A musical seeks to bring Gaudí's childhood closer to all audiences

BarcelonaWhat was Antoni Gaudí like before becoming a genius? What is the secret for a child to develop their genius? The answers can be found in Gaudí. The Awakening of a Genius, a new musical promoted by Casa Batlló and produced by Trílope, which will be seen starting November 15th at the Teatre Poliorama and is framed within the Gaudí Year, which commemorates the centenary of his death. Starring Estel Aparicio in the role of Gaudí when he was still a child, the show seeks to make the architect's childhood known to all audiences, especially children and young people. "Gaudí was a sickly child. He suffered from rheumatism, and for many seasons he could not go to school. The chronic illness forced him to take care of himself all his life," points out Alfredo Ruiz, co-creator of the production together with Cristina Estarelles.

"Very few people know about Gaudí's childhood –says Estarelles, who also directs the piece–. It is a very powerful story for the Catalan public, because he is a reference for us. Gaudí suffered a lot and knew how to channel it through imagination". With Irene Jòdar and Andreu Domènech in the roles of the artist's parents, the production accompanies the protagonist during his stays at the family farmhouse in Riudoms, where he came into contact with nature. "He was the youngest of five siblings, and two other children had died. His parents took care of him with great intensity, with alternative therapies and a vegetarian diet. From a young age, he lived with craftsmanship, because his father was a coppersmith", points out Ruiz.

A sound trencadís

When considering the approach to the story, the creative team was very clear that they wanted it to be a musical. That is why they counted on Asier Olabarrieta, who decided that the musicians would leave the orchestra pit and be on stage. In addition, they combine playing instruments with interpreting characters (Domènech, for example, works with eight instruments on stage, among which is the flabiol). "Our great challenge was how to bring Gaudí's universe into music. We have created a sound 'trencadís' (mosaic): we have joined small pieces of different materials to create a new proposal," highlights the musical director.

In this way, the show's soundtrack is made up of pieces from diverse styles and eras, from classical music to traditional Catalan songs and international pop and rock themes. "In three and a half minutes, for example, we play the Himne dels pirates from Mar i cel, the soundtrack of Pirates of the Caribbean, the habanera Bufa ventet and traditional sailor melodies from England and Ireland," relates Olabarrieta. The scenography was in charge of Enric Montferrer, who has collaborated on Gaudí's works such as the Sagrada Família and the restoration of the Casa Batlló. "He designed the furniture for the stage space, based above all on the idea of craftsmanship and using materials such as cotton and wood," says Estarelles.

Gaudí. The Awakening of a Genius is aimed at audiences of all ages, but some of the performances are designed for schoolchildren. At the moment, the Poliorama already has four full performances, but the theater has strongly noticed the impact of public school teachers who refuse to go on school trips in protest of working conditions. "All the reservations we have right now are from private or charter schools. We understand and respect the struggle of public schools, but we hope they come to an agreement. It is very important that children go to see performing arts shows," underlines the manager and head of programming at the Poliorama, Anna Victori.