Black Square
Nov. 29-30
“Black Square” is a brand new opera that will only be shown a few times at one of the exhibition halls of the New Tretyakov Gallery. The opera is based on “Victory Over the Sun,” an opera produced by Russian futurists in 1913. Kasimir Malevich was the stage designer and now his original “Black Square” will become part of the stage decorations. The libretto is based on avant-garde poems by Aleksei Kruchonykh, written in invented language. The music was written by Ilya Demutsky, known for his work with Kirill Serebrennikov. Demutsky wrote the original score for the award-winning film “Student,” as well as both of the ballers the embattled director produced at the Bolshoi Theater, “A Hero of Our Time” and “Nureyev.” The opera will be shown in English with Russian subtitles.
10 Krymsky Val. Metro Oktyabrskaya. tretyakovgallery.ru
Blue Man Group
Nov. 29 - Dec. 2
Blue Man Group — named for their shaved blue heads and faces — started as a series of street performances in late 1980s and then turned into a full-fledged theater with shows all over the world. The performances are usually a mix of physical theater and music. New blue men are constantly added through a rigorous audition process. Blue Man Group became part of popular culture after featuring prominently in hit TV series “Arrested Development.” It was recently acquired by Cirque du Soleil, who started expanding the concept. Blue Man Group’s first tour in Russia will take place at the Small Sports Arena Luzhniki.
24 Luzhnetskaya Naberezhnaya, Bldg. 3. Metro Sportivnaya. blueman.ru
Picasso & Khokhlova
Until Feb. 3, 2019
“Picasso & Khokhlova” is bound to become another blockbuster exhibition at the Pushkin Museum. As the title suggests, it’s devoted to the love story between one of the greatest 20th century painters and a Russian ballet dancer. Pablo Picasso and Olga Khokhlova met in 1917 in Rome, where she was travelling with Sergei Diaghilev’s famous company “Ballets Russes.” They got married the next year and had a son in 1921,but became estranged in the mid-1920s. The exhibition presents over 200 items, from panoramic panel paintings to furniture, letters, and postcards. Most of the paintings and graphic art works are on loan from the National Picasso Museum in Paris.
12 Ulitsa Volkhonka. Metro Kropotkinskaya.arts-museum.ru
German film festival
Nov. 29 - Dec. 3
The 17th edition of Moscow’s annual German film festival opens on Thursday. The opening film is the award winning “Styx” about an encounter with shipwrecked refugees on a sailing trip. The viewing will be followed by Q&A with the director, Wolfgang Fischer. Other headliners this year are “Transit,” a noir World War 2 movie by world renowned director Christian Petzold, and “The Bra,” a romantic comedy about a train driver in Azerbaijan, whose train accidently snags a bra and he embarks on a quest to find its owner. The festival is supported by the German embassy, and all the screenings are at the Formula Kino Gorizont cinema.
21/10 Komsomolsky Prospekt. Metro Frunzenskaya.coolconnections.ru/ru/festivals/german-film/2018/moscow
Hypnosis
Nov. 30
“Hypnosis” is one of the latest premieres at Praktika, which was nominated for a Golden Mask, Russia’s most prestigious theater award. Produced by Oleg Glushkov, a choreographer turned avant-garde director, it’s a really hypnotic performance, resembling a vivid dream or a trip under the influence. There’s no plot and hardly any words. The props are constantly transforming themselves: the wallpaper becomes a podium, which in turn becomes a canvas for a painting. Vasily Mirolyubov’s soundtrack can be more aptly described as sound art, except for when all the actors join in singing a Nirvana song to an accordion accompaniment.
30 Bolshoi Kozikhinsky Pereulok. Metro Mayakovskaya. praktikatheatre.ru
Sansara
Dec. 1
Indie-rockers from Yekaterinburg Sansara have been around for more than fifteen years, but lately their popularity has soared. The band's front-man, Alexander Gagarin, has a voice that sounds a bit like the late Viktor Tsoi of Kino fame, but with a distinct lisp, which makes it unforgettable. Right now Sansara is working on a new album entitled “My Stanem Luchshe” (We’ll Get Better) and will be playing some of their new material at their Saturday gig at Mumy Troll bar.
7 Tverskaya Ulitsa. Metro Okhotny Ryad.mumiytrollbar.com
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