On the 31st of May and on the 1st of June in the “Andreas and Maria Kalokairinou” hall at the Cultural and conference center in Iraklion, Crete, the Sofia Opera ballet troupe will tour with two performances of “Zorba the Greek”.
The piece brings together two exceptional people who turn Nikos Kazantzakis’ novel of Alexis Zorbas’ life into a worldwide ballet hit: composer Mikis Theodorakis and choreographer Lorca Massine.
Starring: Frederico Pinto (Zorba), Tsetso Ivanov (John), Marta Petkova (Marina), Nikola Hadzhitanev (Manolios), Charlotte Berard (Madam Ortans) and the Sofia Opera corps de ballet.
Choreographer Lorca Massine was present at the “Zorba the Greek” performance which the Sofia Opera ballet presented in Iraklion, Crete.
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A couple years after the ballet’s premiere in 1988: a grand show featuring Mikis Theodorakis’ score and Lorca Massine’s choreography at the “Arena di Verona” festival, the ballet was performed on the 12th of May, 1995, on the NDK stage (by invitation from Plamen Kartaloff); to this day, “Zorba the Greek” is a mainstay in the Sofia Opera and Ballet’s repertoire, for over thirty years now. The performance attracts hundreds of exalted fans not only to the Sofia Opera but also to the open summer stages; it also captivates audiences during the Sofia Opera’s international tours.
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On the 6th of June, our national troupe will also present “Zorba the Greek” in Stara Zagora, keeping the same ensemble as the one taking part in the international tour. This is an exchange of visits which allows ballet fans to see titles not featured in the two theaters’ respective repertoires. Just two months ago, on the 8th of April, the Stara Zagora ensemble presented its new production of “Coppelia” by Leo Delibes in Sofia.
This year’s performances of “Zorba the Greek” are dedicated to the 100th anniversary of composer Mikis Theodorakis’ birth and the 30th anniversary of the ballet’s premiere in Bulgaria.
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After these performances, the Sofia Opera ballet troupe will continue preparing for the summer season. Ballet fans will be able to see their favorite artists on the open summer stage at Pancharevo Lake. The “Muses on the Water” festival begins on the 11th of July with a series of seven ballet performances of the “Swan Lake” ballet by P.I. Tchaikovsky followed by performances of the newest addition to the Sofia Opera ballet repertoire: “Romeo and Juliet” by Sergei Prokofiev, from the 26th of July to the 5th of August.
Tickets are already on sale at the Sofia Opera ticket box and online at operasofia.bg.