New season of The Phantom of the Opera at the Martí Theater

Under the general direction and staging of Alfonso Menéndez, a new season of The Phantom of the Opera opens this Friday, August 11, at the Martí Theater in the Cuban capital.

Every weekend until August 27, the public will be able to enjoy the musical show inspired by the novel by French writer Gaston Leroux.

Erik, the phantom of this early 20th century story, will be performed in the Cuban version by Rey Quintero, while the character of Christine Daaé will be brought to life by Dayri Llanes and Yeni Santamaría.

The cast is completed by Iré Daniel Jiménez and Cristian Cuevas (Raoul de Chagny); Katia Selva, Gabriela Mesa and Tiffany Hernández (Carlotta Guidicelli); Pablo A. Ramos (Monsieur Andrèe); Israel González (Monsieur Firmín); and Patricia Rodríguez (Meg Giry).

«The musical inspired by The Phantom… with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart, premiered in London in 1986 and on Broadway in 1988; it is the most successful show in the genre, having been seen by more than 130 million people in nearly 30 countries, and the only one to celebrate its 25th anniversary, for which Webber and Cameron Mackintosh staged a special production at London’s Royal Albert Hall in October 2011,» says Alfonso Menéndez in the pocket program created for the season.

«The Phantom of the Opera premiered in Cuba on July 22, 2006, at the Amphitheater in the historic center of Havana, with 22 consecutive performances for more than 17,000 people. Eight years later, on August 8, 2014, it returned to the coliseum on Avenida del Puerto for a season of 42 performances and 29,148 spectators,» he adds.

On the other hand, the show’s executive producer, Jorge Luis Frías Armenteros, told Radio Enciclopedia that tickets for the show go on sale every Tuesday at the theater’s box office.

Likewise, Frías Armenteros considers it appropriate to highlight the participation of the Ballet del Teatro América in the show, as well as the commitment of the technical team and the collaboration of the Office of the Historian of the City of Havana, the Actuar Agency, the National Council for the Performing Arts, Cuban Television, among others.

Photos: Courtesy of Jorge Luis Frías Armenteros (taken during the general rehearsal).

Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez