Daniel Anglès has directed the Condal theater for five years and now, also, Golfus de Roma, with Jordi Bosch at the head of a team of 26 people. Although there is a popular outcry in favor of musicals in Catalan in a scene dominated by productions in Spanish, Golfus de Roma was not having the desired public success to make a macro-production of this magnitude viable.
That is why a few days ago one of the protagonists, Mercè Martínez, launched a cry of alert on the networks: “Where are all those who complain now that there are no large-format musicals in Catalan?”
How bad was the box office?
The show was not going bad. If it was a musical with a dozen actors, it was going pretty well. But in a production with 26 people, you need to have the theater practically full every day. You can't wait for word of mouth, because the numbers don't come out.
How many audiences did they have?
Depending on the day, between 40% and 55%, in a room with almost 700 seats. It was scheduled until December 11 and what Mercè was saying is that, despite the possibility of extending it, it didn't seem like it would happen.
But the reviews were good.
Very good reviews and very good reaction from the public that came, but not enough came, although the curve was upward. His tweet would not have happened if it had been a flop. When that happens, you assume it and go.
Would it have worked in Spanish?
I don't think so, but I do think it would have cost much less because it had already been done in Madrid. To do it in Catalan, we have had to rehearse it for seven weeks and we have had to redo all the costumes because many of the interpreters have been changed. In addition, the translation, in the case of a Sondheim, is very complex, verse by verse, rhyme by rhyme.
Maybe there is no public anymore?
Yes there is. Large productions had been made in Catalan with great success and that filled the crowd, such as Mar i cel, by Dagoll Dagom, or Sweeney Todd, by Mario Gas. But maybe he was a little sleepy. Golfus de Roma is also an exceptional assembly in many ways and, if we want companies to carry out projects like this, we have to support them. If not, there won't be any big productions in Catalan for a long time. Many montages are made in Catalan, yes, but I think the public was not aware of the exceptional nature of this one.
With the upward curve, Twitter worked its magic.
We are very happy. Now we are in a curve that ascends much faster. The public has reacted and we have practically doubled ticket sales. And one thing that has not yet been made public: we extended until January 8.
Do you consider that it had not been sufficiently publicized?
Some media have given good coverage, but others have done so in a residual way. Productions come from Madrid that give them a lot of strength and, on the other hand, in this case, perhaps because we are from home, it was considered something more everyday. And Mercè's tweet has modified it.
Carlos Latre was the protagonist in Madrid and here it is Jordi Bosch. Are they two different shows?
Being the same, they are different. Golfus de Roma is written so that the protagonist determines the personality of the function. The two of them have nothing to do with each other, but they do have things in common: they like each other, the public adores them. And these are the virtues that the character needs. But the resources that each one has are completely different: Carlos is a showman and Jordi has a lifelong acting tradition. We achieve the same thing, that people laugh and have a good time, in two different ways.
You made your debut as director of the Condal directing Fun home, which did not work.
It's one of the shows I'm most proud of, but it was a historic blow to the audience, even though we won the Critics' Award. But other shows have worked very well, such as La filla del mar, Les feres de Shakespeare, El Màgic d'Oz, Una llum timida... At El Condal we have opted for many musicals in Catalan and by Catalan authors, and we won't let them of doing.
A shy llum was a phenomenon and now has a second season.
It is a creation of Africa Alonso, who performs with Júlia Jové, with a story that strikes a chord and a very loyal audience. It's paradise: in Catalan, directed by a woman, performed by women, with music composed by women... That shows the good health of the genre.
Catalan version, here
