OPERA HISHIK BISHIK
July 31, 2016 - 8:30 pm
50 talented musicians, singers, dancers and actors recreate the magic of 1920s Cairo cabarets in this audacious and original production directed by Hisham Jaber.
Opera meets cabaret, magnified by the harmony symphony orchestra conducted by Lubnan Baalbaki, in a highly entertaining show: A must- see!
THE OPERA
Opera Hishik Bishik” is the first musical in the history of Lebanese production where a modern big orchestra comes face to face with Arabic retro popular songs from the early 20th century golden era of Egyptian cabarets, weddings and operas.
In “Opera Hishik Bishik” the orchestra is in constant interaction with the performance on stage. It speaks to the show, it stops it and has its say, it’s the soundtrack of an occurring scene sometimes, it’s the original music re-orchestrated at other times, but first and foremost the orchestra is a main character in the show playing the classical and the popular.
This bound between the 41 Musicians and the performers will result the whole show to metamorphose into different forms and shapes. Besides speaking to popular songs and to modern music, “Opera Hishik Bishik” embraces the Arabic opera, borrowing from classical operas to create new opera with its fundamental components from interior monologues and dialogues between the characters, to the story and yet becoming an opera.
“Opera Hishik Bishik” is not the “Hishik Bishik show” that is been running in Metro Al Madina for the last three years. It’s a new show with a more mature take on this experience, starting from the foundations that the original Hishik Bishik has established and pushing it further musically where Arabic popular music meets western orchestra and together create an Arabic opera. It’s a real challenge for those three to meet; and it is really magical.
PERFORMERS
- Ziad El Ahmadiye: Oud / Vocals / Actor
- Yasmina Fayed: Vocals / Actress
- Lina Sahab: Vocals / Actress
- Roy Dib: Vocals / Actor
- Wissam Dalati: Vocals / Actor
- Samah Abi el Mona: Accordion / Actor
- Ziad Jaafar: Violins / Vocals / Actor
- Bahaa Daou: Percussion / Vocals / Actor
- Randa Makhoul: Belly Dancer / Actress
TEAM
- Hisham Jaber: Concept & Artistic director
- Lebnen Baalbaki: Orchestra Conductor
- Ziad el Ahmadie & Nidal Abou Samra: Music arrangement
- Nadim Saoma: Visuals & light designer
- Alaa Minawi: Light designer
- Wissam Dalati: Costume designer
- Jawad Chaaban: Sound engineer
- Sarah Nohra: Production manager
- Ayman el Nouby: Assistant production
- Lara Nassar: Light operator
- Nabil Abou el Heijaa: Stage manager
- Mohammad Farhat: Senior technician
- Yves Chartouni: Visuals operator
- Lara Nohra: Marketing
