A series of Spanish operettas, known as zarzuelas, will be performed in Bogota, beginning April 23 with the piece “Luisa Fernanda,” reported events site vive.in.
The Colombian capital’s Jorge Eliecer Gaitan Theater will present the Temporada de Zarzuela of the Lyrical Art Foundation, with the support of Spain’s Ministry of Culture.
The event will consist of four pieces that feature renowned Spanish baritone Luis Cansino as either a performer or director.
Cansino will sing in “La viuda alegre,” and will direct scenes in the other three, “Luisa Fernanda,” “La leyenda del beso,” and “Carmen.”
“We are presenting in the Spanish language works that are not strictly Spanish operettas, such as … ‘Carmen,’ an opera. What we are looking to do is to come closer to that public which is deterred from going to the opera, offering them these titles in their language. In this manner, they will be better able to understand this lyrical genre,” said the Spanish musician.
Cansino said that the first operetta presented is likely to be most appetizing to a Colombian audience, stating, “If you analyze many of the Colombian telenovelas, or those of Latin America in general, the story totally corresponds with these productions.”