Buratino

Musical by Olav Ehala

World premiere in 1975 at the Riga Youth Theatre, premiere in Estonia on February 19, 1978 at the Estonian State Youth Theatre
Premiere at the Estonian National Opera on May 26, 2018

One day the elderly organ grinder Papa Carlo receives quite an ordinary log as a gift. He decides to carve a puppet out of it and to his great surprise it springs to life. Papa Carlo names him Buratino and sells his jacket to send the puppet to school. A little naughty, but otherwise kind-hearted, Buratino is caught up in adventures that take him through the Land of Fools, across the Field of Wonders, Tortila’s pond and through the Inn. On his way he meets the evil puppeteer Carabas Barabas, Basilio the Cat and Alice the Fox, robbers and the police dogs. Tortila the Turtle gives him a golden key that opens a secret door in Carlo’s chamber… With the help of his friends Malvina, Pierrot and Artemon he prevents Carabas Barabas from obtaining the key and saves the puppets of the theatre. In spring, all Olav Ehala’s beloved tunes, jolly songs and merry characters will come to life on the stage of the Estonian National Opera in a new orchestration creates specially for the orchestra of the theatre!