Cherry​​​​​ Orchard​​​​​ Festival​, ​​​​​ ​​​​​presents ​​​​​the​​​​​ Chicago ​​​​​premiere​​​​​ of ​the ​​​​​critically-acclaimed​​​​​ play “Brodsky/Baryshnikov,”​​​conceived ​​​and directed ​​​by​​​ Alvis ​​​Hermanis and starring​​​ Mikhail​​​​ Baryshnikov​​​​ at ​​​​​the ​​​​​Harris​​​ Theater ​​​for​​​ Music​​​ and Dance. "Brodsky​​​/​​​Baryshnikov”​​​​​​​ is​​​​​ a ​​​​​one-man show ​​​​​based​​​​​ on ​​​​​the ​​​​​poems ​​​​​of ​​​​​Nobel ​​​​​Laureate ​​​​​Joseph​ ​Brodsky,​​​ performed​​​​​ by ​​​​​legendary ​​​​​dancer/actor​​​​​​ Mikhail​​​​​ Baryshnikov.​​​​​ It​​​​​​​ is​​​​​ an ​​​​​emotional ​​​​​journey​ ​deep ​​​​​into ​​​​​the ​​​​​poet’s ​​​​​visceral ​​​​​ nd
​​​​​complex ​​​compositions.​​​​​ Performed​​​​​ in ​​​​​Russian​​​​​ and​​​​​​ subtitled​​​​​​ in​ ​English,​​​​​ Baryshnikov ​​​​​recites​​​​​ a​​​​​ selection​​​​​ of ​​​​​his ​​​long-time​​​​​ friend’s ​​​​​poignant​​​​​ and​​​​​ eloquent​​​​​ works ​​​using ​​​subtle ​​​​​physicality​​​​​ to transport​​​​​ the ​​​​​audience​​​​​ into​​​ Hermanis’  ​​​​reverent​​​​​ imagining​​​​​ of​​​​​ Brodsky’s​ ​interior​​​​​ world.​​​The​​​ U.K.’s​​​ The ​​​Stage​​​ hails ​​​the ​​​work​​​ as ​​​“a​​​ deeply​​​ felt ​​​tribute…poignant,”​​​ and What’s on ​​​Stage​​​ calls ​​​it,​​​ “a ​​​gift​​​ from​​​ one ​​​great​​​ artist​​​ to ​​​another,​​​ a​​​ debt​​​ of​​​ love…you​​​ can​​​ hear​​​ a ​​​pin​​​ drop ​​​as the ​​​90-minutes ​​​unfolds.”

 

“Brodsky ​​​/​​​ Baryshnikov”​​​ premiered​​​ at ​​​the ​​​New ​​​Riga​​​ Theatre,​​​ Riga,​​​ Latvia ​​​in​​​ Oct. ​​​15,​​​ 2015​​​ and​​​ had its ​​​North​​​American​​​ premiere ​​​at ​​​the ​​​Baryshnikov ​​​Arts ​​​Center’s​​​ Jerome ​​​Robbins ​​​Theater,​​​ March ​​​9, 2016.​​​ The ​​​New ​​​York​​​Times ​​​said​​​ of​​​ Baryshnikov’s​​​performance,​​​“He​​​ is ​​​arguably​​​ most​​​ entrancing, and​​​ most​​​ deeply​​​ immersed ​​​in​​​ the​​​ language…It’s​​​ as ​​​if​​​ the ​​​language ​​​is ​​​a ​​​current​​​ of​​​ energy ​​​activating not​​​ just​​​ his​​​ mind ​​​but​​​ his ​​​entire ​​​body; ​​​you ​​​sense ​​​that​​​ he ​​​feels ​​​its ​​​presence​​​ inside ​​​him​​​ down ​​​to​​​ his fingertips.”

 

"Brodsky​​​/​​​Baryshnikov" ​​​​​​​​is​​​ performed​​​ in ​​​Russian​​​ with​​​ English​​​ surtitles/translation ​​​by​​​ Jamey Gambrell.​​​“Brodsky​​​/​​​Baryshnikov”​​​ is​​​ based​​​ on ​​​the ​​​poems ​​​of​​​ Joseph​​​ Brodsky,​​​ Copyright ​​​©​​​ 2015, The ​​​Estate​​​ of​​​ Joseph ​​​Brodsky.​​​ All​​​ rights​​​ reserved.