Regional selections

03.05.2017

Where does the NuclearKids Project begin? With the gathering of participants or with the first rehearsal of the performance? Or maybe with the approval of the script and writing music? No! The project starts with the selection of participants.
Every spring, by tradition, Pavel Pronin, the project coordinator, takes a video camera and goes on a long tour to all Russian nuclear cities to be the first to see those kids who dream of becoming a part of the new summer musical.
This year, the ninth NucKids Project began to break records even before the official summer start. This time to prepare for the upcoming anniversary the hosts decided to expand the map of regional selections to 20 Russian cities. Novovoronezh, Zheleznogorsk, Seversk, Krasnokamensk, Angarsk, Zarechny, Kurchatov, Udomlya, Chelyabinsk to name but a few. And if you take into account that the whole region actually came to the casting in a particular city, then you realize with delight what a huge area of coverage the project has.
Hundreds of kids all over the country start preparing for auditions at the beginning of spring. Regional auditions are not easy. Any candidate for the NucKids Project will tell you that. It’s all in the best traditions of auditions for theater universities. Each child is required to demonstrate the abilities in acting, vocal and dancing skills. No exceptions! Everyone understands that the musical, which will be staged in the summer, is one of the most complex genres of theater art and young artists should be ready to work in all artistic fields.
Yet, the regional selections for the project are not as stressful and complicated as it may seem at first glance. Pavel Pronin, the project coordinator, talks to each child and learns the teenagers’ preferences in cinema, literature and music. Such a survey allows the project hosts to understand what modern children like, how their tastes and views on life are changing. “I must admit that I have watched The Hunger Games, The Fault in Our Stars, and many other teen melodramas a long time ago. But the kids never cease to amaze me! There are children who like detective movies based on out-fashioned book series, just like I do!” Pavel admits.
For many kids casting for the NucKids Project is not just an opportunity to show their talents, but also a chance to fulfill their dreams. After all, it is very difficult to get to the project! For the last few years, about a thousand children from all over the country participate in regional selections, and only 50 of them become project participants. So it turns out that there are 20 people per place! However, such difficulties only encourage the children at the casting.
“I really liked the casting. It is not scary and not at all difficult. I just went on stage and showed what I can do. I really want to be in the project and join the family. I watched the musicals of past years and wanted to do the exact same thing. I wanted to be a part of it. I dream that in August we will be one team on stage and play the best show ever!”
Kulikova Katya from Moscow
Finally, the regional selections come to their completion. Pavel Pronin returns from his tour, the cast participants can relax, but not for long. The audition results are just around the corner. We are about to know the names of the lucky ones able to prove to the creative team that they are the ideal actors for the future musical. While the project itself is ready to jump. The premiere is just over three months away.
Lev Suslov,
Specially for nuckids.ru