THE ROCK OPERA
NICKY and ALIX
LIBRETTO
NICKY, Czarevich, the Emperor of All Russia
ALIX, the Princess of Hesse, the Empress
ALEXANDER III, the Emperor of All Russia, Nicky’s father
GRAND DUCHESSES: Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia
ALEXEI, the heir to the Russian throne
Alexander Ulyanov revolutionary
MATILDA,ballerina of the Imperial Theatre
RASPUTIN, Siberian peasant
Anna Vyrubova, a friend of the royal family
GAPON, priest
YUSUPOV, Prince, the husband of his niece Nicky
KERENSKY, the Chairman of the Provisional Government
LENIN, the Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars
SVERDLOV, the Chairman of the Central Executive Committee
The court, society, the conspirators, the folk and others
Time: 1881 - 1918
Places: Russia, Britain, Germany
Scene 1. PROLOGUE
From the shores of the Baltic and Black Seas to the Pacific Ocean stretches the Russian Empire, the territory of which is inhabited by one hundred and thirty millions of subjects of the Tsar.
The 300-year-long period of the Romanov dynasty reign is coming to its end marked by the first harbinger of future violence - the murder of the Emperor Alexander II, the reformer, who died in front of his grandson, Nicky.
Prelude
Scene 2. NICKY AND ALIX. June 1884.
Alice, the Princess of Hesse-Darmstadt, accompanied by her husband Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, comes to St. Petersburg for her sister Ella’s wedding.
During the ceremony in the Grand Church of the Winter Palace Alice keeps looking at the best man, the 16-year-old czarevitch Nicky. The heir to the Russian throne is also drawn to the tall golden-haired princess.
They take walks in the gardens and parks, go boating, and take carriage rides. Romantic love sparks between them. They scratch their names "Nicky, Alix" on the windowpane overlooking the backyard of the Italian house in Peterhof.
Хор - «Nicky and Alix"
Scene 3. ALEXANDER 1887
Student of St. Petersburg University, Alexander Ulyanov and his associates at the meeting of the faction "people's will" plan to kill the tsar. Police arrest young people.
Mother, Maria Ulyanova refers to Emperor Alexander III with a petition for clemency. However, the special presence of the Senate sentenced Alexander to death. Vladimir Ulyanov shocked by the sentence of the elder brother. He vows to continue deal of brother.
Revolutionaries - "It's our time"
Brothers Ulyanov - "According to the feelings we're brothers"
Scene 4. LOVE YOU. 1889.
The 17-year-old Alix arrives in St. Petersburg to visit her sister Ella for the second time. She has not seen Nicky for nearly five years. Now Nikcy sees a beautiful young girl with a shy smile on her face. They meet each other at the receptions, dinners and balls, skate on the frozen pond and sled down the icy hills. They are drawn to each other. She likes Nicky’s look, his natural delicacy and charm. He is fascinated by her beauty, intelligence and charm.
The society cast acid remarks in relation to the young princess: " unengaging, wood-like, cold-eyed, as stiff as a poker."
Nicky - "I fell in love with you, suddenly..."
Alix - "I love you and the sky too..."
The capital's beau monde - "Just look at her!"
Scene 5. THE ODE «LIBERTY". 1890.
Vladimir Ulyanov was expelled from the Kazan Imperial University. He hates the tsar who sent his brother to the gallows. Drinking first time vodka, he says in a circle of friends: "I will avenge my brother!"
Vladimir Ulyanov – “The Ode Liberty”
Scene 7. ENGAGEMENT. April 1894.
The most notable royal families of Europe arrive in Coburg for the wedding of the Duke of Hesse Ernst-Ludwig and the Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh.
The wedding ceremony is overshadowed by another event – the engagement of the groom's sister Alix and the heir to the Russian throne, czarevich Nicky.
As the wife to be of the heir to the Russian throne, Alix has to adopt Orthodoxy. However, she does not have the heart to change her religion, considering it a great sin. Afterlongh persuasions and lots of tears Alix finally agrees to her religion change and the engagement.
Nicky - "Words of Love"
Alix - "I love you"
Scene 6. TWO OF LOVE
At the final examination at the Imperial Theater School Esmeralda in the ballet dance graduate of Caesar Puni Matilda Kshesinskaya. Colistke with a special passion applaud Nicky. The diary of a young ballerina's record appears: "And yet he will be my". The first meeting was held in an empty case to repair the Mikhailovsky Palace. Nicky then buys her mansion ...
From the diary of Nikki: "I never thought that two of the same feelings of love while two were combined in the shower. Now gone four years that I love Alix ... And with the camp in 1890 to this day I am passionately fond of (platonic) Little C. ... "
In the court there is increasing talk about the plans of marriage to Princess Alix heir of Hesse. Visits to the prince Matilda getting rarer. It suffers, jealous, life without her seems unbearable ... but it is possible.
Matilda - "Lie to Me"
Nicky, Matilda - "I do not know ..."
Scene 9. I AM WRITING TO YOU.
After the parting Nicky and Alix write letters to each other. The lovers’ letters fly day by day, sometimes two or three a day. Hundreds of his letters. And hundreds of her replies... Endless Love spells...
