‘JELENA AND I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR YEARS’: Actor has another unfulfilled wish that only his daughter NINA can grant!
Currently, the film Lilacs is a major hit in local cinemas, but this year Ivan Bosiljčić has also been successfully touring Serbia with the programme Our Evening.
The renowned actor held the first of a series of concerts last night, accompanied by the symphony orchestra of the "Stanislav Binički" artistic ensemble at the Mts Hall in Belgrade. His wife, Jelena Tomašević, joined him on stage, and the drama artist is soon to celebrate the anniversary of the musical Gypsies Are Found Near Heaven, which he talked about with Kurir.
You recently hosted a programme in your hometown Užice, which has become a capital of culture.
“I don’t often do such things, as I consider presenting to be a serious task, different from acting. However, probably because I was among my own people and in my own town, at my own home, I felt absolutely fantastic. Užice deserves to be a capital of culture. It launched me not just to Belgrade but also to the world many years ago. I am glad to be able to give back in this symbolic way.”
Will you come again?
“I am eagerly awaiting the 5th of July, because then we will find ourselves here in the middle of summer with the symphony orchestra of the Ministry of Defence's "Stanisav Binički" artistic ensemble. We will perform my musical show, which I have been trying to bring to Užice for 15 years, and finally, we have made it. Over these years, a lot has changed. It all started as a chamber story, then gained some gypsy and Sevdah overtones, and now I have a large orchestra by my side.”
What has changed since your beginnings?
“Over these 15 years, we have become better people because we did not give up on poetry, music, and art. On the other hand, there will be other melodies at these concerts. Now I am attracted to the sound of the east.”
How did it happen that you share the stage with your wife Jelena Tomašević?
“For years we were each other's audience. I enjoy going to her concerts. However, at home, we constantly sing in three parts with our daughter Nina. For me, this was a poignant moment. We had been waiting for years for some duet song or a director of a musical to bring us together on stage and we realised we couldn’t wait any longer. We simply fulfilled our own wish.”
What does Nina do?
“She is a brilliant pianist and dancer. My wish is for her to accompany dad on the piano sometime, but this time she will be in the audience.”
Does she watch your plays? Now it’s 20 years of the musical Gypsies Are Found Near Heaven at Terazije.
“She is surprised when she sees me on stage. She didn’t know dad could be a lawyer in Chicago or a horse thief in Gypsies. The years go by, but we are whole. We perform that show in honour of colleagues who are no longer with us.”
T. Bozoran - Z. Gligorijević
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