The most traditional zarzuela by Bretón will be performed at Teatro La Latina from August 12 to 16 during the La Paloma festivities. The producer L'Operamore opens the 'Zarzuela in La Latina' season with seven titles of the género chico.
Teatro La Latina becomes the epicentre of Madrid zarzuela this summer. The producer L'Operamore has presented the programming for the 'Zarzuela in La Latina' season, which will bring together seven classic titles from the Spanish lyrical repertoire between July 22 and September 6, with a special focus on the género chico.
One of the highlights will be The Verbena of the Paloma, the lyrical farce by Tomás Bretón and Ricardo de la Vega, which will be performed from August 12 to 16, coinciding with the festivities of San Cayetano, San Lorenzo, and La Paloma. The work, premiered in 1894 at the Teatro Apolo, is considered the greatest exponent of the género chico alongside La revoltosa.
The plot, set in the traditional neighbourhood of Lavapiés, narrates Julián's jealousy towards his girlfriend Susana, who flirts with the chemist Don Hilarión during the verbena. The story is based on a real event that the protagonist himself recounted to the librettist: "Tomorrow if we meet at the verbena of the Paloma, I promise to cause a scandal."
The programming kicks off with The Song of Forgetting (from July 22 to 26), a zarzuela of romantic entanglements set in a military garrison. This is followed by The Gran Vía (from July 29 to August 2), which humorously portrays the modernization of 19th-century Madrid; and La revoltosa (from August 5 to 9), which recreates life in a Madrid tenement.
After The Verbena of the Paloma, the cycle continues with The Barber of Lavapiés (from August 19 to 23), a comedy of entanglements set in 18th-century Madrid with music by Barbieri; and Luisa Fernanda (from August 26 to 30), a passionate drama by Federico Moreno Torroba. The season concludes with The Tavern Keeper of the Port (from September 2 to 4) and Verdi's opera La Traviata (from September 5 to 6), which will close the festival.
All performances will be presented with live voices and orchestra, with shows from Wednesday to Saturday at 20:00 and Sundays at 19:00. Tickets and subscriptions are already on sale on the Teatro La Latina website.
The initiative aims to bring zarzuela closer to all audiences in the neighbourhood that hosts Madrid's most traditional festivities, offering an opportunity to enjoy this genre in the summer.
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