Moscow. The Final Premiers.

20.08.2016

If you ask any participant of the NucKids Project what the most important, responsible and significant premiere is for them, they will answer without hesitation that it is, of course, the Moscow premiere.

This year the newly built, fashionable theater Helikon-Opera under the direction of Dmitry Bertman People’s Artist of Russia proposed to host the “atomic” artists. This theater impressed all the participants of the project and the entire creative team with its scale and incredible beauty. A huge hall in the form of an amphitheater, a multifunctional stage, a spacious hall, a unique interior and atmosphere – all this will always remain in the memory of our kids.

 The task before the children was not simple at all. Firstly, they had to realize that this is the most important premiere. After all, the most important guests come to the Moscow performance: businesspersons, employees of ROSATOM State Atomic Energy Corporation, famous actors and directors, as well as many journalists from the most famous media sources of the capital. All this means that the kids have to do their best and show their creative abilities and talents in all their glory.

Secondly, the project participants need to estimate their abilities correctly. Traditionally, NucKids gives several performances in Moscow. This year the musical Imagineers of the XXI Century was shown to the Moscow audience three times: August 18th at 19:00 and August 19th at 15:00 and 19:00. This not only gives everyone an opportunity to attend the performance, but also gives all the young artists a unique chance to perform on the stage of the Helikon-Opera.

Finally, Moscow is the final point in the touring schedule of the NucKids2016 Project. The premiere in the capital is the last chance to play this performance with this cast. Participants will not have such an opportunity ever again. On the one hand, it is sad, because very soon the kids will go to their atomic cities and cherish these summer memories. On the other hand, it is incredibly awesome, because the last show is a chance to inspire the audience, to give their best on stage and to prove to Moscow that the children of nuclear workers are infinitely talented, driven and incredibly cool!

The day of the first Moscow premiere has come at last. On August 18th, the kids who know the musical Imagineers of the XXI Century by heart are already preparing in their dressing rooms for the performance. They are putting on make-up and costumes, warming up and checking microphones. Meanwhile, people from various spheres of Moscow life gather at the Helikon-Opera: the project’s management welcomes their colleagues, acting teachers meet their classmates from theater schools, former participants of the project look forward to seeing what their successors will show on stage, and the children, at the same time, excitedly meet their parents and prepare them for an incredible performance.

Moscow performances are special also because many children are playing their roles for the last time. The casts are written in such a way that all the young artists will be able to go on the capital’s stage and show what they are capable of. That is why every premiere at the Helikon-Opera was played as if it were the last time. And one could feel it in the acting, the atmosphere on the stage, the burning eyes of the project participants, and, of course, the applause of the audience.

The first Moscow premiere was no exception to this rule. The audience was not distracted from the action for a minute, the kids were getting a thrill on stage, and the members of the creative team were watching the young artists with approval. At the end of the performance there was so much applause that it became clear to everyone: Moscow is absolutely happy to see Nuclear Kids.

“The first Moscow premiere has been played! I am so excited! Everything was just incredible! Today, in my opinion, we succeeded in everything we had planned together with the director and choreographer. I really liked the way we did the finale today: it was really sensual, emotional and atmospheric!”

Stefanie Mullerova, 17 years old from the Czech Republic

August 19th was probably the most difficult day of the whole project for all the participants. Our young artists had to perform two performances in one day! And that’s not counting dress rehearsals and run-throughs. The adults were very afraid that our kids would get tired of such overload and that two premieres in one day was too hard. However, the “atomic children” managed to convince all the spectators that they are capable of playing two, three, and all five performances! Because the atmosphere and dedication that the project participants demonstrated conquered Moscow.

The afternoon performance was the very first for some of the project participants. On August 19th at 15:00 many kids went on stage for the first time in one role or another. As a person who sat in the audience, I can tell you with certainty that the children played perfectly. Especially all the audience remembered Sevilla Saryeva, who played the main female role. She amazed the audience not only with her sensual and refined performance, but also with her incredible vocals, which stunned to the ground.

This is how we approached the main premiere of the musical NucKids 2016. All participants, all members of the creative team were waiting for this evening with bated breath. It is time for the final performance, the final show of the musical Imagineers of the XXI Century. By tradition, the author of the project idea, choreographer and teachers gathered everyone 10 minutes before the beginning of the show to give them a final cheer. Many inspiring and warm words were said, but especially memorable were the words of Sergei Novikov:

“Forget that you once played this musical. Everything that has happened up to today can be considered rehearsals or run-throughs. Today is your main premiere. Because you will not have another chance to play this part. Live it and show everyone what you can do!”

There are many, long and very beautiful words to say about this last performance. However, I will say that it was the best musical the kids have shown ever and anywhere this year. Perhaps it was because the children finally realized that this was their last premiere. The kids felt themselves as one team, one organism; they proved to the Moscow audience that NucKids is more than just a charity project of Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation. NucKids is a family, it is a second home, it is a unique atmosphere, and it is something inexplicable and incredible.

“In fact, it is very difficult to say something about the last Moscow premiere. The capital’s journalists will describe it best. Everyone knows what kind of musicals the participants of the NucKids Project show every year. They are vibrant, exciting, dynamic and simply cool. However, our premiere in Moscow on August 19th was different from the previous ones. We gave 200%, and we lived this performance, because the musical Imagineers of the XXI Century, unfortunately, will never be played again”.

Alexandrov Sergey, 16 years old from Angarsk

The performance is over. Loud applause was heard, the project anthem was played, and all the kids got an extraordinary, perhaps the greatest amount of emotion for the project. The participants have done the impossible: in such a short period, they managed not only to stage an almost professional musical, but, most importantly, they managed to become one big friendly family. I congratulate all the young artists for doing an incredible job.

Lev Suslov,

Specially for nuckids.ru