Uzeyir Hajibayli's operetta staged in Russia

Tatarstan's Sozvezdie-Y?ldizl?k Theatre has successfully demonstrated Uzeyir Hajibayli's operetta "The Cloth Peddler", Azernews reports.

The play was staged as a commemorative evening for Honoured Art Worker of Russia Mikhail Borisov, who heads the Variety Art Department and B.V. Shukin Theatre Directing Department of the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts.

The event took place in the educational centre of the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts in Moscow, Russia.

The troupe members of the theatre, who graduated from GITIS in different years, were students of Mikhail Borisov, who presented one of the best plays staged by the outstanding stage master and director in 2012 with his students.

Head of the Humanitarian Programs Department of the Russian representative office of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Tamilla Ahmadova, made a speech and said that Mikhail Borisov was a great friend of Azerbaijan.

"Mikhail Borisovich has conducted acting courses for young stage performers of Azerbaijan in recent years. We are incredibly happy that the Azerbaijan Drama Theatre is completed with masters who have passed the real school of the great, world-famous Russian theatre. I express my gratitude to Mikhail Borisovich, who always generously shares his talent, knowledge, and skills. We are sure that the director's Azerbaijani students will remember with gratitude the years they studied under his caring leadership," he said.

Tatarstan's Sozvezdie-Y?ldizl?k" Theatre brilliantly demonstrated their musical and acting skills. Every scene and song in the play was greeted with a storm of applause.

The role of Gulchohra was played by Kamila Alasgarova, who was Borisov's favourite student, actress of the Sozvezdie-Yildizl?k theatre, head of the youth section of the regional public organization Azerbaijan National Cultural Autonomy of the Republic of Tatarstan.

"The Cloth Peddler" tells the love story of young Asgar, who wants to get married. He is a rich, successful businessman and has everything he could wish for except for one thing - a lovely wife. However, some old-fashioned traditions do not allow him to choose his own bride.

The plot of the musical comedy was taken from life by the author. So, women in the East have long worn a veil, they were not allowed to appear on the street with an open face. The girls got married, as a rule, at the will of their parents. The groom, in most cases, also saw his bride only after the wedding.

In the 20th century, this tradition began to be criticised. A new generation of young people wanted to get married to someone they loved.

Uzeyir Hajibayli's operetta tells about a young man who pretended to be a cloth peddler in order to see his future wife.

The musical comedy combines the traditions of European classical and Azerbaijani national music.

"The Cloth Peddler" was translated into 80 languages and staged in about 200 theatres in 80 countries.