Talk about an excitement filled moment! Today I went out to the Théâtre Jacques Prévert in Aulnay sous Bois to attend the first read-through of my newest musical commissioned by Le Créa, the same company with whom I worked last year on Élémentaire, mon cher!.
Baba Yaga has been so much fun to write. It takes place in a world where magic exists, where giant fish can grant wishes, and beautiful firebirds are released from gilded cages. Where talking skulls protect a tiny house perched atop two chicken legs and the North Wind is a troublemaker.
In a world where our teenagers are glued to their phones 24/7, I wanted to create a young female heroine who would set out on an epic adventure to vanquish evil. I wanted a show that would activate the imaginations of our young teen performers and teach them that they too can be heroes.
The story: Babette is thirteen years old and hasn't believed in magic for a very long time. But when the famous magician Kotchéï the Immortal arrives in town with his new show, she begins to ask herself some questions. First he casts a spell on her mother, then he makes her best friend Yvan disappear... It's time for Babette to take control of the situation! She sets off on an adventure to find her grandmother, the mysterious Baba Yaga, who lives in a world where magic is very real indeed! With her help, Babette will uncover the key to vanquish the evil Kotchéï!
Listening to the talented young actors bring my story to life today was such a gift! It always seems surprising and wonderful to me when something you have imagined in your head is suddenly out there in the world, alive, living and breathing through the voices of others.
Baba Yaga will open next October.