VESPER - REVIEWS
“VESPER” the musical has two heroines. The story of the legendary agent is woven from flashbacks and an investigation conducted in London by a young female journalist. In Michal Znaniecki's colorful staging, we move in spaces and times; we escape from Budapest to Cairo and are at war and in years of peace. Guthman's music is suggestively cinematic, full of lyricism, drama, and mystery but also the pathos of Hollywood productions."
- Tomasz Pasternak / portal ORFEO
"The ‘spiritus movens’ (the moving spirit) of the musical inspired by the life of Christine Granville (real Polish name - Krystyna Skarbek) was Malgorzata Zalewska, an outstanding harpist and the wife of the composer Gary Guthman. It went like this:
After the success of the musical List z Warszawy / Letter from Warsaw, its creators – Gary Guthman and Doman Nowakowski – were looking for an original theme for their next musical. At that time, Małgorzata was reading a fascinating biography of Christine Granville entitled “The Spy Who Loved” by Clare Mulley. Małgorzata suggested to her husband the character of Christine as the inspiration of the heroine for his next musical. Both Gary and Doman immediately picked up on the idea. A world-class Polish woman – that's exactly what they needed! The Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic management also had no doubts, as they commissioned Gary Guthman on the spot.
- Alina Ert-Ebert / Segregator
“Gary Guthman, American-born and citizen of Poland created the story and composed all the music, with Doman Nowakowski co-assisting with the libretto. Director Michal Znaniecki sewed the whole story into a show that stays in the memory on the large and modern stage at the disposal of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic. And since every picture is said to be worth a thousand words..."
- Jerzy Doroszkiewicz / Geekstok.pl
"Gary Guthman created colorful, emotional, stylish music, which he orchestrated, which was perfectly performed by the orchestra of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic under the reliable baton of Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk."
- Tadeusz Deszkiewicz
"The musical "VESPER" is a surprising production, full of segments like real paintings, saturated with moving emotions and reflection on truth and morality, and as director Michał Znaniecki announced – it is spectacular. Music reigns supreme. We don't have too much dialogue here; one scene flows into another, while the composer plays with the pace changes even in one scene. We get a real music extravaganza! The recurring excellent leitmotif is moving and stays in your mind."
- Anna Dycha / Podlasie Theatre Journal