Chekhov Theatre celebrates premiere of Rēzija Kalniņa's "The Three Musketeers"
The Mikhail Chekhov Riga Russian Theatre premiered Rēzija Kalniņa's production of "The Three Musketeers" on September 26, based on the legendary 1960s Liepāja Theatre staging with music by Imants Kalniņš.
On Saturday, September 26, the Mikhail Chekhov Riga Russian Theatre held the premiere of "The Three Musketeers," directed by Rēzija Kalniņa. The production is based on Andrejs Migla's dramatization with music by Imants Kalniņš, itself drawn from Alexandre Dumas's novel.
A story rooted in the 1960s
In the late 1960s, the Liepāja Theatre staged a legendary production based on Migla's dramatization, with music by Imants Kalniņš and lyrics by Viktors Kalniņš. That production became a symbol of freedom, romance and youth for an entire generation and still holds a place in Latvia's cultural memory. In the year marking Imants Kalniņš's 85th birthday, the Chekhov Theatre has returned to this material to reinterpret it.
Director Rēzija Kalniņa says the play is worth seeing because it offers audiences a chance to step away from virtual reality and reconnect with deeper emotions. She stresses the value of pausing, even for a few hours, to ask simple but essential questions about what truly matters in life. According to Kalniņa, "The Three Musketeers" is a family production, and she considers it important that teenagers watch it too, since their own big adventures, choices, friendships and life lessons still lie ahead.
Creative team
In the new staging, Imants Kalniņš's music is heard in an arrangement by Evilena Protektore, while Viktors Kalniņš's lyrics were rendered into Russian by poet Sergejs Timofejevs. The creative team includes set designer Artūrs Virtmanis, costume designer Ilze Vītoliņa, choreographer Liene Grava and lighting designer Reinis Zalte.
The cast is led by Jekaterina Frolova, Maksims Busels, Konstantīns Ņikuļins and other theatre actors, with professional dancers and musicians also taking part in the production.
