Who did Lazarev's performance at Eurovision. Lazarev’s number became the most spectacular in the history of Eurovision. And all in real danger

Sweden has become the host of the competition for the sixth time. But this year, a record number of countries have announced their participation - 43. Although there are still several stages ahead, many are confident that Sergei is among the best artists at the Eurovision 2016 contest.

Even before the world saw Sergei Lazarev’s performance, it was believed that he was the main favorite of the competition. Now, having seen and appreciated not only the song “You are the only one”, but also the full picture, we can say with confidence that this is really so!

Let us remind you that the hit “You Are the Only One”, with which Sergei Lazarev performed, is the work of Philip Kirkorov and the Greek composer Dmitris Kontopoulos. They came to the competition together with Sergei to help and support him in everything.

“My song has a simple message - it’s about incredible, crazy love. The phrase “You are the only one” in English language there is no specific indication of gender. Because both men and women dream of being the one or the one for someone. I dedicate this song to a specific girl, but I won’t say who,” the singer intrigued fans at one of the press conferences. Thus making it clear that his heart is occupied.

Sergei and his team, led by Kirkorov, did a really good job to make the performance bright and memorable. This is not surprising, because our artist rehearsed around the clock and even ended up in the hospital because of this (read more).

Despite the fact that during the rehearsal there were problems with the scenery, at the most crucial moment the installation, from which the artist fell and almost ended up in a hospital bed, did not fail.

The singer lost his balance, fell from a meter high and, fortunately, escaped with only a minor fright. No serious injuries occurred as a result of the fall. But the number had to be run again. And the team of the Russian Eurovision contestant was seriously nervous. Still would! The scenery and projections constantly change each other, disappear and even spin. Now it’s clear what Sergei meant when he said that the routine turned out to be physically difficult for him.

“The performance we have in mind requires not so much physical fitness as endurance. So dial muscle mass or I didn’t have to lose weight. And no one stood over me with a stick, controlling my training, I am still an adult artist, experienced and self-critical. I myself know where to pump up and where to lose weight,” Sergei said in a recent interview.

Behind appearance Anna Osmekhina answers our artist on stage. The designer has already sewed concert costumes for the star many times. Here, too, there were no unpleasant surprises. Anna is a proven person and tried to make our star shine and shine brighter than anyone else.

None of Sergei’s relatives came to Stockholm, but only because he himself wanted to. The artist does not like to be distracted from his work mood, because he is in Stockholm with an important mission and wants to be completely focused on the task, and besides, each artist’s delegation is allowed to have 25 people and all places have long been booked.

Sergei performed amazingly, the audience received him very warmly. It was obvious that the song and number captivated all the spectators, but Lazarev did not intend to relax. He noted that, despite the high chances of victory that he was promised, there was no time to celebrate. There are two more stages ahead, after which everything will become clear.

However, when all the participants in the Eurovision contest became known, and after listening to all the performers, the European audience placed its bets on Russia. But even then the representative of our country did not relax. Lazarev is sure that it is impossible to predict which of the performers will be liked more.

“This year at Eurovision there is very strong competition, there are many hit compositions, there are excellent vocalists, but I can’t single out just one, everyone is unique in some way. It’s not for nothing that they were sent to represent the country at the competition. Whether this uniqueness will resonate with a multimillion-dollar international television audience is another question. The songs are different, the messages are also different, and even the languages ​​are different. It is impossible to predict who will like it more and who less. It is unknown what mood will be in Stockholm in May.”

After Lazarev's performance in the first semi-final, the stakes did not change: he still remains the undisputed favorite. This was also emphasized by British journalists who, when describing the performance of a participant from Russia, used the epithets “amazing”, “magnificent” and the like (read more about what they wrote about Sergei’s performance).

Let us remind you that the international music competition “Eurovision 2016” is taking place in Sweden from today to May 14. Last year, our country was represented by Polina Gagarina and took an honorable second place. Also, at different times, Alla Pugacheva, Philip Kirkorov, Alsou, Dima Bilan and others traveled from Russia to the competition.

Sergey Lazarev

According to Lazarev, his entire team is real professionals who have worked at Eurovision more than once with other participants. For example, director and choreographer Fokas Evangelinos staged a number with a piano and a ballerina at Eurovision for Dmitry Bilan for the song Never Let Me Go in 2006, with which he took second place. And Dmitry Kontopoulos, who together with Phillip Kirkorov worked on the song You Are The Only One, has extensive experience in writing songs for Eurovision: Sakis Rouvas already performed his composition at the competition in 2009 and took seventh place. Kontopoulos also wrote music for songs by Ani Lorak, Farid Mamedov, Anna Vissi, Demy, Kostas Martakis, Dmitry Koldun and the Tolmachev sisters. All together they created a truly bright and memorable stage performance for Lazarev - with installations, video projections, complex choreography and more.

