Musical: Free Butterflies

The legendary musical *Free Butterflies* is back! The legendary musical *Free Butterflies* returns in a new form—more mature, more musical, and closer than ever to today’s audience. 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.

In a small New York apartment, young Don Baker moves out on his own for the first time. These are his first steps toward independence—tentative and full of anxiety, but also driven by the courage to prove to himself and the world that he can live his own life. His routine is unexpectedly disrupted by his neighbour 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 challenge: 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, uplifting story about the courage to choose—to stay safe or finally dare to be free. Mantas Jankavičius’s live performances of the songs create a particularly moving experience in this production. Many people know the song “Drugeliai laisvi” (“Butterflies Are Free”), but not everyone knows it was written especially for *Free Butterflies*. Of course, you will hear it in this production too—it has already become an integral part of the show. Audiences will also hear new work by Mantas, enriching the story and letting them enter the characters’ inner worlds.

“I look for layers in performances. A concert format alone, or a traditional theatre format alone, is no longer as interesting to me. That is why this production, like Mantas’s most recent theatrical work in *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.

The director, Dainius Kazlauskas, who also directed the original production, says: “Although the story remains the same, it takes on a new colour and breathes anew. The set design, music, and moments in the play have changed, as have the actors; they are more mature, and that gives the production new energy. Its spirit remains the same, but it has gained new depth, colour, and sound—just like Mantas’s songs, which have also changed and grown for this production.”

For six consecutive years, this work filled the auditorium of the Juozas Miltinis Drama Theatre in Panevėžys and became one of the audience’s favourite productions. Now the show is going on tour around Lithuania so audiences in cities across the country can see this romantic, playful, and dramatic story.

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

Premiere from 21 October, now touring across Lithuania.
Cast: Mantas