Broken Wings, a major new musical, an autobiographical tale of tragic love based on Lebanese-born poet Kahlil Gibran's 1912 masterpiece is to get a West End prermiere.
Broken Wings with Book Music & Lyrics by West End star
Nadim Naaman (The Phantom of the Opera) and Music and Lyrics by
Dana Al Fardan, one of The Middle East's leading contemporary composers, will premiere as a semi-staged production with 9-piece orchestra, at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from August 1 - 4.
Co-Writer
Nadim Naaman leads the cast as the iconic Gibran, the show's narrator. His co-stars are
Hiba Elchikhe (Princess Jasmine in the Australian production of Disney's Aladdin) as Selma Karamy and
Rob Houchen (Marius in the West End production of Les Misérables and Titanic at Charing Cross Theatre) as Gibran's teenage self.
The rest of the cast features
Adam Linstead (Old Deuteronomy in Cats at the London Palladium and International Tour) as Farris,
Soophia Foroughi (Elena in Tiger Bay, Wales Millennium Centre and Lady of The Lake, Spamalot, English Theatre Frankfurt) as Mother,
Nadeem Crowe (Doug/Mr.
Spencer Williams in School of Rock at The
Gillian Lynne Theatre and Sunset Boulevard, London Coliseum) as Karim,
Irvine Iqbal (currently playing Sultan in the West End production of Disney's Aladdin) as Bishop Bulos Galib and
Sami Lamine (Laila:The Musical,
West Yorkshire Playhouse and UK Tour) as Mansour Bey Galib with Robert Hannouch (Godspell, UK Tour, Miracle on 34th Street, UK Tour),
Nikita Johal (the lead role of Wendla in Spring Awakening,
Hope Mill Theatre) and
Lauren James Ray (Rebecca in Imagine This, Union Theatre and understudied and played both Glinda and Nessarose in the West End production of Wicked) as ensemble.
New York City, 1923. An ageing Gibran narrates from his cold studio. Through poetry and music, he transports us back two decades and across continents, to turn-of-the-century Beirut. His 18-year-old self returns to The Middle East after five years living in America, to complete his education and discover more of his heritage. He falls deeply in love with Selma Karamy, the daughter of family friend and hugely respected local businessman, Farris Karamy. However, Selma soon becomes betrothed to Mansour Bey Galib, nephew of the powerful Bishop Bulos Galib, who has his eye on the Karamy family fortune. Gibran and Selma fight to reconcile their love for one another, whilst navigating the rules, traditions and expectations that society lays on them.
Writer Kahlil Gibran, whose seminal work The Prophet was an interational best-seller, remains the third best-selling poet of all time, behind Shakespeare and Laozi. What inspired him to write? And what moved him to such profound philosophy in his later life? The events in
Broken Wings highlight key social issues of the time - the fight for gender equality, the freedom to love who we love, tradition versus modernity, wealth versus happiness, immigration and the importance of 'home' - yet these themes are increasingly relevant today, over a century later.
This moving new musical is directed by
Bronagh Lagan, with orchestrations by
Joe Davison. It is produced by Ali Matar.
Nadim Naaman said: "Kahlil Gibran is the Shakespeare of The Middle East, and the third best-selling poet of all time. His views transcend nationality, politics and background, read by all faiths and all ages. He was spiritual, but wouldn't dedicate his life to one particular organisation of religion. Instead, he took the best of all faiths, championing humanity, tolerance and love above all else. I still can't believe that the book hasn't already been adapted for the stage; it is structured like a play, and is awash with musical references. Much like Kahlil Gibran's life, the creation of this show has been a fusion of both The Middle East and The West, so to be presenting this piece in London, at the stunning Theatre Royal Haymarket, is both fitting and overwhelming."
Dana Al Fardan said: "Kahlil Gibran felt strongly about the universal language of music, often referring to it as the language of the soul. Our musical aims to offer the audience a deeper understanding of both Gibran's work and the man behind it. We hope it will be both enjoyable and enlightening."
The
Broken Wings Concept Album was released in May. It is available for download on iTunes, Amazon MP3 and Google Play. Limited-edition CDs can be ordered via Auburn Jam Music using this link:
www.brokenwings.auburnjam.co.uk
Photo Credit: Darren Bell
