"This 'band of brothers' revival in London would be very welcome."

BarcelonaWhen she was thirteen years old, Mariona Castillo saw for the first time Blood brothers From the back rows of the Teatre Condal, it was there that she wanted to dedicate herself to musical theater. "I saw it live three times and on VHS every day for a long time," she confesses. This Friday, she presented it from the stage of the same theater, thirty-one years later, having become one of the most important voices in Catalan musical theater and in character as Mrs. Johnstone, one of the protagonists. "I've had to make a conscious effort not to remember that version that I know by heart, because we've rehearsed from scratch as if it were a new production," she assures. "I don't feel Àngels Gonyalons' shadow looming over me [who played her role], but rather accompanying me and giving me her blessing, as if I knew her."

Blood brothers, Willy Russell's musical premiered in London in 1983 and has been performed for years in the West End ever since (and is currently touring England). It also marked a turning point for us: Focus began producing musicals in Catalan with They're playing our song, Neil Simon's (1990) production, and the duo of Ricard Reguant and Àngels Gonyalons, became unbeatable. That story of two twins separated at birth into two families of different social standing moved audiences. "We have an emotional connection," acknowledges Daniel Anglès, director of the new production. He was also in the audience at the Condal Theatre in 1994 and months later joined the play's tour as an actor. "When something touches you, it stays with you. The questions it raises are still relevant; after all, it's social theater. And we wanted a story that was profound and moving, that connected with the audience in a different way," he says.

What Daniel Anglès is presenting now is not a revival of that play but rather "a revival of a classic." "In London, there's a lot of work being done, revisiting classics and applying a radical contemporary approach to titles like Avoid and Sunset Blvd., by Andrew Lloyd Webber. This Blood brothers, "It would be very popular in London," he assures.

Musical director Andreu Gallén has handled the show's nine arrangements, which even incorporate a song cut from the previous version, and Ariadna Peya directs the movement. "We've maintained the essence and depth of the original, but with a lighter touch. We've transformed it into a large-scale choral musical, where the group's strength conveys rhythm, power, and emotion, and where the music, movement, and text are all on equal footing," says Peya, who previously oversaw the movement for Dagoll Dagom's most recent shows. "It's an iconic work for Barcelona audiences, but it sounded very much like the eighties. It's a creative work, respectful of the classic, but with a modern vision," says Gallén, who received the musical approval of Willy Russell's office with just the first song.

Coral and large format

The cast is full of familiar faces. The two brothers who play the lead roles are Albert Salazar and Roc Bernadí, the girl they fall in love with is played by Tai Fati, the narrator is Triquell (alternating with Xavi Navarro), and, in addition to Castillo, there are names like Toni Viñals, Cisco Cruz, and Lucía Torres (who was already in the revival at the 20 Raval). There are five musicians playing live and a troupe of ten dancers on stage.

A total of 23 artists will be performing each night, from now until spring, in a production that, due to its scale, cannot tour. "The strength of the Condal is that it allows you to create a large-scale show with the audience very close. We wanted it to have impact without losing its authenticity, and we've achieved that," says Inglés, who directed here. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Fun HomeThis is the third musical that the Focus group has programmed this Christmas season in Catalan. In addition to the premiere of Blood brothers at the Condal, there's a show on Love came in a taxi, of La Cubana, at the Romea and The invisible thread, at the Goya.