THE TSAREVICH

The young heir to the throne, Aljoscha, is deeply unhappy. He feels alone, and the loneliness gnaws at him, but the true reason for his unhappiness lies even deeper, perhaps unknown to him. Until now, Aljoscha has avoided contact with women, yet he longs for something and someone. This "angel" confronts Aljoscha in the form of a young man. Aljoscha finds himself drawn to him, but soon he can no longer explain his feelings. In Lehár's work, this man is the disguised ballet girl Sonja, who has been brought to him to ensure the continuation of the dynasty. Soon, the unsuitable relationship must come to an end, but Aljoscha and Sonja are not ready to give up their feelings.

The Dutch director and visual artist Steef de Jong transforms the originally Russian-set work into a general fairy tale land. He presents Der Zarewitsch as a live-animated silent film with four singers. Through beautiful and imaginative drawings and animations, filmed live and projected, a unique aesthetic cosmos is created, into which the audience can immerse themselves.