Claudio Erlichman

What if love didn’t begin with the first “good morning,” but the one after? That playful question fuels A Manhã Seguinte, the hit comedy by acclaimed British playwright Peter Quilter, now making its Brazilian debut in São Paulo. After a chance encounter, two strangers wake up together facing awkward silences, unanswered questions and emotions they didn’t plan on feeling. The situation spirals delightfully out of control with the arrival of an outspoken mother and a scene-stealing brother, turning an ordinary morning into a cascade of revelations and laughs.

One of the most powerful love stories of modern times arrives on Brazilian stages. Brokeback Mountain makes its São Paulo debut at Teatro Itália on January 14, marking only the second official stage production of the work worldwide. Adapted by Ashley Robinson from Annie Proulx’s acclaimed short story, the musical revisits the intense, unspoken romance between cowboys Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar in 1960s rural America. Directed by Moacyr Góes, the Brazilian production stars Marcéu Pierrotti and Júlio Oliveira and features an original score by Dan Gillespie Sells. Following a highly praised London run, the show blends music and drama to explore love, repression, intolerance, and the lasting cost of silence.

Felicidade is a refreshing blend of comedy, music and graphic-novel flair. Written by acclaimed cartoonist and playwright Caco Galhardo and directed by Dani Angelotti, the show follows a successful writer and influencer who wakes up inexplicably — and permanently — happy. What begins as a curious mood shift soon becomes a life-altering condition, raising the question: can constant happiness disrupt not only oneself, but everyone around you? Starring Martha Nowill, the production features live musical direction and onstage participation by singer-songwriter Zeca Baleiro, alongside a versatile ensemble. Inspired by Tom Zé’s song Vai (Menina Amanhã de Manhã), Felicidade mixes humor, surrealism and social reflection, inviting audiences to rethink personal joy and collective well-being.

Set in Salvador in the early 1970s, Domingo no Parque expands Gilberto Gil’s iconic song into a vivid stage narrative where friendship, love and political tension collide. Every afternoon, João, Jozé and their friends gather in the Ribeira neighborhood to play capoeira — a space of joy, ritual and community. The balance is disrupted when Jozé brings João to see a performance by his beloved Juliana, who soon begins attending the capoeira circle herself. Old passions resurface: Juliana once lived an intense romance with João, cut short when he impregnated another woman, Juci. Now pursuing her dream as a singer and active in resistance movements against Brazil’s military dictatorship, Juliana becomes both the emotional and political catalyst of the story, drawing the characters toward an inevitable confrontation.

Leonard Bernstein’s bold, genre-defying Mass returns to the stage of Theatro Municipal de São Paulo for two special performances on December 19 (8 p.m.) and 20 (5 p.m.). Conducted by Roberto Minczuk, the production brings together the São Paulo Municipal Symphony Orchestra, the Coral Paulistano and the Lírico Choir, with Tony Award–winning baritone Paulo Szot as the Celebrant. Blending traditional Catholic liturgy with rock, jazz, musical theatre and protest songs, Mass reflects the social unrest and spiritual questioning of the 1970s while remaining strikingly relevant today. The performances also mark the Municipal debut of musical-theatre star Beto Sargentelli, whose presence bridges the worlds of opera and contemporary musical theatre.

The newly opened Teatro YouTube launches its inaugural season on December 18 with Hip Hop Hamlet, a bold contemporary musical that fuses Shakespeare’s classic tragedy with the aesthetics and rhythms of hip-hop culture. The production blends live performance, immersive lighting, videocenography and a soundtrack featuring Aretha Franklin, Racionais MC’s, Kanye West, Jorge Ben Jor, Toni Tornado and Tim Maia.

The Brazilian musical theatre community came together on December 9 for the 8th Prêmio Destaque Imprensa Digital (DID), the country’s leading award dedicated exclusively to the genre. The 2025 edition highlighted a season marked by daring creative choices and rising artistic standards. Torto Arado emerged as the night’s standout, winning Brazilian Musical, Direction and Actress, while Uma Babá Quase Perfeita (Mrs. Doubtfire) led the international categories with four awards. A jury of twelve journalists and digital creators evaluated 36 eligible productions across 18 categories, reaffirming the DID’s mission to celebrate outstanding contributions and the collaborative spirit of musical theatre.

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.