Inspired by the young Egyptians who took to the streets amidst the throes of the Arab Spring, We Live in Cairo follows six student activists using their street art, photography and song to overthrow a regime older than they are. Winner of the Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theater, this soaring new musical from Jonathan Larson Grant winners and NYTW Usual Suspects Daniel & Patrick Lazour journeys from the jubilation of the Tahrir Square protests through the aftermath of the years that followed. As escalating division and violence lead to a military crackdown, the young revolutionaries of Cairo must weigh the cost of how—or even whether—to keep their dreams of change alive. Obie Award winner and NYTW Usual Suspect Taibi Magar (The Half-God of Rainfall) directs.
Design alone does not a musical make, and piddly details like book and score must be taken into account. There is no questioning the Lazours’ passion for the project, which has been in the works for a decade and premiered at American Repertory Theater, in Massachusetts, in 2019 — the album “Flap My Wings (Songs from We Live in Cairo)” was recorded remotely with various singers the following year. But the characters are never convincingly defined, except for Fadwa, who also benefits from Tarabzouni’s fiery performance.
“We Live in Cairo” itself doesn’t seem to have an end – or, rather, it has several. Most of Act 3 feels unnecessary. Despite this misstep, there is great value in the deep dive into Egyptian history and politics. The specific arguments among the characters are often, in effect, resonant debates over the limits and requirements of democracy.
| 2024 | Off-Broadway |
NYTW Off-Broadway Premiere Off-Broadway |
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical | John El-Jor |
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Music | The Lazours |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Daniel Lazour |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Patrick Lazour |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical | Ali Louis Bourzgui |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical | We Live in Cairo |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Daniel Lazour |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Michael Starobin |
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