The Nizhny Novgorod Theater of Opera and Ballet named after A.S. Pushkin presented the premiere of the theatrical concert "The Flying Ship."

      The Nizhny Novgorod Theater of Opera and Ballet named after A.S. Pushkin, in collaboration with the Nizhny Novgorod Russian Folk Orchestra named after V.A. Kuznetsov, presented the premiere of the theatrical concert "The Flying Ship." The premiere took place on the stage of the concert warehouse under the direction of conductor Boris Skhirtladze. This was reported by the Ministry of Culture of the Nizhny Novgorod Region. "The Flying Ship" became the third theatrical concert for children and adults in the repertoire of the Nizhny Novgorod Theater of Opera and Ballet after "The Bremen Town Musicians" and "Mary Poppins." This time, the musical family production tells a story about dreams, freedom, and the power of imagination.

      The uniqueness of this production is its unconventional approach to storytelling. The action of the performance unfolds in the magical swamp of the Water Spirit. He becomes the main storyteller of the well-known tale, while his loyal "friends - leeches and frogs" act as the performers. Right before the audience's eyes, the swamp inhabitants transform into familiar fairy tale characters, using elements of costumes and their own imagination.

      This stage concept of "The Flying Ship" was proposed by director Ekaterina Yelistratova, who joined the theater's team in 2025. "The Flying Ship" became Ekaterina Yelistratova's first major work in the theater. Prior to this, she worked as an invited assistant director in productions by Elizaveta Moroz, "The Triumph of Time and Disappointment" and "That's How All Women Do."

      "It is difficult to claim originality, but at the same time, it is doubly pleasant to engage with this material and try to come up with our own interpretation. We tried to look at the well-known story from a different perspective, but what remained unchanged in our version was 'Good has triumphed again...' as sung in the final song. Moreover, we tried to involve the audience in the performance, making it more interesting for them, so they felt part of what was happening," noted the director of the theatrical concert "The Flying Ship," Ekaterina Yelistratova.

      The musical foundation of the performance consists of songs by Maxim Dunaevsky to the lyrics of Yuri Entin, which have been inspiring faith in miracles for audiences of all ages for almost half a century. In addition to the well-known works from childhood from the animated film, the program of the theatrical concert included several numbers from the eponymous musical by Maxim Dunaevsky and the suite "Russian Nursery Rhymes" by Vadim Bibergan.

      "It is symbolic that the music for the fairy tale 'The Flying Ship' is performed by our orchestra. After all, 'The Flying Ship' is a Russian folk tale, and we added arrangements of Russian folk music to the production. Additionally, we use traditional Russian folk musical instruments. All this adds a special Russian flavor to this performance," said the conductor of "The Flying Ship," chief conductor of the Nizhny Novgorod Russian Folk Orchestra named after V.A. Kuznetsov, Boris Skhirtladze.

      It should be noted that the vocal parts in the theatrical concert "The Flying Ship" are performed by various ensembles of soloists from the Nizhny Novgorod Theater of Opera and Ballet. During the premiere days, the stage featured honored artist of the Russian Federation Sergey Perminov, Evgeny Fan, Tatyana Ivashchenko, Viktor Ryauzov, Tatyana and Daria Harkushovy, Sergey Pisarev, Anastasia Mashkovtseva, Nadezhda Maslova, Kirill Loginov, Alexey Doronin, and Rebekah Gromazina.

      The next performances of the theatrical concert "The Flying Ship" will take place at the concert warehouse on March 20 at 19:00, March 21 at 11:00, April 3 at 19:00, and April 4 at 13:00. Detailed information about the production can be found on the theater's website: https://operann.ru. Tickets for the performance are available, including through the "Pushkin Card."

      Let us remind you that the "Pushkin Card" program operates within the framework of the national project "Family," which started in Russia in 2025 at the initiative of President Vladimir Putin. Any citizen of Russia aged 14 to 22 can obtain a virtual card through the State Services app. The card limit is 5,000 rubles, which is renewed every year on January 1. The money can be spent on visiting museums, theaters, exhibitions, concerts, and cinemas across the country. The event schedule is available on the website: Культура.РФ. In 2026, the operator bank servicing the "Pushkin Card" changed in all regions of Russia.