Among the stars who trod the boards at the theater off the Champs-Elysees were Marlene Dietrich, who gave one of her last performances there in 1973, and French actor Gerard Depardieu, who performed in Peter Handke's "The Ride Across Lake Constance" in 1974. More recently, mime artist Marcel Marceau reprised his trademark Bip clown character in 1997 and 1998.
In latter years, the 81-year-old couturier has taken a greater hand in the day-to-day operations of the theater -- designing the costumes and set pieces, selecting musical numbers and even auditioning actors.
Scheduled for a four-day run in Moscow's Mayakovsky Theater from Monday through Thursday, the Espace Cardin theater company will give two performances: a musical version of the 12th century romantic legend "Tristan and Isolde," (Tristan i Izolda), which opened in Paris in 2001, and "Dali Follies" (Bezumstva Dali), a musical about the life of eccentric Spanish artist Salvador Dali, which premiered in 1999.
Kicking up a storm in "Tristan and Isolde" will be Lovzar, a Chechen dance troupe. "Lovzar" means "joy" or "merrymaking" in Chechen, and the youth ensemble performs fiery, athletic folk dances to the accompaniment of traditional Chechen musical instruments, such as the pondur (a three stringed guitar), accordion, and hand drum. The dances range from elaborate warrior-like numbers by male dancers to comic circus routines with pratfalls and somersaults.
Established in Grozny in 1983, the group of 60 dancers has continued to perform and attract new members, although it is now based in Moscow. The group performed at Espace Cardin this April, with help from UNESCO, for whom Cardin is a goodwill ambassador.
Espace Cardin performs "Tristan and Isolde" at 7:30 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday, and "Dali Follies" at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, at the Mayakovsky Theater located at 19 Bolshaya Nikitskaya Ulitsa. Metro Pushkinskaya, Arbatskaya. Tel. 290-4658.
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