marrying a millionaire.
The guys get caught up in the whirlwind of women’s lives and fun secrets. How long will guys be able to hide when half-naked girls are walking around telling the most intimate things? Events begin to unfold in a direction not quite planned for both musicians.
A global phenomenon
The director Andrius Žiaurauskas, speaking about the performance, shares his emotions: “The film “Some Like It Hot”, which appeared on the screens back in 1959, became a global phenomenon. I saw it as a kid and still consider it one of my favorite cult movies. I have no doubt that part of the audience remembers him very well too.
Do you think it is worth seeing the stage version of Only Girls in Jazz? All I can say is that watching this movie again and reading the libretto of the musical Sugar made me laugh again like I did when I was a kid. I guarantee that you will leave our musical with a big smile and a heart full of joy!”
Musical director and conductor Julius Geniušas talks about the musical as follows: “Sugar” is 7-8 ten. – a work of the mature golden age of the musical. The musical style of this musical is closely related to the jazz, swing and big band concert activities of the time. Although the music is somewhat modernized in modern arrangements, the classic big band format has been preserved.
Now there are many jazz orchestras in the world that play both traditional and more modern jazz, so we can talk about a certain revival of this style.
The musical “Sugar” is dominated by an ensemble of wind instruments: three saxophones and clarinets, three trumpets, trombones and horns, and the sound aesthetic recalls the days of Frank Sinatra. I think many people remember the iconic song “I Wanna Be Loved by You” performed by Marilyn Monroe, but the performance will only feature a minute-long musical quote from the original film. The musical is not an attempt to replicate the emotion of the film’s soundtrack – it is a new independent work with a unique musical dramaturgy.”
Nekopijudi Marilyn Monroe
Akvilė Garbenčiūtė, who plays the role of Sugar Kei, says that Sugar is a naive girl who has experienced the wrong behavior of men, but who does not stop believing in miracles and is looking for true love. Faith drives her forward and does not allow her to stop.
“When designing Sugar, I try not to copy Marilyn Monroe, although it’s hard to escape the iconic image when wearing a white peroxide wig. I try to move away from myself and form a new personality, to portray the character as I understand myself, of course, taking into account the director’s comments, and I am constantly looking for the colors of the role.
The role of Sugar is very different from my other musical characters. Although this girl looks naive, she is not modest, she is able to easily get out of uncomfortable situations without offending others, but making them feel guilty”, revealed A. Garbenčiūtė.
Kaunas State Musical Theater photo/Preparation for the premiere of the play “Sugar”.
Marija Arutiunova, another soloist who embodies Sugar Kane, talks about the challenges that arose in the creative process: “My main goal in this performance is to perform delicately and tastefully. There is a fine line in the comedy genre where you can push it a little. A fun new test in this production is choreography. In one of Sugar’s numbers, I fly ballet men on their arms, there are a lot of different lifts. It looks impressive, it’s a lot of fun, but it’s not easy and scary!
And you also want to enjoy the wonderful costumes: one of the dresses is hand-embroidered with almost three thousand Swarovski crystals! It’s fun to look for new colors in myself with each new production, to face challenges, they grow me as a soloist and an actress.”
Soloist Ingrida Kažemėkaitė, speaking about her Sugar, reveals a unique touch to this exceptional character: “My Sugar is not only sweet, optimistic, but also strong, determined, has her own dreams and goals, which she pursues despite difficulties. I try to show Sugar’s inner strength and ability to stay positive even in the most difficult moments. I use humor and charisma to create a warm and memorable character.
I want my Sugar to be as human as possible – with hope shining in her eyes and a desire to find true love. Sugar’s optimism is like a light that illuminates those around her, but beneath her outward charm lies a deep emotional world full of both dreams and disappointments.”
With high heels – from spring
Theater artists, who play men disguised as women, have been walking in high heels in rehearsals since spring. Raimondas Baranauskas, who embodies the characters of Joe and Josephine, says that playing both a man and a woman at the same time is indeed a challenge, but also an interesting experience.
According to the actor, wearing high heels, makeup and dresses will not really create a woman – it is important to look for other ways to authentically convey this role. The aim is not to show a parody, but a realistic and convincing picture.
Martynas Beinaris, who is changing R. Baranauskas, admits: “I won’t hide it, finding femininity in yourself is difficult. When I look at myself in the mirror with a dress, earrings and a wig, it seems that I am not a beautiful woman. But I must discover at least a pinch of femininity, so sometimes I surprise even myself, especially in dances. In the creative process, I had to combine even three different characters – Joe, Josephine and a rich oil tycoon, so I can show myself from different sides. It gives me great creative joy. The whole of this musical is a perfect comedy. For those with a good sense of humor, it will be a real feast.”
Meanwhile, Ramūnas Urbietis, who plays the characters of Jerry and Daphne, admits that he did not take the role of Daphne too seriously.
Kaunas State Musical Theater photo/Preparation for the premiere of the play “Sugar”.
“Playing and fooling around helps you feel comfortable in dresses and high heels. It was strange at first, but over time both my colleagues and I got used to this image. Finding your femininity is a process that allows you to laugh and have a good time. And the genre of the performance allows us to indulge in comedy. I think that the female role of Daphne should reflect Jerry’s male thinking, mentality and weaknesses”, assured the actor.
Soloist Žan Voronov also agrees with his colleagues: “For the role, I had to put up with everything, even the “harassment” of my naive Daphne character on stage. Nevertheless, Daphne is very interesting and fun. In terms of the ‘friendship’ of these disguises, Daphne is closer to my personality – fun, witty and I’m excited to play her.”
In more than a year – 505 performances
The musical Sugar first premiered on Broadway at the Majestic Theater in 1972 and was a huge success, running for 505 performances over a year. The musical’s appeal and success is evidenced by the fact that new versions of Sugar return to the Broadway stage every few decades.
This musical is staged in Lithuania for the first time.
The musical by the composer Jule Styne, the author of the play Peter Stone and the creator of the lines Bob Merrill is staged by the director A. Žiurauskas, who also translated the libretto into Lithuanian.
Giedrė Brazytė created the scenography of the performance, Emilija Gutauskaitė designed the iconic costumes and make-up, and Aleksandras Jankauskas and Gintaras Visockis created the choreography of various styles – jazz dances, tap scenes. They are supported by a huge team of creators and performers: theater soloists, choir, ballet artists, and a theater orchestra take part in the performance.
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2024-10-04 14:53:26
