Claudio Erlichman

Morte e Vida Severina, João Cabral de Melo Neto’s seminal poem about a migrant’s journey through the Brazilian Northeast, returns to the stage in a new production by Companhia Ensaio Aberto at Teatro Paulo Autran – Sesc Pinheiros. The staging features Chico Buarque’s iconic score, with 25 actors, four musicians. Revisiting themes of hunger, migration and resilience, the piece underscores the enduring relevance of Severino’s journey — a story rooted in Brazil yet resonant with global struggles today.

The Theatro Municipal de São Paulo closes its opera season with a bold new staging of Rameau’s Les Indes Galantes, premiering November 26 as part of the France–Brazil Season 2025. The production reimagines the 1735 opéra-ballet through the contemporary lens of French choreographer Bintou Dembélé, a pioneer of hip-hop dance, who brings street movement and a critical reading of colonial history into Rameau’s Baroque world. With performances through December 4, the production offers a rare chance to experience this Enlightenment-era masterpiece with fresh cultural resonance.

Award-winning director Gustavo Barchilon, known for Barnum, Something Rotten!, Dreamgirls, Titaníque! and Funny Girl, unveils an ambitious 2026 season spanning revivals, premieres, and tributes. The reopening of Rio’s Teatro Ginástico will present Barchilon’s musical homage to Brazilian icon Bibi Ferreira. In São Paulo, Shrek – The Musical returns with Thiago Abravanel, while Barchilon leads the Brazilian premieres of The Seven Year Disappear and the Tony-nominated Mother Play. He also directs Into the Words, an intimate Sondheim project, and brings Laila Garin’s acclaimed solo show to São Paulo. Meanwhile, the hit comedy Curto-Circuito expands with a national tour and performances in Portugal and the U.S.

The iconic rock musical Hair is back in a bold new Brazilian production directed by Charles Möeller and Claudio Botelho. Opening at São Paulo’s BTG Pactual Hall, the show celebrates the spirit of the 1960s counterculture — peace, love, and rebellion — through powerful anthems like Aquarius and Let the Sunshine In. With a cast of 30 led by Rodrigo Simas and Eduardo Borelli, this vibrant staging fuses rock, poetry, and raw emotion to explore freedom, identity, and protest in a turbulent era. Nearly six decades after its debut, Hair still pulses with youthful defiance and idealism, inviting audiences to sing, reflect, and feel the rhythm of a revolution that never truly ended.

What happens when a small-town dreamer leaves home chasing music and meaning? In Who Is Juão, the answer comes wrapped in melody and movement. The musical paints a portrait of youth, longing, and rebirth.

Tchaikovsky's Christmas classic comes to life on the stage of Teatro Liberdade on November 17th and 18th with the Saint Petersburg Classical Ballet. Directed by Kirill Safin, the production features Alexander Volchkov (Moscow Bolshoi) and Maria Tomilova (Grigorovich Ballet), accompanied by 24 Russian and Ukrainian dancers. With lavish sets, stunning costumes, and the unforgettable Grand Pas de Deux in the second act, the show recreates the Christmas magic of E.T.A. Hoffmann's tale. More than a ballet, it is a celebration of the imagination, innocence, and beauty of the classic.

The 8th Digital Press Highlight Award (Prêmio Destaque Imprensa Digital – DID), the only award in Brazil dedicated exclusively to musical theatre, will celebrate the best of São Paulo’s 2024–2025 season on December 9 at the Teatro Liberdade. Among the 36 eligible shows, the top nominees include Mean Girls – The Musical (12), Torto Arado – The Musical (10), João (9), and Dreamgirls and Mrs. Doubtfire – The Musical (8). A panel of 12 journalists and digital media critics will select winners across 17 categories, while audiences can vote online for the Audience Choice Award. More than just a competition, the DID has become a celebration of Brazil’s vibrant musical theatre scene — closing the year with brilliance, humor, and emotion, and reaffirming the stage as a place of passion, creativity, and community.

Now playing at Teatro SABESP Frei Caneca through December 14, Titanique — The Musical turns James Cameron’s epic into a sparkling pop comedy, hilariously narrated by none other than Céline Dion — embodied with flair and wit by Alessandra Maestrini. Directed by Gustavo Barchilon, the Brazilian production blends camp humor, pop-culture parody, and Céline’s greatest hits into a riotous night of theater. With a powerhouse cast Titanique is a glittery, over-the-top romp where nothing is sacred and laughter rules. Between sequins, high notes, and sinking ships, this musical proves that even when everything goes under, the show — and the singing — must go on.

From October 31 to November 9, the Theatro Municipal de São Paulo stages Giuseppe Verdi’s Macbeth in a bold new production by Elisa Ohtake, with musical direction by Roberto Minczuk. Inspired by Shakespeare’s tragedy, the opera delves into ambition, guilt, and power through Verdi’s dramatic score. Ohtake’s contemporary take transforms the medieval tale into a striking visual experience, where excess, collapse, and madness echo today’s world.

