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Cipollino

ballet for children in two acts

music by Karen Khachaturian

Duration

2 hours 5 minutes

1 act

45 min

interval 30 min

2 act

50 min

for viewers over 6 years old

Cast

This ballet enchants you from its very first minute. The harmony of the melodic and ear-catching music by Karen Khachaturian, bright sets and costumes by Valery Levental and vivid choreography by Genrikh Mayorov, perfect both for children and for grown-ups, made it a real blockbuster. The fairy-tale story by Italian author Gianni Rodari tells of the adventures of the Little Onion boy (in Italian, Cipollino), who fights the unjust treatment of his fellow vegetable folk (his little girlfriend Radish, old Mr Pumpkin, handyman Master Grape) by the fruit �aristocracy� (foppish Prince Lemon, martinet Signor Tomato and twin Countesses Cherries). Even though the ballet was created especially for young people, it never lacks �serious� choreography of classical ballet. The principal dancers of the Mikhailovsky Ballet really enjoy themselves turning from Siegfrieds and Odettes into �vegetables� and �fruits�. The rhythms of dance, the portrayal and humour of the characters, and the exceptional performances will keep everyone enthralled.

Act one

In the square of a fairytale town, the Radish family meets the Onion family. Nearby, Master Grape is mending shoes, and Cousin Pumpkin is looking for bricks to build himself a house. Professor Pear plays the violin and all the residents of this fairytale town dance. Suddenly, Signor Tomato bursts into the square and announces that Prince Lemon himself will soon arrive. The Prince has issued a new decree: everyone must pay for the sun to shine, the rain to fall and the wind to blow.
The people are outraged. In the commotion, Cipollino accidentally steps on Prince Lemon’s foot. The guards prepare to punish the “rebel”, but he disappears and the guards arrest old Cipollone instead.
Pumpkin can’t build his house alone, so the townsfolk, led by Cipollino, come together to help him. As soon as the house is finished, Signor Tomato appears again. He nearly explodes with rage on seeing the house — it is built on the land belonging to Countess Cherry. Prince Lemon’s guards demolish Pumpkin’s house. The poor old man is heartbroken, and Cipollino decides to take revenge on their oppressors.

Act two

Cipollino goes to the palace with Radish to find the dungeon where Lemon has imprisoned old Cipollone. On their way they meet Count Cherry, who feels lonely and bored living in the palace. As they search for the prisoner, the friends narrowly escape being caught by Signor Tomato. While Countess Cherry is giving a ball in honour of Prince Lemon, the friends manage to free old Cipollone.
Prince Lemon’s guards and the police scour the town for the fugitives. Cipollino hides his father and then Radish, but is eventually surrounded by guards and thrown into the dungeon.
The castle grows quiet. Cherry and the lovely Magnolia search for Cipollino. Magnolia’s intoxicating fragrance puts the guards to sleep, and Cherry ties them up and frees Cipollino.
Prince Limon descends into the dungeon to punish the insolent rebel, only to find that the guards tied up and the dungeon empty. Furious, the prince orders the town to be bombarded with cannon fire. But Cipollino and his friends shove Prince Limon himself into the cannon.
When the smoke clears, the cannon, the guards and. Prince Lemon are gone. From now on, everyone in the fairytale town will live in peace.