BRAZIL THEATER REVIEWS

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 pe...

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 Brec...

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...

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 ...

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 curiou...

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...

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...

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 a...

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 Demb�...

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 B...

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 a...

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....

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...

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 s...

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 r...

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, musi...

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 ...

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 li...

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 structure...

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 (Lorel...

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 son...

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,...

Three mothers and a pregnant woman gather at a baby shower to share the experiences, perspectives, challenges, and joys of motherhood. A humorous and tender musical where we learn about the powerful friendship of four women....

Jersey Boys follows the journey of Frankie Valli, Tommy DeVito, Bob Gaudio, and Nick Massi, original members of the Four Seasons. The production chronicles the band's humble beginnings in New Jersey and their rise to international stardom. Highlighting the band's career highs and lows, the musical e...