El médico el musical, Teatre Apolo Barcelona Review
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
El Médico (The Physician) is an original Spanish musical produced by beon.Entertainment, is based on the Noah Gordon novel of the same name.
The production premiered in 2018 in Madrid and has toured all over Spain in the last few years. Barcelona has been its host since October 2024, and it’s almost time to say goodbye. The musical has also been adapted in Germany and the Czech Republic, giving it an international presence.
The story follows Rob J. Cole from the moment he becomes an orphan and is adopted by a barber-surgeon. He has the unique gift of being able to predict people’s deaths, which eventually drives him to Persia to study medicine. I would have loved for the show to delve just a bit more into Rob’s motivations and his faith during his youth, as these are prominent conflicts in his adult life.
El Médico boasts an extraordinary array of beautifully tailored costumes, both for the main characters and the ensemble. I especially loved the Shah’s opulent wardrobe. The staging is quite impressive as well. Even though the first part of the show heavily relies on screens and feels a bit monotonous, later we see several handmade backdrops and impressive columns that bring much more life to the production. The floor is also covered in sand, which makes for a more immersive experience as the actors can interact with it.
One aspect I particularly enjoyed about the production was its sound design. There were constantly subtle background sounds that added life and realism to the scenes, like the sound of wind or the gallop of a horse.
The orchestrations were beautiful and masterfully executed. However, I felt that some of the songs were extremely wordy; it almost seemed as if the lyricist had tried to cram too many sentences into one line. This made it a bit difficult for the audience to follow, and I’m sure it was a challenge for the singers as well, as there was barely any time to breathe!
Fede Salles was an approachable, kind, and hopeful Rob. He portrayed the character’s motivations and conflicts very well and had a beautiful voice. A special shoutout goes to Joseán Moreno, who always impresses me with his performances no matter the role; as Barber, he commanded the stage and was mesmerizing to watch and listen to. The rest of the characters and the ensemble were very strong as well, and I immensely enjoyed the group numbers. The character I perhaps connected with the least was Mary; her songs were all ballads, and most of them were quite dramatic, which didn’t allow us to see much lightheartedness in her.
El Médico demonstrates that Spain has the capability to create large-scale, high-quality and original productions. It will be playing at Teatre Apolo until March 2nd. For those interested in the show but unable to travel to Spain, the soundtrack is available on streaming platforms.
★★★★
