Opera in 2 acts
Lviv National Opera presents the opera “Fox Mykyta” by the Ukrainian composer Ivan Nebesnyi, which was written specially for our theatre. Libretto is written by the director Vasyl Vovkun and is based on the famous fairy-tale “Fox Mykyta” by Ivan Franko.
The opera is suitable for family viewing. Our fairy tale with its entertaining storyline, humour and adventures of the cunning Fox conceals burning social issues. The world of the animals, which are the main characters of the opera, is strikingly similar to the human society with all its laws of struggle for existence. “Who … cares when we have heads so wise and sly?”. It is wisdom and slyness that help Fox Mykyta to overcome all challenges and to become a winner.
Opera “Fox Mykyta” by Ivan Nebesnyi hides many surprises: powerful sound (along with the orchestra we will hear traditional Ukrainian instruments: cymbals, banduras, jew’s harp and trembitas), contemporary set design, bright costumes and masks as well as modern 3D projection and light technologies.
The opera is performed in Ukrainian
CREATORS
Chief conductor – Teodor Kuchar (USA)
Conductor – Iryna Stasyshyn
Director – Vasyl Vovkun
Set designer – Tadei Ryndzak
Lighting designer – Arvydas Buinauskas (Lithuania)
3D mapping – Svitlana Reinish, Yurii Kostenko
Masks designer – Liudmyla Tabachkova
Assistant of masks designer – Anzhela Horodyska
Choreographer – Marcello Algeri (Italy)
Costume designer – Anna Ipatieva (Kyiv)
Chorus master – Vadym Yatsenko
The spring has come. King Lion summons all animals to the court of law. Only Fox Mykyta, who is accused, doesn’t come. However he is severely criticized by the animals. Wolf, Dog Hector, Cat Purry and Lynx Rys, who have tried to stand up for the little Rabbit Jack, have suffered from his slyness. Only Badger Babye tries to justify Fox Mykyta as a very pious man who keeps the fast the whole year. He remarks that all other animals are no saint. They did injustice to others and laid the blame on Mykyta. The only hope is a wise decision of King Lion. The King orders Bear to bring Fox to the court.
However, Mykyta doesn’t hurry to obey the royal decree. He offers Bear to steal some honey from reach farmer Jim. Bear yearns to eat honey, but his paws are caught in the trap! And before the escape he is whipped. The next royal messenger is coward Cat Purry. But he also gets into trouble. Cat wants to eat mice in a house of the village prefect, but gets caught in the noose and barely escapes from the prefect’s whip. Ragged he returns to the palace. King Lion is furious! Badger Babye, uncle of Fox Mykyta, visits his nephew. He persuades Fox to go to the court and demonstrate his wisdom, make enemies stop gossiping and beg King Lion temper justice with mercy. But King Lion is relentless and orders Fox Mykyta to go to the tribunal, where old goats and donkeys hold a session.
Deaf Donkey announces the verdict – to hang Mykyta on the gallows. Animals can’t wait to see the execution, but Fox begs King Lion for confession and tells about King Pee’s priceless treasure. Lion listens carefully: what treasure and where is it? Fox invents a story about the treasure hidden in Chornohora Mountains. The treasure was found by his father, who, together with Bear, Wolf and Cat, planned to rebel against the King Lion! But Mykyta stopped his father, proving loyalty to his King!
King Lion rewards the courage of Fox Mykyta and grants him pardon. Fox promises to show the King where the treasure is hidden, but only after his return from pilgrimage (in his last hour Fox swore to visit Rome and Jerusalem). Meanwhile, the Fox offenders, Bear, Wolf and Cat, are imprisoned.
Fox Mykyta is preparing for the pilgrimage. He asks Lion for Bear’s bag and Wolf’s boots. Having his wish granted, Fox leaves the royal palace and he returns home to his wife and children, accompanied by Goat and Rabbit. Fox Mykyta warmly invites Rabbit into the house, reminds Rabbit’s testimony against Fox in the court of law and kills him. Meanwhile Goat grazes grass in the yard. Mykyta gives Goat a bag with letters for the King. Goat hands the bag to Lion, but instead of letters King finds there the head of Rabbit. King Lion growls angrily and kills Goat.
