REVIEW | The Neverending Story (La Historia Interminable, el Musical)Teatre Apolo

Reviews

24 Nov

Written by Laura

The musical adaptation of The Neverending Story created by Félix Amador with music by Iván Macías, has finally landed in Barcelona, at the Teatre Apolo. “La historia interminable, el musical” is performed in Spanish; it opened in Madrid in 2022 and it has been touring the country ever since.

The Neverending Story is a beloved classic worldwide. Written by Michael Ende and first published in 1979, the novel had a famous film adaptation in 1984. The story follows a young boy, Bastian Bux, who finds a magical book about a world called Fantasia. This mystical land is threatened by The Nothing, a dangerous foe that is consuming everything in its wake, and threatening the life of the Childlike Empress, the kingdom’s ruler. The young warrior Atreyu is tasked with the dangerous mission to save the Empress and Fantasia. As Bastian reads about Atreyu’s adventures, the two worlds seem to merge, and Bastian realizes his crucial role in Fantasia’s future.

The musical borrows a lot of its imagery from the movie while incorporating themes and plot points from the novel, such as the end of Bastian’s arc left unfinished in the movie.

The creators aimed to immerse their audience in Fantasia. Upon entrance, the majestic Sphynx Gate is revealed presiding over the stage, along with foliage all over the theatre. Mind-blowing animatronics, occasionally used only for a single scene, are the stars of this production. The stage, usually quite bare, is franked by a green foliage curtain, allowing seamless transitions for the animatronics. Surrounding sounds and flickering lights help to create this very immersive atmosphere.

Regarding the music, it was a bit of a hit or miss for me. There seems to be a disconnection in the score; some of the songs were typical musical theatre songs, but there was also a “cobla” (a folkloric Spanish type of song), claque numbers, 80s rock and even rapping. It felt inconsistent and overly digital, though some ensemble numbers were wonderful!

Costumes varied, with some beautiful pieces such as Empress’ gowns contrasting with characters wearing jeans or hoodies, which detracts from the story.

The cast is very solid. Joseán Moreno, playing the bookseller Koreander and also Fújur, stood out with incredible vocals, wonderful acting, and charisma. Noemi Gallego was also spectacular as the evil witch Xayide, so much so that I wish she had gotten more of a backstory. Noa Cánovas brought Bastian to life splendidly, sharing touching scenes with the rest of the cast. The roles of the Childlike Empress and Bastian’s mother were played by the same actress, Elena González, and that allowed for a touching parallel between those two characters and Bastian.

In short, if you’re a fan of the book or the movie, I recommend giving this musical a shot. The language barrier shouldn’t be an issue due to its visual spectacle and the well-known, easy-to-follow story.

While some music may need revision, the show is certainly spectacular and nostalgic, touching the hearts of those who grew up with this story.