Claudio Erlichman - Page 2

Minha Estrela Dalva is not a conventional biography, but an imagined encounter between artist and muse. Onstage, Renato Borghi steps into the dressing room of legendary singer Dalva de Oliveira to fulfill a lifelong dream: inviting the “Queen of Radio” to perform the songs of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill. Blending memory and fantasy, the production—directed by Elias Andreato and Elcio Nogueira Seixas—brings together past and present in a poetic theatrical dialogue. Soraya Ravenle portrays Dalva at once as myth and woman, while Ivan Vellame embodies key figures from her personal life. With evocative music, movement, and striking visuals, the show reveals both the icon and the human story behind one of Brazil’s greatest voices.

Prazer, Zezé! O Musical celebrates the remarkable six-decade career of Zezé Motta. Created by Toni Brandão and directed by Débora Dubois, the production blends theater and live music to trace Motta’s journey from her early years to her groundbreaking achievements in film, television, and on stage. Featuring Larissa Noel in the title role, alongside an ensemble cast and live band, the musical revisits defining moments, key collaborations, and iconic songs associated with the artist. More than a biographical tribute, the show offers a powerful reflection on identity, race, resilience, and artistic expression in Brazil’s cultural landscape.

Espelho Mágico, a new musical celebrating six decades of Brazilian television, will premiere on March 20 at the BTG Pactual Hall in São Paulo. Inspired by the legacy of Rede Globo, Brazil’s largest TV network, the production revisits iconic characters, programs, and songs that shaped the country’s cultural landscape. The story follows a writer tasked with creating a musical about Globo’s history who is guided by the spirit of legendary telenovela author Janete Clair. Blending humor, nostalgia, and nearly forty musical numbers, Espelho Mágico offers a vibrant theatrical tribute to the programs and personalities that defined generations of Brazilian viewers.

Liberdade, Liberdade – O Musical premieres March 13 at Cia. da Revista, offering a contemporary reimagining inspired by the landmark 1965 play Liberdade, Liberdade by Millôr Fernandes and Flávio Rangel. The original production, created during the early years of Brazil’s military dictatorship, became a symbol of artistic resistance before being censored and banned shortly after its debut. This new musical adaptation revisits that legacy through a modern lens, combining theater, live music, and choreography to explore themes of freedom, democracy, and artistic expression. Set in the atmosphere of a fictional rock festival, the production features 16 performers and a live band, creating an energetic theatrical experience that connects Brazil’s cultural history with contemporary reflections on liberty and social dialogue.

Gal, o Musical brings to the stage defining moments from the life of one of Brazil’s greatest singers, Gal Costa. The production traces her journey from birth and early artistic breakthroughs to her connection with the groundbreaking Tropicália movement, her close relationship with her mother, and the later adoption of her son, Gabriel. Blending biography with poetic storytelling, the musical introduces three mythological figures who serve as symbolic guides, illuminating the profound personal and artistic transformations she experienced throughout her life. Through music and memory, the show celebrates Gal Costa’s legacy as a cultural icon whose voice and vision helped redefine Brazilian popular music.

The global hit celebrating the life of the Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll arrives in Brazil. TINA – The Tina Turner Musical, nominated for 12 Tony Awards, opened February 26 at Teatro Santander as part of the venue’s 10th anniversary season. Starring Analu Pimenta as Tina and César Mello as Ike Turner, the production traces the icon’s journey from humble beginnings in Nutbush, Tennessee, to international superstardom. Developed with Tina Turner’s own involvement, the jukebox musical features electrifying performances of classics including “The Best,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It?,” “Private Dancer,” and “Proud Mary.” A story of resilience, reinvention, and triumph, the show runs in a limited engagement in São Paulo.

Brazil’s beloved doll takes center stage in this original musical that blends nostalgia, fantasy, and sharp social commentary. Conceived and written by Mara Carvalho, with music by Thiago Gimenes and direction by Ulysses Cruz, Susi, o Musical reimagines the 1966 Estrela Toy Factory icon for a new generation. The story follows Victor, a screen-obsessed boy who embarks on a dreamlike journey alongside Susi and a vibrant cast of characters, exploring identity, belonging, consumerism, and self-discovery. Featuring pop-infused original songs, bold visuals, and multiple versions of Susi representing diverse professions and backgrounds, the production celebrates Brazilian cultural memory while reflecting on contemporary challenges. A family-friendly spectacle with heart and humor.

Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy finds a bold new setting in this site-specific Brazilian adaptation directed by Rafael Gomes and starring Gabriel Leone. Staged inside the long-abandoned Cine Copan—currently awaiting restoration—the production transforms the crumbling cinema into a monumental performance space, blurring the line between architecture and drama. With the audience seated on the former stage and the action unfolding across the old auditorium, the immersive staging mirrors Hamlet’s own state of suspension and moral collapse. Featuring a multigenerational cast and a striking creative team, this contemporary reimagining reframes themes of power, desire and existential doubt for today’s audiences—turning ruin into revelation.

Nearly 50 years after its debut, Chico Buarque’s landmark musical returns in a vibrant new staging. Directed by Jorge Farjalla, Ópera do Malandro dives into Rio de Janeiro’s bohemian underworld to expose corruption, desire and hypocrisy with sharp humor and unforgettable songs. Inspired by Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera and infused with elements of Afro-Brazilian spirituality, the production blends satire, ritual and popular culture in an immersive, festive experience. Featuring a large, star-studded cast the show reaffirms the enduring power—and provocation—of one of Brazilian musical theatre’s most iconic works.

Carmina Burana Ballet arrives in São Paulo for a limited season, offering Brazilian audiences an immersive reinterpretation of Carl Orff’s iconic cantata. Created by Portugal’s acclaimed Vortice Dance Company and produced by Infinitus (Grupo IN), the production blends contemporary dance, monumental music and cutting-edge videomapping into a powerful sensory experience. Under the artistic and choreographic direction of Cláudia Martins and Rafael Carriço, the ballet transforms medieval poems about love, fate and desire into a striking dialogue between body and technology, sacred and profane.

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.