PMT Guests – Klaipėda State Music Theatre | Monoopera PRIMA DONNA

Guest performance by KLAIPĖDA STATE MUSIC THEATRE
Monoopera PRIMA DONNA
Soloist: Rita Petrauskaitė
Music director and conductor: Vytautas Valys
Chamber group of the Klaipėda State Music Theatre Orchestra:
Aidas Strimaitis (first violin)
Beatričė Raulušaitienė (second violin)
Ieva Noreikienė (viola)
Ignas Bazaras (cello)
Serhii Dikariev (double bass)
Olha Hryhoryeva (keyboard)

PRIMA DONNA is an extraordinary monoopera in which theatre and opera merge into an intimate story about a person’s inner voice, choices and emotional courage. In an effort to go beyond an ordinary musical performance and reach a deeper understanding in the audience, the production does not begin on stage—it begins in the dressing room, where the soloist faces not the audience’s gaze, but herself. Unlike a traditional concert, here the audience becomes a silent wall, allowing us to hear what is born in the heart and becomes music through the voice. This conversation between the soloist and silence is an invitation to a deeper, more authentic encounter with oneself.

The production has no clearly defined plot, but unfolds through seven different characters—opera heroines whose voices shape the soloist’s inner dialogue. Giuditta is the voice of courage and passion, asking: “Would you dare choose passion if no one applauded?” Esmeralda is the spirit of freedom, inviting us to move and not be afraid to be ourselves. Lauretta teaches us to say “I want” without guilt or restriction. Musetta is a playful image that poses the question: to be seen, but not to be acting? Cleopatra is the voice of will and self-worth, saying: “Don’t prove yourself. Be.” Margarita questions how much guilt limits us and how to let it go. Undinė, the deepest of them all, invites us to dive into ourselves—even if the water is cold.

The production draws on musical works from the Baroque and Romantic periods and 20th-century classics—from Handel and Lehár to Puccini and Dvořák—but their combination is not merely aesthetic; it is philosophical: each melody marks a step into the soloist’s world. Music becomes not only an auditory experience, but also a space for inner transformation. Through monologues, songs and moments of silence, the soloist travels from feeling to understanding: What remains when you wipe off your make-up? What speaks when the role disappears? Is the voice we speak with truly ours, or is it dictated by someone else?

“Prima Donna” is not just a production, music or a display of vocal virtuosity. Above all, it is an intimate encounter with oneself, an invitation to hear what is often drowned out by noise, roles and the voices of everyday life.