Kirkorov has no doubts about the success of his ward, with whom he will support the artist and help prepare for the finals (that Sergei will make it to the finals, it seems, was clear to everyone from the very beginning).

Sergey Lazarev and Philip Kirkorov

But Lazarev did not take his family and friends with him to Eurovision:

None of my relatives will go to Stockholm with me, each artist’s delegation is allowed 25 people, and all our places have already been booked. But it’s not just that, I don’t want to be distracted from my working mood, I’m going there to work, to represent the country, and not to relax and have fun. I don't want to think where in this moment my relatives, have they eaten, are they not lost? There shouldn't be any worries of this nature.

- said Lazarev.

Not only foreign experts predict victory for the Russian performer, but also, of course, Russian ones.

Joseph Prigogine: Sergey is a wonderful artist, confident, stable. And his number is strong. Lazarev's competition is weak, the chance that he will take first place is high. Overall, Seryozha should win.

Igor Matvienko: It’s a good number, just like a number - it’s the best, I think Sergei will be in the top three.

After the broadcast of the first semi-final of Eurovision, there was only talk about the performance of our Sergei Lazarev. During this time, a million people have already watched the video of his performance on YouTube, and the performance was unanimously recognized as the most spectacular in the entire history of the European competition.

And this is really beyond doubt. What was happening on stage in Stockholm real magic: steps suddenly appeared from the screen, along which the singer climbed higher and higher, then disappeared, and it seemed that he was floating in space. We looked and wondered: how, how does he do this?!

Woman’s Day asked the director of the act, Greek director Fokas Evangelinos, about this. He has extensive experience working at Eurovision: he staged a number for the Greek singer Elena Paparizou, with whom she won in 2005, his idea was embodied by Ani Lorak in 2008, he came up with a production with ballerina Dima Bilan emerging from the piano in 2006 . And now I directed the number for Sergei Lazarev. As Philip Kirkorov believes: “Fokas has surpassed himself.”

Concept: a man in search of love

Photo by Getty Images

“I listened to the song first, because only the lyrics can give me an idea,” Fokas told Woman’s Day. - One time was enough for me to understand how Sergei should look on stage. All people in life are looking for their one or their one and only. When we are born, the only one for us is our mother, later it is a boyfriend or girlfriend, then a husband or wife, when we become grandparents, our meaning of life is in our grandchildren. We all say the phrase “You are the only one” in life, only in different contexts. And so I wanted to show the search process itself. At the beginning, Sergei tries to achieve his goal with the help of wings, then people, personified by dancers, help him, then he climbs the hills himself and finds himself at the top.

I knew that Sergei had all the abilities to perform a routine of any complexity. This is quite rare on the stage. I realized that the number can and should be unique. But the most important thing is that I knew for sure that the artist could do it - that’s what’s important.”

Uniqueness of the scenery

Still photo of the performance

“During the preparation process, we had to transform the scenery. The Eurovision organizers insisted that there should only be one large structure on the stage, but we wanted to install three. I had to combine three parts into one. That is, the set looks like three objects on stage, but in fact it is one whole structure - this is how we got out of the situation.”

35 people behind the stage

Photo by Getty Images

“We spent six months preparing the three-minute show. In December I presented the idea, then the first question was raised about how to implement it, how to work out the lighting, in January they began to build the scenery, and in February they began rehearsals. For three months, every day we worked on the number, we had to make sure that everything would go as planned, that Sergei would be able to do everything, because the production is actually very complex.

There are 35 people in Lazarev’s delegation: lighting workers, scenery workers, vocalists, vocal teachers, doctors in case something happens to Seryozha, a lot of people behind the scenes.”

Running through the air, or 3D effect

Still photo of the performance

They write: what happens on stage during the performance is magic. But since it’s magic, we decided to turn to a professional in this field - magician Sergei Safronov.

“My six-year-old daughter watched Eurovision with me, her mouth open, and at the end she asked: “Dad, how did he do it?” Just imagine, I didn’t even tell my daughter how Seryozha did it,” Sergei smiled. .

