Sabahattin Ali's 'Madonna in the Fur Coat' Premieres as Musical Drama

The Samsun State Opera and Ballet (SAMDOB) has staged the world premiere of a musical drama adapted from Sabahattin Ali's classic novel, "The Madonna in the Fur Coat." This celebrated work, translated into numerous languages and considered one of the most widely read novels in Turkish literature, was presented at the Atatürk Culture Center Aydın Gün Stage as part of the Samsun Culture Road Festival.

The two-act production, directed by Cenk Bıyık, features music by Kıvanç Fındıklı. The stage adaptation and libretto were crafted by Ayşe Ceylan, with Kutay Maktay conducting the orchestra. The artistic team also includes Canan Ünal as concertmaster, Arkın Zirek and Can Tunalı for choreography, Orhan Açıkgöz for set design, Gülnur Çağlayan Tuluk for costume design, Aisha Hajiyeva for digital design, Oğuz Murat Yılmaz for lighting design, and Murat Turgut for video projection design.

The musical drama delves into themes of love, loneliness, and the poignancy of missed opportunities, primarily through the intense relationship between Raif Efendi and Maria Puder in Berlin. The narrative is conveyed to the audience via the narrator Rasim, who recounts events from a notebook, and through Sabahattin Ali himself, who is positioned on stage as a witness.

With more than 100 individuals involved, including artists, orchestra members, ballet dancers, and technical staff, the world premiere garnered significant interest from art enthusiasts. The performance was sold out, and was attended by Barış Salcan, the Deputy General Director and Acting General Artistic Director of the State Opera and Ballet. The musical drama "The Madonna in the Fur Coat" is scheduled for another performance today.