Ever wonder why most children grow up watching musicals? Why “Marry Poppins and “The Sound of Music remind you of your old living room? It’s simply because they’re utterly and purely joyous, easy to memorize and have proven to be timeless.
The stage of the Cairo Opera House has nurtured hundreds of talents, showcased a marathon of sterling performances and stunned millions of audiences over the years; they’ve staged vocal performances, music from local and international bands, seen dancers performing every conceivable style there is shine like stars, sometimes combining more than one element in one production, but never all.
For the first time, the Cairo Opera House is taking audiences back to the glamorous world of the 60s, housing segments from Broadway hits “Westside Story and “Grease, a full-fledged production featuring vocals, dance, dazzling sets and glitzy costumes.
“We have done [in the past] excerpts of Broadway musicals in concert form. This is the first time we do it in stage form, said Niveen Allouba, artistic coordinator and general supervisor of the show.
Twenty-five singers selected through an audition from the Talent Development Center of the Cairo Opera House, the Talent Development Center of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Cairo Conservatoire, College of Musical Education, Helwan University, and the American University in Cairo, will be accompanied by 15 dancers from the Cairo Ballet Company for this highly-anticipated production.
Because of the high demand on the performance, a third show in Cairo on July 6 was added only after tickets sold out for the first two Cairo shows, July 3 and 4, one day after tickets were made available for the public.
“Broadway Comes to Egypt is a collaborative effort between the US Embassy in Cairo, the Cairo Opera House and American Voices, an American arts organization dedicated to bringing American music and culture to audiences around the world.
For the past four weeks, performers have been learning the choreography and memorizing their lines ahead of the show under the supervision of choreographer Michael Parks Masterson and music direction by Ira Spaulding and John Ferguson.
“I think he [Masterson] is very good; he brings an organized side to Egypt, said Sarah Viva, a German resident in Egypt, as the dress rehearsal was about to commence an hour later than schedule.
“There are many talented people but sometime they don’t know how to put everything together, fast and organized, and he’s very good in teaching this.
Viva has been dancing at the opera house for the past two years, and will take part in both musicals.
“This has been a rich experience for everyone involved. In my opinion, we present them [the trainers] with something very important; here in Egypt we have an established reputable opera house that is very professional that operates on international standards, said Dalia Farouk, a lead vocalist.
“We have definitely exceeded their expectations. Even if they are technically ahead of us, we were able to show them that there is a lot of talent and a lot of potential among Egyptian performers.
The 32-year-old is playing the role of Maria in “Westside Story, the innocent determined young girl of Puerto Rican descent who finds love with rival gang member Tony and vows to put an end to racial tensions.
“This role is very close to my heart. All singers would love to play that role and all girls would like to be in that state, said Farouk.
“I am honored to have been picked for this role.
Farouk is a trained vocal performer who holds an MA from University of California Los Angeles and a PhD from École Normale de Musique de Paris, along with several diplomas from American universities.
“It’s a new experience for me in so far as it includes theatrical movement. My past roles in musicals have always taken a concert form where the singer performs along with an ensemble, without involving dance.
Tony is performed by Hany Ibrahim, a graduate of the Cairo Conservatoire, and a first-season soloist at the opera.
“Singing in a musical is different from singing opera music; it’s the kind of music that you fall in love with quickly and memorize easily, said Ibrahim, who was hesitant at first to apply for the role because of the dancing requirement but was later encouraged by the general supervisor.
Behind the scenes, everyone is excited, organizers and performers alike.
“I was at a performance just from singers presenting a musical but without the dancing and already the audience loved it so I think they’ll find it very great, said Viva.
“I think it is a very popular art because of the dancing, the movement and the singing. The music is similar to pop music which people listen to a lot. And there hasn’t been such a production before so I’m sure a lot of people will be very curious to see it, said Allouba.
Musicals are timeless, but “Grease in particular is closer to the hearts of the younger generations. Originally a 1972 Broadway musical made popular with the massively successful 1978 film adaptation starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, “Grease is one of the most performed high school productions, while Danny and Sandy remain favorite for celebrity-dress-up parties.
Twelve songs from Grease will be performed such as “Grease Lighting, “You’re the One I Want and “Tell Me More along with nine from “Westside Story, including “Maria, “Tonight and “I Feel Pretty.
Both productions tell a tale about young people in love and cliques in rivalry marked with excessive dancing, playful rhythms and dazzling costumes. In short, this is one show you can’t afford to miss.
“Broadway Comes to Egypt will be performed July 3, 4 and 6, 9 pm, at Cairo Opera House’s Main Hall.