Badger Babye pays visit to Fox again. Mykyta wants to go to the royal palace, but Vixen asks her husband to stay at home. Fox answers that he has the best help – his wisdom! On the way to the royal palace, Fox and Badger Babye meet procession headed by Cock. Fox Mykyta kills Cock for lunch. Badger Babye says that it is a bad idea, because Queen Lioness is his patroness. Instead, Fox Mykyta tells the story about Monkey Froozya, who is secretly in love with him.
Fox Mykyta comes to the royal palace and says miserably that he is not guilty of the death of Rabbit and Goat, and it was they who had to bring treasure to Lion King. Wolf orders Fox to stop lying and challenges him to a duel to decide once and for all who is an honest person and who is a liar. Monkey Froozya decides to help Fox and shears him. Only his tail is still fluffy to throw sand into the Wolf’s eyes. These tricks help Mykyta to win the duel. King Lion appoints Fox Mykyta on the post of chancellor to defend the state with his wisdom, which Fox showed in the duel. All animals praise Fox Mykyta!
Lviv National Opera is preparing to stage the world premiere of the opera “Fox Mykyta” by the Ukrainian composer Ivan Nebesnyi, which was written specially for our theatre.
Libretto is written by the director Vasyl Vovkun and is based on the famous fairy-tale “Fox Mykyta” by Ivan Franko.
The opera is suitable for family viewing. Our fairy tale with its entertaining storyline, humour and adventures of the cunning Fox conceals burning social issues.
The world of the animals, which are the main characters of the opera, is strikingly similar to the human society with all its laws of struggle for existence. “Who … cares when we have heads so wise and sly?”. It is wisdom and slyness that help Fox Mykyta to overcome all challenges and to become a winner.
Opera “Fox Mykyta” by Ivan Nebesnyi hides many surprises: powerful sound (along with the orchestra we will hear traditional Ukrainian instruments: cymbals, banduras, jew’s harp and trembitas), contemporary set design, bright costumes and masks as well as modern 3D projection and light technologies.
The opera is performed in Ukrainian.





































Fox Mykyta |
Oleh Lanovyy winner of the international competition Vitaliy Rozdaihora winner of the international competition |
Vixen |
Anastasiya Kornutyak winner of the international competition Hanna Nosova winner of the international competition Mariana Mazur laureate of international competitions Olena Romaniv Lyubov Dika |
King Lion |
Petro Radeyko winner of the international competition Yuriy Shevchuk winner of the international competition |
Queen Lioness |
Natalia Romanyuk Honored Artist of Ukraine Veronika Kolomishcheva winner of the international competition |
Monkey Froozya |
Luydmyla Ostash Honored Artist of Ukraine Olesia Bubela winner of the international competition Oksana Mocherad |
Wolf |
Andriy Benuyk winner of the international competition Dmytro Zhukov |
Bear |
Yuriy Trytsetskyy Honored artist of Ukraine Dmytro Kokotko Ihor Mikhnevych |
Cock |
Oleg Sadetsky Honored artist of Ukraine Mykola Kuzjmych |
Dog Hector |
Vitaliy Voytko Ihor Znatynyak |
Cat Purry |
Vitalij Zagorbenskyj winner of the international competition Mykola Kornutyak winner of the international competition |
Badger Babye |
Oleksandr Zozulya Vitalij Zagorbenskyj winner of the international competition |
Lynx Rys |
Tetyana Vakhnovska Honored artist of Ukraine Maryana Berezyak Lyubov Dika Iryna Tchikel |
Donkey |
Volodymyr Chibisov winner of the international competition Volodymyr Dutchak Dmytro Kokotko Ihor Mikhnevych |
Goat |
Yuriy Hetsko Andriy Savka |
Rabbit Jack |
Vitaliy Voytko Ihor Znatynyak |
Farmer Jim |
Dmytro Zhukov Ivan Borhes-Samko |
Village prefect |
Volodymyr Dutchak Yuriy Trytsetskyy Honored artist of Ukraine Dmytro Kokotko |
Court official |
Vasyl Matvijiv Ihor Kuzjmych |