Broadway Alums Join English-language Benefit Premiere Concert Of ANJOU: The Musical Horror Tale

The world premiere of the English-language performance of Anjou: The Musical Horror Tale, a haunting and modern Mexican opera, is set to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

The free stream at 8 pm Eastern on Friday, January 29, is available to watch on broadwaycares.org/anjou2021

The cast features Taylor Iman Jones, Bianca Marroquín, Julia Murney and Kristie Dale Sanders as Catherine de' Medici; Caroline Bowman, Shereen Pimentel and Eva Tavares as Margot de Valois; Javier Muñoz as Charles IX; Roberto Araujo, Jonathan Burke, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Jelani Remy and Adam Roberts as Henry of Anjou; Austin Colby as Arthur; and Nathan Cockroft, Kevin Curtis, Gabriel Hyman and Michael Perrie Jr. as Spirit/Mignon. Marroquín will also serve as the narrator.

Performed in the style of a Broadway concept album, the actors will split roles throughout the musical.

The historically based show takes place as Charles IX is crowned as the new French monarch, the Catholic church puts pressure on Queen Catherine de' Medici to eradicate Protestantism in France. The treacherous queen has a plan of her own: to remain in power through her beloved and overly conceited son, Henry of Anjou, and to plan her daughter's wedding with a Protestant knight, while executing one of the bloodiest events in history.

A musical of sinister characters, dark secrets and passionate desires, Anjou: The Musical Horror Tale dwells on themes that are regrettably relevant to our times: the dangers of unfounded hatred and extreme intolerance.

Fusing Renaissance-inspired melodies, modern orchestrations and Latinx-influenced tunes, Anjou: The Musical Horror Tale turns a tragic moment in history into a riveting exploration of kindness and acceptance against a backdrop of injustice, prejudice and ruthless ambitions.

Anjou: The Musical Horror Tale has music by Guillermo Mendez M. and lyrics by Mendez and Guadalupe Sandoval, in a new English translation by Javier Vilalta. The show is directed and edited by Roberto Araujo. Grammy and Emmy Award winner John McDaniel will serve as music director.

Anjou: The Musical Horror Tale is produced by Araujo and Vilalta.