Musicals are well accepted in Barcelona. This is demonstrated by the attendance figures for the 21-22 season in Catalonia, where the three most watched shows correspond to this genre.
In first position, with 164,377 spectators, is Singing in the Rain, the adaptation of the film directed by Àngel Llàcer and Manu Guix and which was screened at the Tívoli theater in 209 performances, with an occupancy rate of 67.43%.
In second place, Billy Elliot, with 151,756 spectators, was the musical that was also chosen by the majority of the public. With 254 performances at the Victoria Theatre, the story of the dancing boy recorded 53.32% occupancy.
In third place, a show also musical but unclassifiable, Adeu, Arturo, by La Cubana, added 78,928 spectators at the Coliseum, after touring all over Spain. The assembly, to celebrate the company's 40th anniversary, had an occupancy rate of 69%.
The Association of Theater Companies of Catalonia (Adetca) celebrates tonight, in the Gran Teatre del Liceu, its 30 years of existence with the aim of recovering the goal of full normality. After a few years of pandemic that have especially affected the performing arts, the XXI gala Catalunya raises the curtain will tour the musical scene of these three decades through some numbers from the musicals that have made history.
In the show, directed by Joan Maria Segura, musical direction by Joan Vives and Xavier Mestres and script by Ferran González, there will be no shortage of numbers from Mar i cel, the musical by Dagoll Dagom based on the work by Àngel Guimerà that broke all records, or Sweeney Todd, the great Sondheim classic, with Mario Gas and Vicky Peña, as well as numbers of shows that will premiere this season, such as Golfus de Roma, directed by Daniel Anglès and starring Jordi Bosch, which arrives on 23 September at the Condal theater.
Thanks to Esmuc, the orchestra is made up of 60 musicians plus a 20-voice choir, in an effort to celebrate the recovery of normalcy in a big way. This was stated at a press conference by Toni Albaladejo, co-founder of Adetca, who will receive the Catalunya Teatre mention, for being a "professional with a long career in the world of performing arts, both in the field of production and distribution as in the management of theaters”.
The Adetca will be personified in three actresses from different generations; the 30-year-old will be Mercè Comes, the young woman will be represented by Júlia Bonjonch, and the girl will be Martina Garcia, "as an allegory that, despite being 30 years old, there is still a great future to continue working for the sector, for theater and culture.
In the previous press conference, the president of Adetca, Isabel Vidal, has presented the figures for the 21-22 season, that of all these 30 years and, also, a comparison with 18-19, the one before the pandemic.
Last season, 1,101 shows were scheduled (with 12,772 performances), the number of viewers reached 2,376,935 and revenue was €66,474,959 , with an occupancy rate of 54%. The 21-22 season is 6 points below the occupation reached in 18-19.
Vidal has highlighted that "getting over two million viewers coming from a drop of one million in the previous season was a dream goal for the entire sector". The goal for the season that is now beginning is "to reach 2.5 million viewers."
Vidal has thanked the administrations for their support during the pandemic and has demanded that 2% of the Culture budgets be reached soon, in order to adequately develop the comprehensive theater plan.
