Free Butterflies

“Free Butterflies” — a two-act musical play

Cast: Mantas Jankavičius, Gabriele Malinauskaitė, Rimantė Valiukaitė / Asta Preidytė, Dainius Kazlauskas
Director: Dainius Kazlauskas
Costume designer: Indrė Pačėsaitė
Music: Mantas Jankavičius

The legendary musical play “Free Butterflies” is revived in a new version — more mature, more musical, and even closer to audiences today. It is a story about freedom, love, and the courage to be yourself, which has made thousands of audience members laugh, reflect, and believe that true freedom begins with the decision to live your own life.

For the first time, a young man named Don Baker lives alone in a small New York apartment. These are his first steps toward independence — fragile and full of anxiety, but also marked by the courage to prove to himself and the world that he can live his own life. His daily routine is unexpectedly turned upside down by his neighbor Jill — a spontaneous, free-spirited young woman who lives without plans or rules. Their meeting becomes a turning point in both their lives.

But their relationship faces a serious test: Don’s mother, who has protected her son all her life, does not want to let him go. She believes freedom can be dangerous and love can hurt. And there is an important reason for that…

This is a tender and uplifting story about the courage to choose — to remain safe or finally dare to be free. Mantas Jankavičius’s live performances of the songs create a particularly moving experience. Many people know the song “Drugeliai laisvi” (“Butterflies Are Free”), but not everyone knows that it was written specifically for the play “Free Butterflies.” Of course, you will hear it in this production too — it has become an integral part of the play. Audiences will also hear new music by Mantas, enriching the story and allowing them to enter the characters’ inner worlds.

“I look for multiple layers in performances. A purely concert or purely theatrical format, in the traditional sense, is no longer as interesting to me. That’s why this play, like Mantas’s most recent theatrical work, the play ‘Dviese ant stogo’ (‘Two on the Roof’), which enjoyed great popularity, will include live music. It will be a play and a concert in one,” says Mantas.

Director Dainius Kazlauskas, who also directed the first production, says: “Although the story remains the same, it takes on a new color and a new breath. The set, music, and moments in the play have changed; the actors have changed too — they are more mature, which gives the production new energy. The spirit is still the same, but it has gained new inner maturity, color, and sound — just like Mantas’s songs, which have also changed and grown for this play.”

For six years in a row, this work filled the halls of the Panevėžys Juozas Miltinis Drama Theatre and became one of the audience’s best-loved plays. Now the production is setting off on a tour of Lithuania so audiences in cities across the country can see this romantic, playful, and dramatic story.

“Those butterflies really do fly. And it has nothing to do with a person’s age or other circumstances in life. Anyone can experience it — love, a carefree spirit, that energy that makes you do silly things and feel happy. The play lets us show and recall that,” adds Mantas, inviting audiences to rediscover the story or see it for the first time.

Premiere from October 21, now across Lithuania
Doors open 1 hour before the event begins
Duration: approximately 2 hours 30 minutes (one 20-minute intermission)
Children are not admitted free of charge
Age restriction: 14+
No discounts apply
For purchases of 10 or more tickets, contact: vipklientai@bilietai.lt
Information: +370 676 10062; labas@mantasjankavicius.lt
Organiser: Meno upė, UAB