Still photo of the performance

In fact, according to Safronov, no revolutionary technologies were used in the room. The wings, like Sergei’s imprints, and the universe are a powerful projection. The retractable steps along which Lazarev climbs are also not a breakthrough, they are simply very well integrated and camouflaged. And the key word here is very.

“Done incredibly powerfully and competently, a huge role is played by Sergei’s clearly refined movements, which allowed him to exist absolutely synchronously and naturally in this projection. Do you know that this number was perfected by Lazarev over several months on tour? He painstakingly rehearsed every movement. I myself got goosebumps when I watched the number, because I understood how difficult it was, what miracles of tightrope walking Sergei was performing, and I just watched with my fingers crossed, realizing that at any second he could fall. His work showed how much sweat and blood he shed in rehearsals and training. Imagine what kind of jitters he has, what degree of responsibility is entrusted to him - and not a single nerve twitched.”

And all in real danger!

Photo by Getty Images

To perform the most spectacular trick in the middle of the act, Sergei, according to professionals, had to exert a lot of physical strength, since he needed to hold himself on a small ledge. But even at the same time, sing upside down, without losing your breath for a second!

The stunning number for Sergei Lazarev at the Eurovision Song Contest was created by the famous Greek director Fokas Evangelinos. Fokas is a real Eurovision luminary. Evangelinos’ ideas have won high places in the competition more than once, but, as the Greek himself admits, Lazarev’s act is special for him.

Evangelinos has long dreamed of using it on stage modern technologies. The main one is Video mapping technology. Video mapping - 3D projection onto a physical object environment taking into account its geometry and location in space. Using this technology, the Greek director placed Lazarev inside an optical illusion on a giant set with LED screens, which will be seen both by the audience in the hall and on the other side of the TV. In an exclusive interview with Life, Fokas Evangelinos spoke about how Sergei Lazarev will be able to take off, spin and sing at the same time.

It is a great honor for me to represent Russia and such a great artist as Sergei Lazarev. When I saw all the videos and the great work he has done over the years, I decided that I would give a very special performance from the first moment I saw how concentrated he was on stage,” Evangelinos admitted.

What plot is filmed in the song?

This song is about love and what it takes for you to fully experience it in all its forms. About the stages that you will pass while moving towards your goal.

What technologies were used to install the scenery on stage?

The concept of production in the implementation of a video sequence that uses new technology. The idea of ​​the video materials that will be played on stage is a galaxy within which you are and walk different paths of love, looking for your goal. The meaning of this luminous ball is love, expectation, the great goal of the one who seeks. The hero walks different paths through his galaxy and finds his goal. It often happens that you imagine something in your mind, but the artist is simply not able to execute it. But Sergei can do anything - he is a very talented performer.

What caused the failure during the first rehearsal? Sergei mentioned uncomfortable shoes, which prevented him from standing on the set.

It's not just about shoes. I can honestly say that we tried to rehearse the production for the first time and selected which materials would be best suited for the scenery. After several attempts, we finally chose the material for the decoration, it could not hold up and fell, but this is completely normal - this allowed us to check the material and fastening again and subsequently make the decoration convenient to use.

Belarusian singer IVAN used similar technologies to create his act with optical illusions in the form of wolves on stage. Have you seen his number?

No, these are completely different technologies, they work differently. Sergei brings something of himself, he constantly plays with the scenery, moves it and moves in it himself. I have not seen anything like this from a Belarusian singer.

They say that when creating numbers for Eurovision, you never watch your competitors’ performances ?

Yes, I specifically don’t want to compare the participants, so as not to accidentally introduce other people’s elements into the performance. When the preparation of the performance is completed, I will be happy to communicate with other singers and their teams.

What is the role of Philip Kirkorov in the production of the act and the idea of ​​its creation?

Philip, as a talented person, knows how to discover equally talented people. He has been working successfully in the music industry for a long time, and I am grateful to him for helping Sergei. He is very professional and was able to assemble an excellent team that has been working for several years. I am grateful to Philip for his trust. His role in the process is enormous.

Who came up with wings for Sergei in his room?

Sergei is like Icarus for me (a character from ancient Greek myths - editor's note). He also strives for the light and strives to fly high. True, you all know the sad story of Icarus - he came too close to the sun and fell. However, let’s omit this ending and leave only the beautiful story and this image, which will be similar to the image of Sergei on stage.

Let us remind you that for the first time Eurovision viewers will be able to appreciate Sergei Lazarev’s performance in the semi-finals of the competition - on May 10 at 21.30 on the Rossiya 1 TV channel. Russian artist will perform at number 9.