On January 29, 2022, Hollywood witnessed the world premiere of Singing Revolution, an extraordinary musical created by director Tony Spinosa and playwright James Bearhart. The play captures the events that took place during the movement know as Singing Revolution in the late ’80s in Estonia, a chaotic time that preceded the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Taavi Tamm (James Everts) is an Estonian student who will become one of the leaders of the Estonian resistance. He falls deeply in love with Sofia Solokov (Bella Hicks), daughter of Nikolai Solokov (Michael Scott Harris), a Soviet officer living in Estonia to oversee the Soviet propaganda and involved in the disappearance of some Estonian civilians. Similarly, Taavi’s teacher Leena Rebane (Krista Feallock) falls in love with Viktor Kuznetsov (Lucas Alifano), a Russian professor also living in Estonia. After Taavi’s father strange disappearance, a threat of having his mom disappear as well, and the possibility of loosing Sofia, Taavi is forced to choose between staying true to his believes or surrender under the weight of the Soviet repression.
There are several elements that make this musical worth experiencing. First, there’s the music. The live orchestra adds extra adrenaline to the performance of the actors and energizes the audience to the beat of fantastic European pop.
Then, there’s the lyrics that express the hopes, fears, convictions, and sometimes even the doubts of both sides of the story. Anyone old enough to remember the events of that period either by having lived in the Soviet Union at the time or by watching the reports on TV as they unfolded, will revisit the memories and feelings of those turbulent times through the lyrics. The combination of pop singers like James Everts and opera singers like Michael Scott Harris makes the contrast of the story even more appealing.
The choreography also combines skillfully elements of ballet in some of the numbers that render a delicate picture of strength and gracefulness that truly elevate the musical numbers. It’s always a treat to see dancers in musical theatre with ballet training on display.
The lighting is another element that accentuates the dramatic contrast of the story. The blue and red tones, sometimes even used at the same time, become characters in their own right: Freedom and oppression, hope and danger, past and future, the Soviet Union and Estonia.
The scenic design, including the lighting, the Estonian architecture, the costumes, and the special effects, add extraordinary value to the show. This is a musical that took Tony Spinosa a few years to put together and plenty of research of the actual events, not only here in the US, but also in Estonia where he spent time talking to some of the leaders of the Singing Revolution that are still alive today.
It is great to see theatre coming back to life after a very challenging and long pandemic, and it is even better to see exceptional productions with dedicated and talented people gracing our local stages.
Singing Revolution, The Musical
The Broadwater Theatre, Main Stage
6320 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
