Making a musical is crazy, but also brave

The theater segment of the 35th Bar Yearbook began with the musical "Neki to vole hoto" by the National Theater of Nis, which was performed the night before last on the Summer Stage of the House of Culture.

The theater adaptation of the famous film from 1959 was directed by the drama champion of the Nis National Theater Aleksandar Marinkovic. He also plays one of the main roles, while Dragana Mićalović is entrusted with the role of Puslica.

This project is a tribute to the timeless film "Some like it hot", however the musical is still completely authentic due to the author's music and songs, and Marinković explains that he was not able to afford the royalties for the big Broadway musical, instead they decided to base their adaptation on movie.

Referring to the complexity of simultaneously directing a piece and acting in it, Marinković says that it was challenging and burdensome, but that the choice of collaborators is of key importance in that segment.

"Collaborators and people who love musicals as much as I do, were of crucial importance for the success of this project. Nebojsa Gromilić, choreographer, Irena Popović Dragović who made music and songs and others, were around me to relieve me in the moments when I have to be on stage. We found the key to successfully being in both places and it all worked. Making a musical in general is a kind of craziness, but also courage, so even though it was hard, we got where we started," Marinković proudly points out.

As he says, the process of working on a musical brings a special atmosphere and energy.

"The musical draws you into the process, the desire and the atmosphere that is rarely present when working with a classical dramatic form, music, sound, a large number of people, they push you forward and somehow influence the problems to be solved by themselves, the way they came. . The musical is a strange theatrical form, but in my opinion, the form of the future", he believes.

At one time, the actress Merlin Monroe just became famous for the role of Puslica from the mentioned film, while in the domestic production the same role was entrusted to Dragana Mićalović, who, although this is her first role in a musical, did well.

"I tried to build my own path. Of course, I didn't want to deviate too much from what is original and what was set in the first version, but somehow in that observation of Monroe as Puslice I also saw some part that I experienced as a part of herself, beyond the role. Analyzing her biography and life, I believe that she brought a part of herself into the process and her great need for love and the need to belong to someone, as well as the childlike joy she carried inside. Her struggle between 'I want to be a woman' and 'I am a child in a woman's body' can be easily read in her role", Mićalović believes.

The young man also opened a new chapter in his career with the role of Daphne Uroš Milojević, almost a permanent member of the ensemble of the theater in Nis, who plays one of the main roles in addition to Marinković and Mićalović. According to many, he masterfully played a character who disguises himself as a woman because of his troubles.

"I am very proud of what we have done. It was very difficult but also very inspiring at the same time. Already at the first reading test, back in November last year, I asked to get women's shoes with heels as soon as possible. They arrived after two weeks and from then until February, when the premiere was held, I hardly took them off, even when I don't have scenes where I need to be on my heels to 'win' them. Along the way, I observed my female colleagues and friends and 'stole' their physical actions in order to make my role interesting to the audience," said Milojević.