Mikhail Baryshnikov on "The Orchard" and Putin's war

mikhail baryshnikov a dance legend if ever  there was one has lived a life in the spotlight   on stage and off he's in  conversation with anthony mason in a new adaptation of the cherry orchard  at the baryshnikov arts center in new york   the center's namesake is playing an old servant  three degrees below zero and the cherry blossoms   all in bloom i'm almost 75 and  i'm playing 85 years old okay the white hair is for his character named  firs it's bleached you know it's not mine yet one of the world's most acclaimed dancers  mikhail baryshnikov has worked only occasionally   as an actor most notably an oscar-nominated  performance in the 1977 film the turning point   are you going to be all right don't  worry about him he'll be all right   i have a little secret for you you know i think  it's perfectly all right to be nervous and then   uh quarter pounder with cheese and playing carrie  bradshaw's russian boyfriend on sex and the city   can you handle it absolutely but he learned from  some of the best james cagney he was good friend   of mine and he always thought i said james how  you play i said listen what the person is telling   you and then they tell him back the truth  and if you're not dumb you observe he has a   some sort of a light that that or some sort  of a presence that uh is extremely unique   so what's that like as a director  there's no way to control it   ukrainian-born igor golyak is directing the  soviet-born actor in this russian classic   baryshnikov has another role as playwright  anton chekhov in the virtual production   in chekhov's play the matriarch of a family played  by jessica hecht faces financial troubles and   has to face selling their beloved orchard if the  estate is so it doesn't matter i must look truth   straight in the eye the orchard in the bigger  sense of the word one of the characters says all   of russia is our orchard it's very relatable right  now there's a complete loss of russia right now   as golyak was planning the production russia  invaded ukraine his family had left kiev for   boston back in 1990 when he was just 11. but when  this war started you know something in the stomach   started like twisting and it just hurts how has it  been for you to watch what's happening in ukraine horrific and just now they have issues you  know about it baryshnikov made headlines around   the world when he defected from the soviet  union in 1974. does it seem a long time ago   no it's and so it's been very fast yeah  unfortunately you never wanted to go back   to russia no somehow maybe instinctively i knew  that one day something like that would happen   in his soviet years as a principal dancer with the  kirov ballet baryshnikov was privileged to travel   but he was watched you were usually followed by  kgb agents when you went yes yes but there were   guys who were a couple of guys always you knew  them by names you know and uh sometimes we'll   have a coffee with them you know it was like  okay we had the nicknames for them you know it wasn't that intimidating of course they have many different faces yes but in 1974 while  touring with the bolshoi ballet in toronto   baryshnikov slipped away where  is mr baryshnikov he is in canada days after his defection he appeared at a  dance studio in toronto he wouldn't discuss   his defection with news people today and  he wouldn't attend a news conference after   his short exhibition you've tried  not to be political over the years   but you've made a point now  with what's happening in ukraine   to say something i i couldn't stay silent  this time i was born in soviet that time   soviet latvia the family of military officer his  father a soviet colonel was a stalinist it was his   mother who introduced him to the arts in riga the  latvian capital at age six of seven the first time   my mother took me to ballet and it's orchestra  playing in this beautiful theater and it's got me it got me in 2017 baryshnikov was given  latvian citizenship it means something   my mother is buried there and that's  why back to your question about why now   that idea that um i would say russian  tanks would go again to baltics   you're afraid for latvia i'm afraid for all that  part of the world and because i am part of it   recently he co-founded the charity true russia  to raise money for ukrainian refugees when russia   banned its website earlier this month baryshnikov  addressed an open letter to president putin   your russian world the world of fear he wrote will  not live on as long as there are people like us   what did you think when putin said russians  who support the west are scum and traitors   you know this is disgusting do you think of this  as russia's war or putin's war it is putin's war   he's trying to create new history of  russia he does not care about people   at all although how it's  possible he has the kids himself   you know how it's possible russians who speak out  against him have a way of kind of disappearing   listen i i will be 75 years old what i have to  lose? my old master that will be your grandfather   as he performs in the orchard mikhail baryshnikov  says the role of the arts is to inspire and engage   it's an oxygen and his most important job is here  at the arts center that bears his name why is it   the most important job it's a social service  i've been honored to make my home in new york   i i love this country with all  craziness but there is nothing better   than the be a free man and living with your family  in free society and in this extraordinary city

Channel: CBS Sunday Morning

Views: 441,589

Keywords: CBS Sunday Morning, CBS News, news, Mikhail Baryshnikov, the orchard, 1974 defection, soviet union, putin, war

Id: 9PfhXFo2whY

Length: 7min 59sec (479 seconds)

Published: Sun Jun 19 2022