Repertoire

SUMMARY

ACT 1

Children are skating joyfully at the ice rink near the city hall. Gerda is among them. Boys invite Gerda to skate with them, but Gerda refuses as she is waiting for her friend Kai. And here he is. Happy children whirl in dance.

Suddenly, some strange characters appear. They are the wicked trolls who masquerade as people. They are looking for naughty kids who commit bad deeds. But in the ice rink friendship and harmony reign, it is no place for quarrels.

It is growing dark. The children head home. The wicked trolls begin to make a mirror with the power of causing all that is good and beautiful when reflected therein, to look horrible; and all that is worthless and ugly would look appealing.

The mirror is ready. Suddenly, the image of the Snow Queen appears within it. Even the evil trolls are petrified by her icy stare.

The Snow Queen breaks the trolls’ mirror so that its tiny fragments scatter all over the world. Hitting the eye, the fragments make people cruel and selfish; hitting the heart, the worst will happen - people’s hearts will turn to ice.

Gerda’s grandmother arranges a party for Gerda’s friends. The children await sweets and gifts. Suddenly, Kai notices an extremely bright snowflake on the frozen window. It seems that the snowflake is growing larger and larger becoming a magical woman - it is the Snow Queen. Kai tells the children about the miracle, but nobody else can see it. They all laugh at the boy. Kai stares intently at the open window. Suddenly, the boy feels something prick his eye and then his heart. Everything around Kai changes: becoming gray, uninteresting and even ugly. At the height of the party he runs out from Gerda’s home.

Wandering though the deserted streets of the city at night, Kai meets trolls who organize sled races. The trolls push him into a snow bank. The huge sleigh of the Snow Queen darts past him. Her glance ravages his soul. Kai immediately forgets about Gerda, Grandmother, and his friends. As if in a dream, he ties his sled to the sleigh of the Snow Queen who was waiting for just such a moment.

The Snow Queen’s sleigh soars to the clouds…

Gerda wanders through the city streets in search of Kai. Cold and tired she falls asleep; she dreams of a magical garden guarded by small toy soldiers. Gerda meets the Mistress of the magical garden. She likes Gerda, and the sorceress wants the girl to stay with her. Kai and Gerda meet again in a sweet dream. But then Gerda wakes up, realizing in desperation that it was only illusive happiness. She slept all summer, and now a cold autumn wind blows beyond the magic garden’s gate swirling with yellow leaves…

ACT 2

She sets out in search of Kai again. While wandering, the girl meets the courtiers Raven and Crow who then introduce her to the Prince and Princess and the courtiers of the magic kingdom. They offer Gerda to stay in the court. She thanks them for their hospitality, but she refuses as she should look for her friend Kai to save him.

On her way through the dark forest, Gerda meets the forest robbers, the leader of which is the Little Robber Girl who wants Gerda to be her captive. But the girl’s unprecedented courage and fortitude force the Little Robber Girl to release Gerda.

It is becoming colder and darker in the forest. Gerda faces a regiment of snowflakes - this is the army of the Snow Queen. Making her way through the blizzard, Gerda approaches the icy domain of the Snow Queen.

The Snow Queen is arranging the coronation of Kai in her ice palace. She wants Kai to stay in her kingdom forever as the Snow Prince. Gerda battles the Snow Queen. But she does not have enough power to overcome the mighty sorceress. Gerda asks Kai for help, but he is cold and indifferent. Gerda weeps desperately, and her hot tears of love hit Kai’s chest and melt his frozen heart. Kai and Gerda hug each other tightly…

The spells of the Snow Queen are powerless before the power of love of two young hearts. The ice palace melts and the water washes away the evil born from people’s frozen hearts.

Gerda and Kai are once again together and will never leave each other. The children have grown up, and through their trials, sincere children’s feelings have become a great and overpowering love.