The Lyric Theatre/Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC).
The Bolshoi Ballet Company’s last visit to Australia was in 1994. It is now to appear with a full scale tour in Brisbane where it is awaited with growing impatience. All the performances will be at one venue QPAC’s (Queensland Performing Arts Centre) Lyric Theatre. Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland, is one of Australia’s major cities. The organizers are very proud of the ‘exclusive’ nature of this one-off tour and expect up to 24.000 to attend.
BOLSHOI BALLET BRISBANE BOUND for EXCLUSIVE SEASON
In a cultural coup for Brisbane the world renowned Bolshoi Ballet Company will be performing an exclusive season at Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) next year.
The prestigious Russian company will complete a season comprising of 12 performances split between 19th Century classic pirate tale Le Corsiare and light-hearted folk ballet The Bright Stream, two performances never before staged in Australia.
Widely considered as one of the premiere ballet companies in the world, the performance marks the second instalment of the QPAC International Series, which aims to bring the world’s finest performing arts companies exclusively to Brisbane.
Producer Leo Schofield defined the Bolshoi as “one of the great names in performing arts around the world... the epitome of Russian ballet”.
“It is a huge coup for Brisbane, anybody who has the slightest interest in ballet and its history will be heading to Brisbane” said Mr Schofield.
QPAC Chief Executive Officer John Kotzas touted the tourism implications that come with hosting “the biggest brand in ballet.”
“With the Bolshoi here, you’re going to have a fantastic couple of weekends here that you can only get if you travel to Brisbane.”
“[Audiences] will travel, what we’ve known is that if we have the right works and market it well then people will travel interstate.”
The Bolshoi season follows on from the success of the Hamburg Ballet season earlier this year, which saw sell-out performances and an audience close to 17,000. QPAC are expecting even bigger audiences for the Bolshoi season with 24,000 tickets expected to sell-out.
Mitch Parker
Sidney Morning Herald
October 31, 2012
QPAC.
However, for those unable to attend the Brisbane performances there will be free live relays of the ballet Le Corsaire at eight cinemas in eight cities throughout the state.
On 4 June this " swashbuckling 19th century pirate’s tale“, “reflecting the grandeur of imperial Russian ballet” (the second quote comes from producer Leo Schofield), will be screened at the Burdekin Cultural Complex (Ayr), and also Cairns Civic Theatre, Gladstone Entertainment Centre, Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre, Rockhampton Regional Council, Moncrieff Entertainment Centre, The Empire Theatre, Brolga Theatre and Convention Centre and Fraser Coast Regional Council.
LE CORSAIRE
Medora — Maria Alexandrova (May 30, June 1/evening, June 5/evening), Ekaterina Shipulina (May 31, June 2, June 5/matinee), Ekaterina Krysanova (June 1/matinee, June 4)
Conrad — Vladislav Lantratov (May 30, June 1/evening, June 5/evening), Mikhail Lobukhin (May 31, June 2, June 5/matinee), Ruslan Skvortsov (June 1/matinee, June 4)
Gulnare — Nina Kaptsova (May 30, June 1/evening, June 4, June 5/evening), Kristina Kretova (May 31, June 1/matinee, June 2, June 5 /matinee)
Birbanto — Vitaly Biktimirov (May 30, June 1/matinee & evening, June 4, June 5/evening), Denis Savin (May 31, June 2, June 5/matinee)
Pas d’esclaves — Kristina Kretova (May 30, June 4), Anna Tikhomirova (May 31, June 1/evening, June 2, June 5/evening), Chinara Alizade (June 1/matinee, June 5/matinee), Denis Medvedev (May 30, June 1/matinee, June 2, June 5/matinee), Andrei Bolotin (May 31, June 1/evening, June 4, June 5/evening)
Seyd, the Pacha — Alexei Loparevich
Lanquedem — Yegor Simachev
Sоloist-girl in Danse des forbans — Anna Antropova (May 30, June 1/evening, June 4), Anastasia Meskova (May 31, June 2, June 5/evening), Anna Balukova (June 1/matinee, June 5/matinee)
Pas de Trois des Odalisques — Maria Vinogradova, Yulia Grebenshchikova (all the performances), Anna Tikhomirova (May 30, June 1/matinee, June 4, June 5/matinee), Chinara Alizade (May 31, June 1/evening, June 2, June 5/evening)
THE BRIGHT STREAM
Zina — Nina Kaptsova (June 7, June 8/evening), Ekaterina Krysanova (June 8/matinee, June 9)
Pyotr — Михаил Лобухин (June 7, June 8/evening), Денис Савин (June 8/matinee, June 9)
Balerina — Maria Alexandrova (June 7, June 8/evening), Ekaterina Shipulina (June 8/matinee, June 9)
Ballet Dancer — Ruslan Skvortsov (June 7, June 8/evening), Vladislav Lantratov (June 8/matinee, June 9)
Accordionist — Denis Savin (June 7), Denis Medvedev (June 8/matinee & evening, June 9)
Old Dacha Dweller — Alexei Loparevich (June 7, June 8/evening, June 9), Alexander Petukhov (June 8/matinee)
Anxious-to-be-younger-than-she-is Dacha Dweller — Anastasia Vinokur (June 7, June 8/evening, June 9), Anna Antropova (June 8/matinee)
Galya — Xenia Pchelkina
Gavrilych — Yegor Simachev (June 7, June 8/matinee & evening), Alexander Petukhov (June 9)
The Bolshoi performances will be accompanied by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.