The Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre’s production team (director Anastasia Kasatkina and costume and stage designer Ksenia Sorokina) is going to present Giuseppe Verdi's opera Un Ballo in Maschera as a dramatic and exciting “story of a murder”.

“We are telling a story based on the oldest universal tale depicted in The Lion King cartoon,” explains Ksenia Sorokina. “Spiteful criminals are plotting intrigues and entering into secret alliances to kill the wise and good king to usurp the throne. The skilful leadership kingdom is indicated in the scenography by images referring to the Raphael’s fresco The School of Athens (Scuola di Atene). The image of a totalitarian state founded by conspirators who seized power through the assassination aesthetically refers to the Italian architecture during the reign of Mussolini.

The elements of avant-garde clothing of the 1930s will be used for costumes; they were created by world-famous Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli. A Krasnoyarsk copy of the sensational Schiaparelli’s shoe hat will appear on the stage.

The premiere of the opera Un Ballo in Maschera will take place on March 13 at 7 p.m. (conducted by Alexei Nikonov from Italy) and on March 14 at 6 p.m.