Raffaella Carrà, in Madrid the musical for an immortal artist

2023-06-16 19:41:41

Time.news – “Immortal”. It is the definition used by Sergio Japinodirector, author and life partner of Raffaella Carrà to explain what it means to him ‘I dance I dance’the musical dedicated to the Italian artist who died in 2021.

On June 18, 2023 Raffaella Carrà would have turned 80i but fate did not allow her to blow out these candles. Several initiatives to remember the most iconic of the so-called Italian showgirls but above all singers, actress, professional dancer, presenter.

Above all stands out ‘Bailo Bailo’ musical entirely dedicated to her and her successes through the story of a woman called Maria (whose love is Pedro), presented in absolute preview at the Capitol theater in Madrid located on the Gran Via, in Spain in fact, Raffaella Carrà is still very popular today.

It is a different story than Raffaella’s life but based on her great successes, similar to ‘Mamma mia’, musical with Abba’s greatest hits with a different plot than the history of the Swedish group. A posthumous gift therefore arrives for the national Raffa with which Spain and Italy unite to pay homage to the artist known throughout the world, especially the Latin American one.

An attention reserved for a woman who embodied a model of freedom for the female generations of yesterday and today. The musical, which will be staged in Madrid on November 2nd, is the result of a pan-European collaboration that includes production companies such as Dreamcatcher Bv.

The debut at the Capitol in Madrid

The debut on November 2 will always take place at the Capitol renovated for the occasion, which for the first time since 1933 becomes the stage for a musical. A special and unique place to debut an opera that will try to bring back the spirit and energy of the unforgettable Raffaella.

A production that from Madrid addresses the world, with the ambition of following in the footsteps and becoming a “Latin Mamma Mia”. The press conference, opened by Euprepio Padula (an artist who is a close friend of Carrà), was attended by the Italian ambassador in Spain Giuseppe Maria Buccino Grimaldi, the CEO of the Capitol Theater Alberto Menkes, the producer of the musical Valeria Arzenton and her life and work partner della Carrà, Sergio Iapino.

Sergio Japino

Freely adapted from the film Explota Explota by Nacho Alvarez, “Bailo Bailo” has involved some of the major stars of the international musical, directed by Francesco Bellone, choreography by Gillian Bruce, musical supervision by Giovanni Maria Lorie and production by Valeria Arzenton , in addition to the artistic consultancy of Sergio Iapino.

Madrid has not forgotten Raffaella

“Why Madrid? Because this capital – explained Arzenton – is the city of musicals like Broadway and New York. So it’s right to start from here where she is so loved. The Spaniards, when I started working on this musical, told me that they envy us two things: Christopher Columbus and Raffaella Carra'”. And this is demonstrated by the curiosity and comments of passers-by who stopped along the Gran Via to look at the illuminated signs and billboards announcing the show in front of the theatre: many ask and inquire to find out when the debut will be and none, among the young and elders, stopping, he wonders who it is. “Oh, it’s her!” It is the most repeated phrase. “She was truly loved here,” Arzenton comments again. In the cast, stars of the caliber of Lydia Fairen, Natalia Millan, Thomas Naim, Dani Tatai, Pepa Lucas and Chez Gutzman.

“I’ll try to live up to it,” he said Lydia Fair which will be Raffaella-, I will interpret this role with all the enthusiasm of the way. It’s a great honor for me”. Among the novelties put in place by the production to pay homage to Carrà on the occasion of her 80th birthday, the song Bailo Bailo Song, a hit based on and inspired by the famous theme song Ballo Ballo by Raffaella, performed live by Marco Martinelli (young Italian talent discovered by Raffaella Carrà) featuring Lydia Fairen and Bella Exum.

“It is a tribute to Raffaella with whom I worked in 2015, she taught me a lot, work, discipline but above all to be free. She also gave me this opportunity and for me she is a star who sends me energy”, said Martinelli. In addition, the exclusive Carrà HRD jewelery collection designed by Percossi Papi and certified by Concetta Spitaleri HRD Antwerp. Finally, from 18 to 21 June, the production of the musical will be selling the “Tanti Auguri Raffaella” collection tickets.

The musical tells the story of Marìa, a sensual young dancer yearning for freedom in the early seventies, an era that in Spain was marked by rigidity and censorship, especially in television. With her we will discover how even the most difficult of dreams can come true, all told through the greatest successes of Raffaella Carrà. After Madrid, the musical will go on tour in Argentina and other South American countries to then land in Italy in 2025/26.