The Caracalla Dance Theatre, celebrating Lebanon’s rich cultural heritage, presents its latest theatrical production, “One Thousand and One Nights.” This spectacular reinterpretation of the tales from the Arabian Nights will officially premiere on July 31, 2024, at 8:00 PM at the Caracalla Theatre in Horsh Tabet.
The stories of One Thousand and One Nights have profoundly influenced world literature and popular culture, from the hakawatis to elegant printed editions, and even street audiences. The tales of Sinbad and Scheherazade, Ali Baba and Aladdin, have captivated readers’ imaginations worldwide. In “One Thousand and One Nights,” the Caracalla Dance Theatre unveils the mysterious Orient, presenting extraordinary tales from ancient lands. This production brings these timeless stories to life with sumptuous silk costumes and a multi-talented cast, accompanied by the famous compositions of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade and Ravel’s Bolero, reorchestrated with traditional oriental instruments.
Long ago, two brothers who ruled over their kingdoms discovered they had been betrayed by their respective wives. The elder and more powerful, Shahrayar, deeply wounded, embarked on a campaign of vengeance, marrying a new woman each night only to have her killed the next morning. The victims accumulated until Scheherazade, the daughter of the grand vizier, appeared and used all her knowledge and ingenuity in tales meant to delay her execution by the murderous king. Transporting him through the sands of time into the fascinating stories of a magical Orient, Scheherazade tells the extraordinary legend of a sorcerer who, in a vibrant and colorful bazaar, steals from the rich to feed the poor. Over her one thousand and one nights, Scheherazade not only saves herself but also heals King Shahrayar, restoring faith, forgiveness, and love in his heart and kingdom.
With a movement style that the Washington Post describes as “a visual luxury born from oriental folk dance blended with the stretch and fluidity of ballet and the theatricality of modern western dance,” the Caracalla Dance Theatre transforms Scheherazade’s whimsical tales into a memorable spectacle.
Alongside the dancers of the Caracalla Dance Theatre, this production features special appearances by Lebanese theater stars such as Hoda Haddad, Joseph Azar, Gabriel Yammine, Simon Obeid, and the folklore star Omar Caracalla. It also includes the participation of Lea Bou Chaaya, François Rahmé, Georges Khawand, and Adib Abou Haidar.
The music is by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Maurice Ravel, with supervision by Abdel Halim Caracalla, choreography by Alissar Caracalla, and artistic direction by Ivan Caracalla.
Celebrating its 55th anniversary, the Caracalla Dance Theatre has become one of the most prominent and acclaimed dance theatres. It has championed cultural heritage and performed in renowned theatres and capitals worldwide, including the J.F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, Carnegie Hall in New York, Circuito del Mito in Sicily, Meeting de Rimini, Sadler’s Wells and the Coliseum in London, the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, the Royal Opera House in Muscat, Princess Nora Theatre in Riyadh, Al Mayassa Theatre in Doha, the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation, the Cairo Opera House, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the Olympia and the Palais des Congrès in Paris, the National Theatre of Osaka, the operas of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, the Frankfurt Opera House, the Spoleto Festival in the United States, the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts in the United States, the Baalbeck International Festival, the Beiteddine Art Festival, and many venues in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Gulf States.
The company collaborates with internationally renowned artists, pioneers in the performing arts. Awarded numerous prestigious prizes, the Caracalla Dance Theatre has captured the attention of the global press and created its own choreographic language based on western dance disciplines integrated with distinctive oriental traditions. Based in Beirut, the company has its own theatre and dance school, thus consolidating its rich heritage and inspiring today’s youth towards an artistic future.
Tickets are available online at Virgin Ticketing, as well as at the Caracalla Theatre and all Virgin Ticketing outlets. Performances will take place every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday starting July 26 at precisely 8:00 PM.
The number of performances is limited, so don’t miss this unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the enchanting world of One Thousand and One Nights.
