Rumi: The Musical takes flight from its star-studded debut in London and travels home to Doha for a captivating two-night-only concert at the ongoing annual D’reesha Festival of Performing Arts.
The one-hour special of the original show, co-created by renowned Qatari composer, songwriter and symphonic artist, Dana Alfardan, and prominent British-Lebanese theatre actor, singer, and writer, Nadim Naaman, is described as one of the most illustrious and anticipated theatre performances in Doha.
The concert will be performed Tuesday and Wednesday from 6.45pm. Musicians from London, Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra and Qatar Music Academy will share the stage alongside renowned Korean pianist Sonja Park.
Based on the life story of 13th century philosopher and poet Jalal Eldin El Rumi, by Evren Sharma, this is Dana and Nadim’s sophomore theatre show, and their second time bringing a Middle Eastern poet onto the global stage.
The show’s cast reflects its ties to the Mena region and many of the countries through which Rumi had travelled himself.
At its London debut, Rumi: The Musical opened to a full house and spectacular reviews, as distinguished guests from the acting world’s most illustrious names to national arts and culture critics, journalists, and the public were left in awe of the story they witnessed unfold on stage.
Described by Dress Circle Antics as: “A truly gorgeous musical, with music, lyrics and everything to match – a truly unforgettable theatrical experience,” Rumi: The Musical is produced by the acclaimed Ali Matar who joins director, Bronagh Lagan in making this epic and moving musical come to life.
The music is inspired by the global scale of Rumi’s outreach and a grand score combining Middle Eastern sounds with classical influences and Musical Theatre, with lyrics derived from Rumi’s poetry.
Commenting on the musical’s Qatar debut, Dana Alfardan said: “Qatar’s World Cup has been a unique experience for the world, one which bridged the gap and promoted unity and tolerance. It provided a platform for our voices to be heard and appreciated, as a Qatari artist it is the greatest honour to bring my musical to my home country in this momentous occasion.”
Nadim Naaman, co-writer and one of the leading actors in the musical, said: “As Qatar invites the world to see that the Middle East can be a home for sporting success, I passionately wish for the Middle East to be seen as a thriving home for the arts, too. I’m hugely proud and excited for my co-writer Dana Alfardan to be able to present this musical in her home nation, and hope that our audiences will find in it inspiration to explore music and theatre.”
The show features a grand score that combines Middle Eastern authenticity with classical influences and contemporary musical theatre, with lyrics derived from Rumi’s poetry. The team’s compelling work truly left a mark, as the Musical Theatre Review praised the show, saying: “The score hooks you straight from the start – you are transported to The Middle East where classical influences and musical theatre meet head on, in spectacular fashion.”
Middle Eastern Musical Supervision is made by Maias Alyamani and the choreography is by Anjali Mehra. The cast is led by co-creator Nadim Naaman who brings a wealth of theatre credits with him, including playing Raoul in Phantom of the Opera, Anthony in Sweeney Todd, and Prince Charming in Cinderella.
Set and costume design for the musical are by Gregor Donnelly, with lightning Ddesign by Nic Farman, sound design by Simon Hendry and video design by Matt Powell.