O Grupo 59 de Teatro estreia Jeca – Um Povo Ainda Há de Vingar, um musical original inspirado em Refazenda, o icônico álbum de Gilberto Gil que completa 50 anos. Dirigido por Kleber Montanheiro, com dramaturgia de Lucas Moura da Conceição e poemas cênicos de Marcelino Freire, o espetáculo recria no palco o universo poético e rural de Refazenda, entrelaçando música, memória e identidade brasileira. Com dez atores e quatro músicos em cena, sob direção musical de Marco França, o musical celebra o retorno às raízes e a força do povo brasileiro, em uma jornada cíclica que mistura rito, canção e poesia.

Get ready to laugh, sing, and be moved by 'Rebobina! Friendship Never Ends,' the new musical from Sonhos Entretenimento, which brings together Shakespeare and the Spice Girls in a comedy full of 1990s nostalgia. Inspired by Much Ado About Nothing, the show follows the reunion of the former band Angels, separated 15 years ago, during the wedding of two members — until the return of their former manager Ben awakens secrets, passions, and confusion.

Matamoscas Teatral presents O Julgamento de um Homem Bom (The Trial of a Good Man), a bold feminist musical that satirizes Brazilian masculinity and the fine line between “harmless jokes” and violence. Written and directed by Bella Rodrigues, with music by José Pedro, the show mixes irony, music, and humor to expose patriarchal contradictions. Onstage, nearly naked men and fully dressed women invert traditional gender dynamics, while laughter becomes a political act. Performances close with a public, anonymous space for naming abusers—turning theater into collective testimony.

Tim Maia – Vale Tudo – The Musical returns in a renewed production celebrating the life, music, and larger-than-life personality of the legendary Tim Maia. Featuring over 20 hits the show combines rhythm, humor, and emotion to retrace the singer’s extraordinary journey from Rio’s suburbs to the top of Brazilian music. Directed by Pedro Brício with a book by Nelson Motta and musical direction by Carlos Bauzys and Diego Salles, this vibrant tribute proves that Tim Maia’s groove—and spirit—never fade.

At Teatro VillaLobos, the Broadway classic takes on a new life under the direction and choreography of Bárbara Guerra, who updates the visuals with large screens and real-time projections without losing the soul of the original, with a fine-tuned cast that delivers moving performances in numbers like 'At the Ballet' and 'What I Did for Love'. Metalinguistic and vibrant, the production celebrates the dreams, pain, and persistence of those who live to dance.

Actress Zezé Polessa, directed by Miguel Falabella, revives the voice and legacy of Nara Leão in a solo musical blending memory, history, and timeless songs like A Banda, Opinião, and Corcovado. Opens October 10 at Teatro Renaissance, São Paulo.

Shakespeare’s classic returns in a bold new staging directed by Daniela Stirbulov, starring Dan Stulbach as Shylock. The play, set against a 1990s stock exchange backdrop, explores justice, prejudice, and the power of money with contemporary resonance. A striking scenography with acrylic structures, live video projections, and a drummer onstage heighten the intensity of the drama.

The Broadway classic Dreamgirls makes its Brazilian debut in a dazzling production. Directed by Gustavo Barchilon, the show captures the rise and struggles of a 1960s girl group inspired by Motown legends. Letícia Soares shines as Effie White, while Laura Castro (Deena) and Samantha Schmütz (Lorell) complete a dynamic trio. With striking sets, costumes, and a vibrant score, Dreamgirls is both a tribute to soul music’s golden era and a moving story of ambition, resilience, and identity and thrills with its energy, soul, and spectacle.

Norma Bengell, O Brasil em Revista celebrates the career of Norma Bengell (1935–2013), actress, singer, director, and muse of Cinema Novo. With a play by Aimar Labaki and a performance by Amanda Acosta, the show recreates key moments in the artist's life, blending memories, musical revues, and songs ranging from Bossa Nova to international hits, as well as three new songs. The performance is free and part of SESI-SP's cultural program.

After a sold-out Off-Broadway run in New York, BARBA arrives at Teatro Espressivo, San José, from September 11–28, 2025. Performed in Spanish for the first time, the musical tells the story of Fernando Barba, founder of the body percussion ensemble Barbatuques. With an international creative team, the show blends rhythm, movement, and song to honor Barba’s creativity, resilience, and legacy.

Porgy and Bess is a famous 'folk opera' created by George Gershwin, with a libretto by DuBose Heyward and lyrics by DuBose and Ira Gershwin. The work chronicles the life of a Black community on Catfish Row in Charleston and is known for its fusion of operatic elements with American folk music, jazz, and blues. The story focuses on the love between Porgy, a disabled beggar, and Bess, a woman seeking a better life.