In the world of children, music must be present from an early age, as it has been demonstrated to play an important role in their development. We know that, but often immersed in our daily work we miss those important first years. Fortunately more and more artists focus on children and create works suitable for them. Titles like "Pillow Concerts” of the Fortissimo Family cycle and a number of children's operas are available for them this season.  
 
Children in Plovdiv have a new friend who takes them on an opera and ballet journey - Mrs. Opera. The lady meets children in the opera theater. She performs on stage and at the same time makes children acquainted with the story in an attractive way. The character is part of the Mrs. Opera educational platform, which has received support from the Regional Inspectorate of Education in Plovdiv. For the first time Mrs. Opera showed up for the premiere of Hansel and Gretel in December 2013. The fairytale characters continue to make children happy during the new season. The performances take place in the "Boris Hristov Culture Center in Plovdiv. The smiling lady will be waiting for the kids at the premiere of "The Nutcracker" ballet by Tchaikovsky, which will take place in the days around Christmas.  

The new season of the Sofia Opera House started with performances for children. Parents have shown great interest and there are no tickets for months ahead for the "Concerts for Babies." They started in January 2014 and have turned into a total hit. The creative team is also working on new programs, not forgetting children over 3. On October 17 the premiere of the "Bremen Town Musicians" musical with music by Alexander Vladigerov took place. Lyrics are by Dimitar Dimitrov. This is the third work of the composer, which the theater in the capital city is staging. It was written in 1971 and is characterized by its jazzy style. Julia Krusteva, director of the show, told us more: 

"It creates a special atmosphere as the story of the lovely classic tale has been preserved. What is different is the image of the tavern keeper. The musical is interesting for parents, too, because Alexanderr Vladigerov has managed to include popular topics with great sense of humor. The result is an amusing musical fairy tale that today’s children would enjoy.”

 
The team was looking to include elements that are attractive to children. The costumes of the bandits resemble those from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie, while the animal characters look a lot like cartoon characters. "The whole play is very dynamic. It combines elements of ballet, and musical," says choreographer Svetlin Ivelinov. He has created the dances, directly linked to the actions of the characters. Stage art was the work of designer Pavlina Eusterhus.

"I was fortunate to work on all three works of Alexander Vladiguerov staged in the Sofia Opera,” she says. “For every artist it is a great happiness to live in the fabulous aesthetics of music and characters. For me, the key word in the three plays is the forest. In the Red Riding Hood it was a small, very specific forest. We went through a big log, in which the seven young goats lived. Now in the "Bremen Town Musicians" scenography is dynamic but the forest is also present. We start the story with a tablet. A small paw is seen touching the tale’s title, icons fall down and characters come to life. "The road was the basis of my project. This is due to the director's idea of ​​ characters continuously wandering through the woods in search of salvation."
 
Titles in the program of the National Music Theatre in Sofia also attract children and adults. The premiere of the musical "Puss called Charles" based on a tale by Charles Perrault and music by Jules Levy is coming soon. The new lounge scene in the theater will be opened with this premiere on October 23.  
 
In the city of Russe children can enjoy “The Star Moment of Little Stefcho or Carnival of Animals” with music by Camille Saint-Saens.

English: Alexander Markov