JANIRE ZURBANO ARRESE

 

Under the roof of the Liceu Theatre Jean Valjean flees from the French King. In the Club Capitol a couple sings their love story, while in the Aquitània Theatre the little mermaid swims under the sea. At the Tívoli Theatre, Snow White sings life and the La Cubana holds a very funny wedding. Where? At Barcelona’s theatres. What’s on? Les Misérables, Lo tuyo y lo mío, 75 canciones en 75 minutos (Yours and mine, 75 songs and 75 minutes), La Sireneta (The Little Mermaid) and Super3, el musical (Super3, the musical), among others. Musical theatre grows up quickly in Barcelona. Let’s talk to experts about this phenomenon.

 

 THE REVIVAL OF MUSICALS                                                                                                        

 

Musical is going strong in Barcelona. Anna Alborch, specialist in musical theatre and a member of the Catalan company EGOS Teatre, thinks this increase needs to be found in big productions that come from London and Broadway, although Barcelona has always had a musical theatre tradition and companies that work on this genre for more than 20 years. According to her, “public wants musicals, so productions from out of Catalonia have also arrived, most of them from Madrid”.

 

Carles Sans, member of Catalan theatre company Tricicle, agrees that this kind of more commercial and Broadway style musical comes from the Spanish capital: “In Catalonia, companies like Dagoll Dagom have worked on musical theatre for many years”. Sans adds this commercial approach was more difficult to implement in Barcelona but now it has conquered Catalan public and is unstoppable.

 

David Ordinas worked in Les misérables and adds that the musical in Spain is a young genre that is gradually making a growing gap in people’s leisure habits. Ordinas says “Barcelona has had very glorious musical shows, but also some very bad ones. This season the public has had more choice”.

 

 BARCELONA AND BIG MUSICAL CITIES                                                                                    

 

Anna Alborch is of the opinion that in Barcelona there is a particular way to do theatre and musicals. “Over recently years, this genre is proliferating in France and Germany, with a very particular way of doing in each place”. It is not about copying, but finding your hallmark. Two main pillars of musical ones are Broadway and London, and the Catalan capital is light years behind. Catalan musical has to learn from them but with its own and different formula.

 

Carles Sans doesn’t think Barcelona is a reference compared to other cities: “London, New York or even Madrid attract people because of musicals. Visiting Madrid at the weekend, people go to some musical, but not in Barcelona.” Catalan actor David Ordinas also recognizes we are far away from London, but not from the rest of Europe, at least as regards Madrid, the third city in the world related to musical choice. Les Misérables or Lion King show the high level in Spain.

 

 CATALANS AND MUSICALS                                                                                                         

 

From Anna Alborch’s point of view, Catalan people like musicals. The public is diverse and people of all ages can find their place because this is a very popular genre: “Any spectator will feel attracted because the musical has a lot of ingredients to be liked: a group of singer-actors, with live music.”

 

David Ordinas points that Catalan people love musicals. However, his colleague from Les Misérables Ignasi Vidal says Catalan people prefer another kind of theatre, more local and less imported shows. “Les Misérables had a large public, but not enough in order to be on for a whole season, when in Madrid it could be on for two or three seasons.”

 

 WHAT ABOUT THE POSITIVE FIGURES?                                                                                   

 

Anna Alborch thinks that the musical is loved in Catalonia, besides is a very complete genre: “Even if it is just a small show in a small theatre, the fact that you have someone singing so close to you is charming and magical” says Anna.

 

For Carles Sans, in Barcelona local theatre has always gone well. There have been successes in both the theatre and musical genre, and the public has supported them. This is great because even if the crisis is making things difficult for the sector, theatre and musical are still working.

 

In addition, Ignasi Vidal highlights that even if Les Misérables was the most popular musical, this does not mean the musical has enough money to go on. He thinks this musical boom really took place in Barcelona in the 80's; and at that moment Barcelona was pioneer in the genre with local productions.

 

 CATALAN MUSICAL AND MUSICAL IN CATALAN                                                                    

 

Anna Alborch insisted there is a specific way of understanding and doing theater in Catalonia, so the public is different too. In addition, important musical companies have always existed in Barcelona, and they have created a style: “In musicals, we have Dagoll Dagom, El Musical Més Petit, Mario Gas... We are going through a good time; there is interest in doing new things, in taking a chance on genre…”

 

Carles Sans does not see traditional particularities in the current Catalan musical. Dagoll Dagom promotes Catalan musicals, but their last productions fit new commercial and American show codes. Of course the theme is more local. Sans thinks there is a scheme marked by traditional musical and which is followed here: “Our show is a small format one, a musical that does not follow the codes of big orchestra, but which has attracted a large public.”

 

David Ordinas is proud of musicals in Catalan and he thinks that if a musical gets people’s adrenaline, it will do so in any language: “How many of you have gone to London and have seen a musical without understanding anything?”

 

 AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE                                                                                                             

 

On this subject, there are different opinions. Anna Alborch trusts that while there is public, everything will be alright. It is necessary to adapt: “Let’s start working to find new ways of doing musicals. In this way, we will surely overcome the crisis.”

 

Carles Sans also believes in a promising future, but one that looks for the spectacularity people ask for. Only powerful companies can go forward with big projects; Lion King is a very expensive show that only a musical multinational like STAGE can produce. More modest producers do not dare to do so, and less in times of crisis, “but small format musicals can be done and have good results”, he adds.

 

Ignasi Vidal agrees with Carles that the future of musicals in Barcelona is in small and local productions that are not so expensive. “There are very good professionals in Barcelona, as well as three or four theatre schools that train people exclusively for musicals”, Vidal says. He adds that producers should bet on local shows, “but first of all, the crisis has to end and people have to smile again.”