Premiere of the new Bulgarian family musical ‘Christmas Glue for Fathers’ at theOpera Plovdiv

On the eve of the Christmas holidays, Plovdiv Opera invites children on a magical theatrical journey with the premiere of the new Bulgarian family musical “Beard Glue” – a performance for young and grown-up children, parents, and elves.
The music for the show is created by Stefan Valdobrev, who also composed the inspiring song of the same name that sparked the entire idea. The dialogues and lyrics are written by Tsvetomira Tsoneva, while the arrangement and orchestration are entrusted to Konstantin Dobroikov. The dramaturgical concept belongs to Nina Naydenova, who is also the director of the production.

“Beard Glue” tells the story of how children can rediscover their ability to dream, and how “rushed” parents can rediscover the warmth, meaning, and joy of connecting with their children. The “I want, I want, I want…” and “I’m in a hurry, I’m in a hurry, I’m in a hurry…” that often define communication between generations turn into dreams and shared experiences—values that four families from different continents rediscover in their search for the true “spirit” of Christmas. The performance “gifts” audiences with these once-forgotten human values—love, attention, sharing, and dreaming.

A special place in the creation of the musical is given to the active participation of children, whose comments and suggestions become part of the creative process. They also actively take part in the drawing initiative “Draw a Christmas Dream.” The poster of the show was created through a competition among graphic design students from Plovdiv University and AMTII, turning the project into a platform for young talents.

The stage appearance of “Beard Glue” is shaped by an impressive creative team. The orchestra is led by conductor Petar Tuleshkov, the choreography is created by Valeriy Kondrattsev, and the scenography and video design are the work of Petko Tanchev, who imaginatively recreates the visual worlds of the Dream Factory and Lapland. The costumes are designed by Elitsa Georgieva, inspired by the clothing of the Sámi people of Lapland. Assisting in the scenography is Ognyan Yordanov, and in costume design—Victoria Peneva.

The performance features soloists and the orchestra of Plovdiv Opera, along with over 30 child performers from the “Madame Opera” Academy, selected after a casting.

“Beard Glue” is a family musical that brings professionals and children together on one stage to remind us that dreams, love, and shared moments are the strongest “glue” between generations.

The premiere performances on December 12, 13, and 27 will be attended free of charge by nearly 2,000 children from Plovdiv and the region!

The musical is created under project BG-RRP-11.021-0003 “Together Again,” under procedure BG-RRP-11.021 “New Generation of Local Cultural Policies for Large Municipalities,” funded by the European Union through the Recovery and Resilience Facility (NextGenerationEU) under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan of the Republic of Bulgaria, administered by the National Culture Fund.