Dove Attia, successful musical theater screenwriter, talks about his experience in creating his shows, on the occasion of the release of his latest musical: Molière, the Urban Opera.
Dove Attia is above all a music enthusiast who, after studying engineering and working as a teacher, rekindled his passion by creating shows. A past career he hasn’t forgotten, far from it. He even states: “I’m a teacher at heart, I love teaching“. A professional trait that he has been able to use in his musical comedy creations.
Dove Attia has created nine musicals equating to successful shows. All thanks to a simple recipe: “I never think about what will work, but I think about what I would like to watch“. He approaches his work with the desire to convey something, always teaching through his shows, and here lies the recipe for success.
Molière, the Urban Opera: a mix of classic and modern
This musical traces the life of Molière, an intriguing choice given his life story. As Dove Attia recalls, “he is the first French star in history, a feminist, someone who provoked, disturbed, had many enemies, had scandalous loves, came from nothing, and was a friend of King Louis XIV.” Hence, an extensively rich character in history who has always fascinated him.
Adapting Molière into a modern work is a challenging exercise since his works retain a classical side, but the essence remains contemporary, which is what Dove Attia relied on for his adaptation. Anachronisms are everywhere in this musical. From the costumes to the slam and rap dialogues, the goal is to highlight the contemporaneity of Molière’s texts while preserving his classical touch.
Rap at the service of the show
His passion for music leads Dove Attia to be very eclectic in his listening preferences. Initially a fan of rock, he doesn’t hesitate to explore other musical genres, including rap. Artists like Eminem, NTM, and Mc Solaar have given him a taste for rap. The use of rap here stemmed from the idea of offering moments of narration. Instead of doing them through song which might not be as effective, or through dialogue, here it’s replaced by slam or rap, creating that much sought-after modern effect. Massive work was done to deliver a complete performance without spoken dialogue. Everything is driven by music, giving this musical a very special rhythm.
It’s a musical worth seeing. The reviews are unanimous, it’s a masterpiece! A show that challenges conventions and pays a wonderful tribute to one of the greatest figures in French literature. Dove Attia himself says this work “will shatter your preconceptions“. It’s a musical rich in emotion that will take you from laughter to tears.
Thus, a show not to be missed at the Palais Nikaia on Saturday, October 19, 2024, for a double performance.