Alix and Nicky - "I am writing to you..."
Scene 8. I LOVE YOU ALONE!
Alix goes to England to Queen Victoria. A month later, the imperial yacht, the Polar Star, with the czarevich on board enters the Thames.
Nicky and Alix spend five unforgettable weeks with each other - "the best days of our lives", as Alix will say later. They walk on the green meadows, pick flowers in the surrounding fields, and sit on the grass under old chestnut trees in the garden. Then they travel to the Windsor Castle to be met by the Queen Victoria.
Left alone, they kiss and kiss to state dizziness. They roll in happiness. The tower clock chimes - it's high time to part...
Nicky - «I love you alone!"
Scene 15. HEIR. August 12, 1904.
The royal family is in the summer residence, the Lower Dacha in Peterhof. The weather is sunny and hot. During breakfast Alix is in pain. An hour later, a boy is born. The Heir to the Russian throne is named Alexei in the honor of the Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the father of Peter the Great.
The fireworks erupt to celebrate the Heir’s birth in the military harbor of Peterhof. The guns of Kronstadt join in; Peter and Paul Fortress follow suit.
All over the country the bells chime, the flags wave. St. Petersburg is decorated with festive illumination, in the streets are full of celebrating people, the imperial anthem sounds everywhere.
Nicky - "The Heir"
Scene 16. OMENS. End of 1904.
Stormy clouds gather above Russia. There are first reports of the failures in the war with Japan. The first signs of impending social storm are clearly seen. The discontent is openly manifested on newspapers and magazines pages, during meetings of rural and urban leaders. University students revolt. The country is covered with waves of strikes and demonstrations. The demands for political changes prevail.
In Paris, the Congress of opposition Russian political parties is held. It unanimously approves the resolution on the need to eliminate autocracy and its replacement with a free democratic system.
Contemporary - "Omens"
Scene 14. THE WORD OF RECONCILIATION. January 1897
Vladimir Ulyanov is in solitary confinement prison for more than a year. He supports illegal correspondence with the comrades who remained at liberty. Vladimir composes the texts of leaflets on behalf of "Union of struggle for the emancipation of the working class".
Vladimir Ulyanov – “The word of reconciliation”
Scene 12. DAUGHTER. November 16, 1895.
Deep inside the Tsarskoselski Park, among the trees and small lakes is the Alexander Palace. There the first daughter of Nicky and Alix is born, who’ll give them new joys and new worries.
From the journal of Nicky: "It’ll be always the memorable day for me, during which I suffered a lot! As early as 1 am my lovely Alix was in the pain that prevented her from sleeping ... We named our God-sent daughter Olga in our prayer! When all the excitement has subsided, and the horrors were over, I fell into a blissful state of mind because of what’s happened!".
Nicky - "Daughter"
Scene 13. CORONATION. May 26, 1896.
Blue cloudless sky is over Moscow. The bells are tolling. We can hear enthusiastic cries of "Hurrah" and the sounds of the orchestra playing "God Save the Tsar". Everyone is quiet now – the All members of the royal family approach the crowned autocrat of all Russia and swear allegiance to him.
The program of festivities at Khodynskoe field includes the giveaway of royal gifts and theatrical performances. By the dawn over half a million people gather on the Khodynka. Suddenly the rumor is spread that there’ll be not enough presents for everyone. The crowd rushes forward. Hodynka resembles a battlefield. Hundreds are dead, thousands injured.
People - "Long live the Russian Tsar!"
The Contemporary, the Folk - "Hodynka"
Scene 11. WEDDING. November, 1894.
Nicky and Alix are in the Palace Church in the Winter Palace in front of the Metropolitan with lighted candles in their hands. The wedding ceremony is in progress. Because of the mourning there will be no reception and honeymoon after the ceremony. The young couple moves to Anichkov Palace and occupy the rooms where Nicky lived as a child. The newlyweds are left alone ...
On the night after the wedding Alix wrote in Nicky’s journal: "I would never have believed in the existence of such complete happiness in this world - the feeling of unity of the two mortal beings. We’ll never ever part. At last, we're together, and our lives are tied until the end, and when this life is over, we will meet again in another world and will be together forever. "
Alix - "On this night, I'll become a lampion"
Nicky - "I'll take your hand"
Scene 10. GOD SAVE THE TSAR. 1894.
The Royal Family is concerned about the health of the 49-year-old Emperor Alexander III. The Sovereign is getting worse. Nicky is confused: - "What will happen to Russia? I'm not ready to be the Tsar! I cannot manage the empire. I do not even know how to talk with the ministers. " He begs his father to allow him to abdicate. But Alexander III is adamant - the law of succession must be respected.
The thunder of the navy artillery pays the last tribute to the deceased monarch. Standing in a semi-circle, the members of the Royal Family, the government officials and courtiers swear allegiance to the new Emperor, Nicholas II.
Nicky, Alexander III - "I'm not ready ..."
Chorus - "God Save the Tsar!"
Ники - "О боже, дай мне силы..."