The lyrical company Fernández de Sevilla debuts its version of the zarzuela at Teatro Gran Vía, with a production that expands the work and adds other numbers from the repertoire.
Teatro Gran Vía in Madrid hosts once again the summer production of La verbena de la Paloma, the lyrical farce by Tomás Bretón that the Fernández de Sevilla company has performed every August for the past fourteen seasons. The premiere of this edition took place this Thursday with a performance that lasts up to two hours with an intermission.
The production, created by Nieves Fernández de Sevilla and José Antonio Irastorza, maintains the essence of the género chico but incorporates musical numbers from other zarzuelas such as La Revoltosa, La Gran Vía, or El Bateo. According to the artistic team, the aim is to offer a more complete show, although critics have pointed out that the expansion is debatable.
The libretto, originally written by Ricardo de la Vega, is considered one of the most faithful reproductions of the speech and customs of Madrid at the end of the 19th century. Bretón's score, influenced by Italian verismo, accompanies almost all the text and turns the work into an example of the short lyrical theatre that was thriving at the time.
In this version, Lorenzo Moncloa directs the staging and adapts the text alongside Nieves Fernández de Sevilla. The cast is led by Santos Ariño as don Hilarión, Ángel Walter as don Sebastián, Hevila Cardeña as Susana, and Rosa Ruiz as la señá Rita. In total, 25 characters bring to life the square of traditional Madrid.
The staging reproduces the typical square with the pharmacy and the tavern, although the costumes of chulapas and chulillos have been described as mediocre by critics. The music, which is pre-recorded, was played at a volume that sometimes drowned out the performers, according to initial impressions from the premiere.
The company, founded in 1988 by the granddaughter of playwright Luis Fernández de Sevilla, has become an institution of the Madrid summer. It regularly works for Grupo Smedia, which manages eight theatres in the capital. The performance includes a pre-show with the sale of fans, shawls, and typical caps, as well as dance numbers.
For the audience wishing to enjoy this work, the production is performed at Teatro Gran Vía throughout the month of August. There is also another version at Teatro de La Latina, with artistic direction by Marco Moncloa and musical direction by Montserrat Font Marco, which premieres these days.
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