The world-famous classic novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky has been translated into a same-name musical and staged by Andrei Konchalovsky at the Theater of the Musical in Moscow.  The groundbreaking musical incorporates opera and rock opera, as well as folk music and urban romance songs.
The libretto written by Yuri Ryashentsev with the participation of Mark Rozovsky and verses by Yury Ryashentsev was set to the music by Eduard Artemiev. 
The world premiere took place on March 17, 2016, at the Theater of the Musical, Moscow.
 
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The multifaceted and multi-genre music composed by Eduard Artemiev for the rock opera Crime and Punishment is “about the human and for the human in the cosmic, in-depth understanding of our earthly existence”, according to him. Created more than 35 years ago, it was embodied in a psychologically verified and accurate stage production by the world-famous director Andrei Konchalovsky. The creative tandem Artemiev - Konchalovsky and poet Yury Ryashentsev repeatedly attempted to stage this large-scale production in different theaters of the world. Their production ideas attracted great attention but were not implemented on stage. 


“This was an incredibly difficult task. Dostoevsky, like no other Russian classic, gives a ground for the modern musical expression”, - Yuri Ryashentsev pointed out.
“This is a tough stage production about the price of life and the victorious power of love. The love for God and human love”, - the art director of the Moscow Theater of Musical, Mikhail Shvydkoi, mentioned.

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For this unique demanding musical, a large-scale casting was carried out throughout Russia. Andrei Konchalovsky needed “outstanding musical talents to perform the parts that are highly complex”. For example, about 1,500 girls claimed the role of Sonya Marmeladova. Finally, the all-Russian casting revealed new stars of the Russian musical with unique voices and phenomenal plasticity: Maria Biork (the winner of the Golden Mask Award for the role of Sonya), Galina Bezruk, Alexander Bobrov, Alexander Kazmin, and others. Altogether, the stage production involves more than 60 performers.

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Foreign experts were also engaged in the production of the rock opera Crime and Punishment: stage designer Matt Deely from the UK; production choreographer Yuri Posokhov and choreographer Quinn Wharton from the USA. The scenery after the sketches by Matt Deely, a recognized master of stage design, was made in the same workshop that produced the scenery for the film Harry Potter in England. The scenery was initially engineered mobile so that it could be used on another stage or in a touring version.

The musical employs the most advanced multimedia technologies, which enable to project dynamic images onto any moving object. In total, the performance involves 12 projectors. A special tracking system tracks the position of moving scenery and transmits the data obtained about their shape and configuration to the video mapping system. The latter processes the content in real time so that the projection on the scenery is displayed taking into account their location and movement. Such technology has never been used at the Russian theater before. It was used only for staging large-scale shows abroad, such as Madonna’s concerts or Cirque du Soleil performances, for instance.
Where: the Theater of Musical at the address 2, Pushkin Square, Moscow.
When: every day from November 5 to 11, 2018.