A classic fairy tale meets a cassette comedy in the musical Sleeping Beauty – Back to the Future
Helsinki City Theatre and the youth musical theatre group Shed Sleeping Beauty – Ball to the Future will premiere on 3 October. and 4. December studio in Pasila. The musical is a story suitable for the whole family about growing pains, growing up, taking responsibility and friendship. The work is directed by Jyri Numminen and the young people of Shedishine in the roles.
“The rehearsals are now in full swing as we rehearse the last songs, steps and lines with the young performers. We are starting to be ready to move our rehearsals to the stage of Studio Pasila, where we can combine everything that the young people have been working on in the rehearsal hall throughout the autumn. Soon, songs will be played in Pasila, accompanied by a live band, in the splendor of clothes and lights, as Sleeping Beauty travels back in time and encounters tree-hugging hippies led by her teenage father and foul-mouthed punks hanging out with her mother,” says director Jyri Numminen. Sleeping Beauty – Return to the Future humorously mixes the old traditional Brothers Grimm fairy tale with a cassette comedy about time travel and its consequences. Surprisingly, Sleeping Beauty finds herself in the 70s among hippies and punks, a time when her own parents were also 16 years old. The Elven Godlords are performed by the crazy teachers of the magical boarding school, who seem to cause more harm than good. The future of the whole kingdom, that is, the present, is at stake. Good and Bad Conscience try their best to keep Sleeping Beauty on the right path, while the evil Myrtti wants to get the crown for herself – or at least for her son Martti. A total of almost 80 young people from Shed will be seen in the roles of the musical. The role of Sleeping Beauty is played by Ronja Räsänen, 18, and Oona Puhakka, 19. “The enthusiasm for theatre has united Shed’s young people of different ages, and the end result is this wonderful performance that brings colour and energy to the darkness of winter! I have made a lot of new friends and memorable memories from the Shed musical theatre and the rehearsals of Sleeping Beauty,” says Ronja Räsänen. “We have had a lot of fun making the work and it will certainly be conveyed to the audience. The best thing about Shed is the people. The atmosphere is safe and encouraging for everyone, and it’s always nice to come to training! It is an unforgettable experience to be part of a musical production made with professionals. It has given me the opportunity to develop my own expression skills and learn new things about myself,” Oona Puhakka continues. The musical is a new adaptation based on the version written by Dave Carey and Louise Perry of the British Chickenshed Theatre . The musical is arranged, directed and choreographed by Jyri Numminen. The musical is composed by Dave Carey and Jo Collings, and the lyrics are written by Dave Carey and Paul Morrall. The translation is by Sami Parkkinen. The conductor is Tuomas Kesälä, who has also arranged the music. The costumes are designed by Laura Dammert, the camouflage by Henri Karjalainen and the set design by William Iles. The lighting design is by Teppo Saarinen and the sound design by Jaakko Virmavirta. The dramaturg is Ari-Pekka Lahti. The teacher in charge of the Shed Music Theatre is Hanna Nuorala, the singing teacher is Pauliina Paasila and the dance teacher is Moona Karhu. The performance is suitable for the whole family from the age of 5. The Shed Foundation’s musical theatre project in cooperation with the Helsinki City Theatre gives children and young people aged 10–19 from different backgrounds the opportunity to engage in and make musicals together with the professionals of the Helsinki City Theatre. The Shed musical theatre group practises theatre making, singing, dancing and acting. The activities are made possible by the Shed Foundation, established by Elisa in 2017, which supports diverse child and youth work that takes special needs children into account. Sleeping Beauty – Back to the Future premieres on 3 and 4 December 2024 at the Helsinki City Theatre’s studio in Pasila (Ratamestarinkatu 5). Tickets: basic ticket €39 and children’s ticket €19 #prinsessaruusunenpaluutulevaisuuteen @hktfi @shedmusiikkiteatteri Helsinki City Theatre ticket sales and customer service by phone (09) 3940 22 Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ticket offices First Line 2, Mon-Fri 12-17, Eläintarhantie 5, Sat (on performance days) 11-18.30 and one hour before the performance and Lippu.fi, Mon-Sat 9-21, Sun 10-16, tel. 0600 900 900 (2 €/from min+local network charge) www.hkt.fi Press release photo: Otto-Ville VäätäinenFurther information, media ticket reservations and interview requests: Communications Manager Kaisa Pelkonen, kaisa.pelkonen@hkt.fi, 040 552 3788Helsinki City Theatre, Ensi linja 2, 00530 Helsinki