Carme Portaceli, production director, and Marc Rosich, author of this adaptation are of the opinion that the Spanish banditry was a universal sociological phenomenon, a product of poverty and injustice, which, at certain times, acted out of rebellion as a response to a society that only defended the interests of a few and, in this case, men. The idea behind this production is to pay tribute to all the strong women, exemplary heroines in the works of Lope de Vega, for their wisdom and determination, who have become one of the dramatist´s irrefutable contributions to the theatre of the Spanish Golden Age. A work in verse, it is overwhelming and vital, reflecting the mastery of one of the best authors of Spanish classical theater.

Hoy no me puedo levantar
AUTHORS: José María y Nacho Cano // DIRECTED BY: David Ottone
LOCATION: Coliseum Theater, Madrid // DATE: Until June 15th, 2014

Hoy no me puedo levantar (Today I can’t Get Up) is the most successful musical in the history of Spanish theater. The play, which has been seen by more than 3 million viewers in Spain and Mexico, features the music of Mecano, one of the most influential rock groups of 1980s Spain, when the country ceased to be a nation in black and white to become a country of varied hues and colors. Hoy no me puedo levantar has managed to rekindle the spirit of the time that followed the end of the military dictatorship that ruled the country for more than 35 years. With live music, songs by Mecano, a cast of 9 actors and 22 dancers, it is an emotional display in which the latest technologies play an important role. Hoy no me puedo levantar is comparable to the great musical blockbusters presented in London’s West End or in New York’s Broadway district.

La casa de Bernarda Alba
AUTHOR: Federico García Lorca // DIRECTED BY: Irina Kouberskaya
LOCATION: Tribueñe Theater, Madrid // DATE: Until April 11th, 2014

Federico García Lorca, the great Spanish poet, writer and dramatist wrote La casa de Bernarda Alba (The House of Bernarda Alba) in 1936. Soon after, he was killed in Granada, at the onset of the Spanish Civil War. This emblematic work masterfully combines tradition and modernity. A tradition that is represented by the malevolent and intense crackdown on the young women of an Andalusian rural family, where after the death of her husband a despotic mother decides to bury herself and her daughters in loneliness. Departing from tradition, this adaptation draws and gives voice to each character with a poetic introspection that touches on Greek tragicomedy, passing through a poignant misfortune that continues to thrill spectators of all generations. This production has been praised by the critics and the public alike thanks to its brilliant mise en scène and the intimate, touching and powerful language.

Viva Madrid, an anthology of the Zarzuela
AUTHORS: Bretón, Moreno Torroba, Chapí, Chueca. // DIRECTED BY: Jaime Martorell
LOCATION: Teatros del Canal, Madrid // DATE: From June 17th to 28th, 2014

The Zarzuela— a theater production where musical numbers are inserted in key moments during the play — is considered the Spanish lyric genre par excellence, in the image and likeness of the operettas that emerged in some European countries during the 19th century. Zarzuelas introduce us to the different idiosyncrasies of the Spanish people and their linguistic registers. Viva Madrid is an anthology of zarzuelas scheduled for June, which will review the most popular works of the genre in which Madrid is the background of the stories. Joining the Orchestra and Choir of the Madrid Community, more than 120 artists will participate in this show, which will include fragments of the most popular zarzuelas in the Madrid tradition. This grand spectacle will feature songs from La verbena de la paloma, La chulapona, La Gran Vía, Luisa Fernanda, El último romántico, Don Manolito, El barberillo de Lavapiés and El tambor de granaderos. ■