Musicals return with force this season to the stages of Barcelona

As if life were a musical, some end up becoming one of their parents' favorite characters. The typical movie they liked so much that they decided to make it the soundtrack to your first communion. Or as a name for more than one of the family dogs. This is the real plot of David Bustamante, the popular singer from San Vicente de la Barquera who, starting this Friday, takes to the stage of the Tivolí Theater to play Sam, the protagonist of Ghost.

"My mother didn't let me decide," Bustamante said, recalling when he was offered to debut in the world of musical theater. It is the first time the former "triunfito" becomes an actor, for which he has had the support of professor and director Silvia Montesinos. However, he is clear that it will not be the last. "I am a novice at an interpretive level and it is proving to be a daily learning experience, but I think I am slowly getting the audience to forget about David Bustamante and see more of Sam," he defended at the presentation of the musical adaptation of the film starring Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze.

Ghost, the musical can be seen at the Tivolí from Wednesday to Sunday, with double performances on Fridays and Saturdays, for the next two months. The musical arrives in the Catalan capital after spending two seasons in Madrid. Bustamante, who already has 150 performances under his belt, is accompanied by a team of 16 artists, among whom are Ana Dachs, in the role of Molly ---one of the names Bustamante's dogs had---, Ela Ruiz and Christian Sánchez. Ricky Merino, another former "triunfito," will alternate the lead role with Bustamante. The company is made up of more than 50 professionals. Letsgo, the production company behind the musical, has also created productions such as Dirty Dancing, The Bodyguard, the musical and The Addams Family.

Bustamante will not be the only protagonist in Barcelona's musical season, which has just begun. A 90s classic like Ghost will be followed by another of the same caliber like Pretty Woman. The Teatre Apolo premieres this story for the first time in Spain, after passing through Broadway, Germany and Italy. It is expected to arrive in Madrid in September next year, after spending this entire season in Barcelona.

The musical of Pretty Woman, produced by Smedia and Veniu Fama, will feature Cristina Llorente and Roger Berruezo in the roles of Vivian and Edward, played on the big screen by Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. Berruezo will return to the stages of the Teatre Apolo this season after treading them with Company, one of the productions that Antonio Banderas has brought to the Catalan capital. He will be accompanied by Rubén Yuste, who also acted in Company. And, by coincidence, Llorente, dressed by Pronovias, had until now played Molly in Ghost, whom Bustamante fantastically accompanies.

For those who want to get away from Hollywood titles, the Teatre Condal offers A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, with the story of a slave played by Jordi Bosch, adding a company of clowns to round it out. With music by Stephen Sondheim, the comic play arrives in Barcelona after a season in Madrid, starring Carlos Latre and with more than 100,000 spectators. In the Catalan capital, the show has been produced by the Focus group and the Mérida festival, incorporating Catalan and directed by Daniel Anglès. As if that weren't enough, Bosch returns as Pseudolus to musicals after more than ten years since his participation in Spamalot.