It is Sunday, that much-awaited
Sunday is finally here, that Sunday when I am finally in Madrid.
And it is time to go to the theater to see Ay Carmela! The
fantastic musical.
It is five pm and I'm at the
doorway of the Reina Victoria Theater. It is too early, I know, but
I have an appointment with one of the actors of this brilliant cast
before the show starts - an appointment with Álvaro Morte, who has
accepted to be interviewed. The interview will soon be available on
the web. After talking with him for half an hour (time has passed
so fast) and satisfied at having learnt so much in such a short
time, I say goodbye to Álvaro who goes into the theater. I wait a
few minutes while hoards of people gather around the theater.
It is now seven pm. The stalls are
absolutely crammed with people who are eagerly waiting for the show
to start. The public is impatient…There are people who don't know
how to wait and who, apparently, also don't know that this always
happens with good things. So, it was clear to me that the show was
going to be very, very good.
The lights fade and, little by
little, a leg protrudes from behind the curtains, the music starts
and Marta Ribera enters the stage. This seems promising; one can
tell that Marta comes from the world of musicals - what a voice,
what a physique! In my opinion, Marta has been the great discovery.
She does everything well: sings, dances, performs and even dares
the odd somersault. In her wonderful voice, she is going to narrate
the story of Carmela and Paulino from the beginning to the end.
Marta will guide us through this story with her mellifluous
voice.
Javier Gutiérrez follows and proves
why he continues to be one of the most beloved and demanded actors.
This is the second time I am seeing him on stage so his performance
no longer surprises me. I saw him perform in one of the plays of
the Animalario theater group and had faith in his talent. But, I
wanted for him not just to please me with his acting but to confirm
that his performance that night wasn't something spontaneous.
Suddenly a distant shadow is seen;
it must be Inma Cuesta, an Inma Cuesta who enters the stage calmly
and discreetly. We have already said that one must be prepared to
be patient in order to see good things and with her, the same
applies. As the show moves on, we are getting excited. Inma has
already shown her musical talents at the beginning of the show. But
after a few minutes, the big moment arrives when the main topic of
the play is to be performed. It is then when Inma proves that,
apart from being a great actress and singer, she is also a
sorceress. Yes, I haven't gone crazy; Inma has managed to make
everybody disappear and she alone is there. The magic she possesses
is just incredible; she shines with a light of her own, it is
something I had never seen nor experienced before. The song ends
and, as I return to reality, I notice the stalls are still packed
and that the musicians and actors are still in the theater. I think
everyone is absolutely stunned by Inma's performance. A strange,
yet amazing, feeling overwhelmed me then.
The play continues and the rest of
the marvelous cast comes out on stage: Javier Navares, Javier
Enguix, Álvaro Morte and Pablo Raya. They are all wonderful, with
outstanding musical talent. We eventually come to intermission. I
don't know if it is detrimental or not - that depends on people's
tastes - but going back to the show I think that it is light and
agile.
The use of new technologies makes
us feel bombarded by the truth, frightened that one of the bombs
that fall on the stage is real. I am glad that such new techniques
are used in the theater. I think they contribute positively to
making the audience feel better than ever about these types of
performances.
Each musical piece is better than
the previous one. Laughter, weeping…My heart shrinks with emotion
and I have butterflies in my stomach, touched on more than one
occasion. And of course, each time Inma sings, the world
disappears.
Andrés Lima's seal is noticeable.
His personal touch is reflected in each job he does. That is why he
is one of my favorite theatrical directors, and on this particular
occasion it couldn't be otherwise. "Ay Carmela" has its own brand
and one is grateful for it.
There isn't much more I can say,
other than "Ay Carmela!" is one of those special shows that is
produced once in a thousand years. It is wonderful for one's senses
and I think that everyone should go through an experience like this
sometime in their lives.
I have been fortunate enough to see
quite a few plays in Madrid and I can assure you that I have never
seen a Madrid audience give a standing ovation. And yet that is
what happened last night. "Ay Carmela" had the entire audience in
the packed theater on their feet applauding for three curtain
calls.
Because of all this, because of the
magic, the talent and the excellent performance, I'd like to
congratulate both the artistic and technical teams. Congratulations
to each of the members of this show and thanks for conveying such
emotions to all of us.
My thanks to Álvaro for everything
and to the team that made it possible for me to attend this SUPERB
SHOW!